Meaning of 21st Century

James Martin: We Can Control Accelerating Technology

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Yesterday I was privileged to have an hour-long Skype interview with James Martin for my Singularity 1 on 1 podcast.

James Martin is Andrew Crofts‘ archetype Change Agent in addition to being a world-renowned computer scientist, author, lecturer, teacher, philanthropist, futurist, and film-maker. During our conversation, we cover a whole spectrum of interesting topics such as James’ interest in computers in particular and technology and futurism in general; his book that eventually turned into a movie –  The Meaning of the 21st Century, his current project titled the Transformation of Humankind; the technological singularity; the risks and promises of exponential growth of 21st-century technologies such as genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnologies.

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is James Martin:

According to Computerworld James Martin is the fourth among the top 25 individuals who have most influenced the world of computer science.

The Sunday Times called him “Britain’s leading futurist.”

Martin has honorary doctorates from all six continents and has written 104 textbooks, many of which have been seminal in their field. He also wrote The Meaning of the 21st Century, which was made into a major film, and is a Pulitzer nominee for his book The Wired Society: A challenge for tomorrow. James is renowned for his electrifying lectures about the future and several years ago became the largest individual benefactor to Oxford University by donating over 100 million dollars and founding the Oxford Martin School, which has 30 institutes researching the problems, dangers, and opportunities of the future.

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James Martin’s The Meaning Of The 21st Century

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Last night me and Julie watched James Martin‘s documentary The Meaning Of The 21st Century. The movie is based on his titular book and is aimed to provide what James calls A Vital Blueprint for Ensuring Our Future.

In his 1 hour documentary Martin catalogues all the major perils and promises that humanity faces in the 21st century. In addition, he doesn’t forgo issues arising from advances in the fields of artificial intelligence, genetics, robotics and nanotechnology, or interviewing other futurists, scientists, inventors, singularitarians and transhumanists such as Ray Kurzweil, Hugo de Garis, Nick Bostrom and others.

The video is narrated by Michael Douglas and I think it is worth watching.

Synopsys:

We are at an extraordinary crossroads of human history. Our actions, or failure to act, during the next 20 years will determine the fate of the Earth and human civilization for centuries to come. This is a make-or-break century.

Humanity’s demands for affluence are growing rapidly. If we are able to make the planet work, as shown in this film, we face a magnificent future. If we fail, we could be headed for a new Dark Age.

Long Trailer:

You can watch the full movie by clicking here.

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