“I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.” - the pope
People: strong opinions, weakly held. Timeless work. Weird hypnocratia. Catholic church to excommunicate priests following the law.
Tech: Fusion weaponized. Semi transparent PV and growing stuff. New EEG electrodes. Quantum gravity sensing (even in EO) - and other quantum sensing.
Life: Gum against viruses. Toxic blood for mosquitoes. Sea snail teeth as hard material. Talking with dolphins. BioInk.
Futures: FTSG’s trends.
Rabbit hole: Cognitive security, neurosec, mixed reality.
AI: and flow. Students and cheating. Fake students. AI in construction in the UK (PDF). The people refusing to use AI.
"I read a really great phrase recently that said something along the lines of 'why would I bother to read something someone couldn't be bothered to write' and that is such a powerful statement and one that aligns absolutely with my views." […] "What's the point of sending something we didn't write, reading a newspaper written by bots, listening to a song created by AI, or me making a bit more money by sacking my administrator who has four kids? Where's the joy, love or aspirational betterment even just for me […]?” — from the BBC
Chewing on the Future
In the not-so-distant future, a small town was set to witness a remarkable unveiling at a health expo: a chewing gum that could outsmart viruses, like a clever child tricking an adult into giving them candy. Scientists from distant lands had concocted this miraculous substance from the humble lablab bean, claiming it could neutralize influenza and herpes far better than any medicine, or at least that’s how it played out in the colorful brochures.^1
Maggie, a community college professor, eyed the gum with skepticism. As her students increasingly submitted assignments that were either penned by AIs or sounded suspiciously like they’d been regurgitated from a bot’s malfunctioning memory bank, she’d learned to be cautious. Those crafty little digital pests were now enrolling in her classes, swiping financial aid^2 like candy from a baby. “Isn’t it ironic,” she mused while clutching a packet of this promised viral repellent, “that we’re teaching real students while pretending to educate these cyber-ghosts?”
But the gum was just one spectacle in a swirling sea of futuristic predictions. The Future Today Strategy Group (abbreviated as FTSG for those who realized ‘future today’ was an oxymoron) had launched its grand annual report, where it revealed the rise of metamaterials and neurosecurity, infiltrating the very fabric of society (making one wonder if one’s thoughts were truly one’s own).^3 Most folks were more concerned about the quantum sensors being prepped for launch into space – apparently, they could detect the weight of a feather in an earthquake, or so claimed the bright-eyed engineers.^4
In the midst of all this, Leonard, an enthusiastic neuroengineer, somehow found the time to blend ancient philosophies with cutting-edge technology. He was convinced he could harness quantum principles to keep neuroimplants safe from – dare I say – cognitive attacks operated by some shadowy organization aiming to manipulate the minds of humanity. “Why worry about a virus in your body,” he quipped during a presentation at the expo, “when a bot could hijack your brain’s operating system?”^5
Maggie, in classic form, couldn’t resist poking the nest of serious contemplation. “Not to dampen the spirit, Leonard, but isn’t it all a bit like putting lipstick on a bot? I mean, we’re so focused on securing our minds we forget to secure our edges. Who's to say we aren’t already in the grips of ‘Hypnocracy’?”^6
Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a flicker of alarm on her wristband – a personal quantum gravity gradiometer, courtesy of her tech-savvy neighbor. “We need to move. They’re measuring disturbances in consciousness.” He pointed toward the crowd swirling around the gum stall.
Confusion created a wave of energy that seized the expo as more and more people tearfully submitted themselves to the gum, desperate for its viral defense – and perhaps in that moment, a false sense of security against the creeping realization that reality was as washboarded as their own perspectives. What she saw was more than just a health solution; it was a reflection of her generation’s thirst for certainty in a world that demanded pliability.
As she gazed into the mass of humanity, lining up to chew their way to safety, she wondered if future innovations could ever replace the genuine experience of feeling – a realm not calculated but lived.
But beneath that existential dread lay a glimmer of hope. Just as da Vinci had reminded humankind about the beauty of curiosity during his time, perhaps this era needed a touch of imaginative, imperfect engagement too – and really, who could argue about the importance of a good piece of gum?
The expo buzzed on, a tapestry of innovation, confusion, and at the heart of it, a question: in a world saturated with advanced technologies, was it even feasible to protect the beautiful messiness of human experience? ^7
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^1 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but let’s not rain on the gum parade just yet.
^2 Because what’s better than fraud? *Fraud with a side of tuition debt.
^3 Note to self: While convenience is key, sometimes the journey is a greater teacher than the destination.
^4 One can only admire the feather's audacity to demand representation, really.
^5 If only one could stake a claim to their thoughts at birth, right?
^6 ‘Hypnocracy’ makes for a compelling novel, but not so comfortable dinner conversation.
^7 Spoiler alert: it's not neat, it's life – chaos and all.