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ilaksh ilaksh
 
M$1 January 13, 2009 02:39 AM

What will be the next human-centered metasystem transition?

What form will it be in, how will it come to be, what will be the key changes?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g94iWT2SIwI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasystem_transition

A metasystem transition is the emergence, through evolution, of a higher level of organization or control.
Prime examples are the origin of life, the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms, and the emergence of symbolic thought. A metasystem is formed by the integration of a number of initially independent components, such as molecules, cells or individiduals, and the emergence of a system steering or controlling their interactions. As such, the collective of components becomes a new, goal-directed individual, capable of acting in a coordinated way. This metasystem is more complex, more intelligent, and more flexible in its actions than the initial component systems.

http://www.mahalo.com/answers/community-service/if-we-knew-how-connected-we-all-were-how-would-that-change-everything

(a few other related Mahalo questions I didn't find in my search)

Also, if you don't like something about my question and think your explanation of what's wrong with the question could possibly be informative or interesting please go ahead and answer anyway.

Doesn't really look like people are interested in answering this question. But in case it helps, maybe increase the scope a little to include aspects of contemporary social science, biology, religion or whatever field you think might relate to the topic.
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greenscree... greenscree...
 
 January 13, 2009 07:09 AM
The next big metasystem will be the organization around external data that our society will take once the human/digital interface is perfected. Right now only the optical nerve interface is in use (for restoring sight via mechanical means), but at the current rate of change a human/digital interface for other nerves should be expected in our lifetime. Once faulty human memory can be replaced/augmented with an external data store it will completely change the human experience.
Source(s):
http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/03/bionic-eye-bypasses-optic-nerve/



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ilaksh ilaksh
 
January 13, 2009 08:00 AM
Do you think the brain/computer interfaces could translate into higher bandwidth more coherent brain-brain systems (via these brain/computer interfaces)?

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greenscree... greenscree...
 
January 13, 2009 08:18 PM
replying to ilaksh - I don't know if human thought will become more coherent, but it will clearly be based on data and data volume. The concerns that those of us in data processing have will become standard human concerns. What is the cross relationship of data? How to maintain the cardinality of that relationship? How to cross calculate the intersection of types of related data (tuples)? How to present cross calculated data in a simple way (so that a simple graph, for example, could represent millions of underlying cross calculations).

Handling data at scale will be the forefront issue once the human/digital interface is adopted.

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ilaksh ilaksh
 
January 14, 2009 01:30 AM
Ok.. hadn't thought of it that way thanks.

As far as cross calculated data etc., to me it sounds like you might be talking about pivot tables or OLAP? Cross calculating the intersection of types of related data sounds like multidimensional analysis?

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greenscree... greenscree...
 
January 14, 2009 02:00 AM
replying to ilaksh - Exactly, and I think that once we have access to mass quantities of data, and that data in some way helps to define who we are, we will want very much to slice and dice that data in the way OLAP/MOLAP/ROLAP does today with relational data. These tools will allow us to manage the massive amount of data that we will be able to interact with.

Imagine if every "frame" that was produced by your optic nerve could be stored and retrieved at will. The central problem of your life would be managing that data. That is the next big change that is coming down the pike.

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mrgunn mrgunn
 
January 13, 2009 02:55 AM
So the basic idea, for those who can't be bothered, is that individuals will form a collective analogous to the cells in our body forming a collective. It's an interesting idea, but so far out ...

Specialization among people and interconnectedness hasn't gotten anywhere near the levels experienced by cells, either.

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ilaksh ilaksh
 
January 13, 2009 03:03 AM
Thanks for the short version and mentioning people that can't be bothered. I should have just put a few sentences of explanation in there to start with.

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drdork drdork
 
January 13, 2009 07:07 AM
Aggregating & summarizing the best human perceptions, insights and analyses on any given topic PLUS slicing and dicing topics in any imaginable way is/are emerging as (one of?) the next human-centered transitions. I think this is pointing in that direction: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_build_a_social_media_cheat_sheet.php

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ilaksh ilaksh
 
January 13, 2009 07:59 AM
I have been thinking something along those lines as well. Do you see any way that some kind of multi-agent consciousness(es) could emerge (or even be formed top-down) from these types of technologies? Or does that sort of thing just augment individual human intelligence? Certainly it broadens and enhances individual's viewpoints but are those human viewpoints/abilities qualitatively different?

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drdork drdork
 
January 14, 2009 04:53 AM
Question: Do you see any way that some kind of multi-agent consciousness(es) could emerge (or even be formed top-down) from these types of technologies?
Response: No.

Q: Or does that sort of thing just augment individual human intelligence?
R: Yes. Just speculating that a wide array of super-high quality "knowledge" could alter consciousness dramatically--more than just augment it. Think thoughts we haven't thought before in a way we haven't thought before.

Q (related): Certainly it broadens and enhances individual's viewpoints but are those human viewpoints/abilities qualitatively different?
R: We'll have to see! I think my own persistent interactions with readily available information and "content" via the internet have--over the last ten+ years--altered my own consciousness/brain. I think my consciousness is qualitatively different (broader? bigger? more saturated?) than it was or would have been. Not huge, but subtle. Something I sense. Or should I see a doctor?

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ilaksh ilaksh
 
January 14, 2009 11:18 AM
To me it looks like your consciousness has definitely expanded in an upward and pointy direction. That may be what you are sensing. If you wear that hat on a daily basis then yes, see a doctor :) (Just kidding (I'm sure you only wear it for photos)).

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