“I do think we’ll have designer babies in the future. I’m not so sure people will want blue-eyed babies when they can make green or purple.”
– Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly) returns to the podcast due to popular demand. Kevin continues to be perhaps the Most Interesting Man in the World.
He is Senior Maverick at Wired Magazine, which he co-founded in 1993. He also co-founded the All Species Foundation, a non-profit aimed at cataloging and identifying every living species on earth. In his spare time, he writes best selling books, co-founded the Rosetta Project, which is building an archive of all documented human languages, and serves on the board of the Long Now Foundation. As part of the last, he’s investigating how to revive and restore endangered or extinct species, including the Wooly Mammoth.
As usual, Kevin’s responses and answers are fascinating.
Enjoy!
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here.
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear my conversation with Kevin Kelly, in which we discuss population implosions, the Long Now Foundation, organizational methods for learning, and much more? — Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download part 1 | part 2 | part 3):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What habit, skill, or hobby do you think could have a life-changing impact? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
- Watch the video where Bill Gates talks about his fears
- Learn more about Oculus Rift
Show Notes
- If you had to invest your entire life savings into one area of technology today, which would it be? What future technology will have the most unexpected impact on our lives? [7:50]
- What is something (a certain habit/skill/hobby) that you believe can have a life changing impact for most people? [12:50]
- What current technology in use by general western society would you like to see become obsolete in the next ten years and why? [13:30]
- What’s the threat – technological, economic, or otherwise – that no one is expecting? [15:50]
- What’s the thing you most admire about Tim and wish you could make a part of your own life? [18:40]
- With the proliferation of on-demand apps, products, and technology, how can one add value to people’s lives? [20:00]
- What are you afraid of? [22:55]
- How does your view of the future affect how you live your life in the short term? How do you plan for the future when you know so little about the landscape you will be operating in? [27:00]
- What is your definition of journalism? What do you think the responsibilities of a journalist should be? [30:30]
- Have you tried out the Oculus Rift yet? If so, did the experience change your view of the future? [34:55]
- Do you have some examples of people who drifted along for years without any clear goal, and stumbled upon their “life task” by chance? [36:25]
- In what ways does technology have the power to make people happy? In what ways does it not? [38:25]
- How far will technology take us by 2020? [39:35]
- Do you see possibilities or needs for a new mythology to arise in the coming decades? Something that integrates our new understanding of science, technology, and pace of advancement with the actualities of the human experience today? [39:45]
- Do you have any tips for finding your purpose or mission in life? [41:15]
- Do you think the technological singularity will happen? If so, when? [42:00]
- What do you think will be the impact of designer babies in the future? Will everyone eventually become super intelligent, blue-eyed people? [42:25]