(more to be added)

One of the outcomes of discussions in the Society for the Social Implications of Technology (SSIT), my 2009 class on "Impossible Things" and other interactions of time is the realization that we (professionals, public, policy makers, etc.) need to try to get a handle on where technological change is going, and how to anticipate some of the impact of the various trajectories.  A tool for doing this is a fairly constrained form of Science Fiction I call "predictive" fiction.  Stories that are build on our current understanding of science/technology and project a modest distance into the future to explore how these things may affect society.

A few examples along these lines include:

• the augmentation of human capabilities via implanted devices to transform our physical or even mental capabilities
• hearing aids that handle a wider range of frequencies, provide greater distance in hearing, play MP3 files or even translate languages
• visual augmentation to see a wider range of frequencies, greater distance vision, night vision, or
  heads-up display of texting, web browsing, video -- and ultimately augmented reality (addition of images into your field of view)
  
  
• Chemical augmentation  -- concentration pills, memory pills, personality pills, intelligence pills, or just plain feel good pills
  
  
• Biological augmentation -- fixing disease, fixing genetic defects, adding genetic enhancements, genetic engineering from pre-conception on, etc.
  
  
• Computer/machine "awakening" into devices which appear to be conscious, intelligent, self-replicating, etc.
• This could result from specific efforts to emulate the brain, particularly as device complexity increases and brain science matures
• This could be from focused activity on learning machines and/or genetic algorithms, etc.
  
• This could be an emergent result from increasing complexity of machines or networks

Some of background in these areas, from experts who know more than I, can be found at TED.COM ... an index of some of these presentations is provided in the syllabus for my Impossible Things class.

One of these days I hope to find a way to support/encourage/facilitate... publication for  authors in this area, as well as visibility for this approach with policy makers, young persons, professionals, etc.