Questions Over Answers
So, what did the year 2000 look like to artists in France in the early 1900s?
Jean-Marc Côté and a few other artists created postcards representing their vision of how the year 2000 looked to them. These were originally showcased at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris and later published in a book by Issac Asimov called Future Days.
The future of education involved a unique perspective on machine learning, which seemed like a passive process for the student.
“The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” – William Gibson
The future can be a crazy thing to think about. The professions that my four kids will end up choosing have likely not even been thought of yet. Think about it. What did the plumber do before running water? What did the airplane mechanic do before the Wright Brothers? What did the writer do before the written alphabet? If you prepare for now, you may not be ready for later.
Kevin Kelly is a writer, co-founder, and Senior Maverick for Wired Magazine. His book, The Inevitable presents a framework for what we might expect from humans, technology, and society in the coming years. He looks back almost as often as he looks ahead, and he reminds us that many amazing creations are simply rearrangements of found elements. For example, what did we do before Google? Starting in the 1950s, if you had a question, you could call The FOY Line at Auburn University, and they would research the answer. Seriously, you could ask them anything. You could also go to the library or call 411. Now, “Google filters the content of 60 trillion pages about 2 million times every minute.” (p.172) to find the answer to your question.
“Computers are useless. They only give you the answers.” Pablo Picasso (1964)
What if someone tapped you on the shoulder thirty years ago and said there was going to be a start-up that will grow to exceed $82 billion by answering questions for free? What if the questions eventually become more valuable than the answers? The best questions aren’t easily answered, and they usually generate more questions.
Never underestimate the value of a great question.
