Lists of technologies and “disrupters” are sometimes click-worthy, but they can obscure the need for deeper discussions about the social systems in which they could sit.
AI successes (and failures) in science, and other fields, capture headlines. But asking how AI is influencing science is too narrow a question because there are a lot of other factors to consider as well.
Social changes, particularly those based on values, usually take a long time. Not just to build support for change, but to develop a good plan for what need needs to happen next.
Science in this decade won’t be improved simply by adding more money. The system is stressed, so a systemic view is required. Changing mindsets and “rules of the game” are what is needed to ensure science can more effectively help with the challenges we are facing.
Outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. That’s a description of the lifestyle of women “flappers” in the 1920s. Could it apply to science (and scientists) in the 2020s?
The end of year is full of predictions, and thoughts of days at the beach. But foresight is more than just wave spotting, it needs to understand the metaphorical currents and tides shaping the world, and the large transitions underway.
Like business and politics, futurism and foresight are susceptible to short-termism, shallow historical perspectives, and a focus on parts not the whole.
