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European Visions for the Knowledge Age Web Pages
European Visions for the Knowledge Age |
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Preface Visions of the future are an important aid to the development of a world that people want, rather than one that is imposed on them by some external unseen hand of fate. Visions can also offer ideas and present alternatives that can stimulate creative thinking, trigger innovation, and provide some pointers to the types of issues that may need to be addressed in the future. This book has been designed with these aspects of vision in mind. The aim is not to use visions to predict the future, but to explore different options and possibilities. The book is directed at stimulating a reflection on possible futures as society moves forward in the emerging knowledge age. Experts drawn from the fields of science, engineering, technology and humanities present their thoughts, ideas, and reflections on where society may be headed, covering a time scale up to 30 years ahead. The book offers a unique perspective of the intersections among knowledge, design, technology, communication, people, and society. Based on their own in-depth knowledge of current developments, the authors describe what they think could be, what they think should be, and sometimes warn about what they think should not be the future. The strength of this book lies in its independence; it does not represent the official view of the authors' companies, or institutions, but rather the independent opinions of a range of thinkers and practitioners. Such an independent presentation of ideas can provide a valuable mirror for reflecting on current actions, or for laying the foundations of future ones. In Europe there is a need to develop clearer visions of future society. The reflection and discussion about where to go needs to be extended far beyond acknowledged experts, to include a much broader spectrum of society. This book offers one starting point for such a broader discussion and reflection on society's future in the knowledge age. The idea for this book originated with Jakub Wejchert who shaped the concept and recruited the contributors, tirelessly reviewed the contributions, and provided advice to the authors to enable each of them to arrive at quality contributions. Unfortunately changing work commitments and areas of responsibility meant that Jakub was no longer able to continue in the role of editor. When Jakub withdrew I was asked to step in and take over the role of editor to ensure that the valuable contributions contained within the book reached the intended readership. This I was happy to do, sure in the knowledge that the content represents a valuable resource for discussion about the future of society. Thus while I put the finishing touches to the book, preparing the introduction and arranging publication, the bulk of the credit for this book lies with Jakub. I would therefore like to express my thanks to Jakub for his commitment and efforts, and for giving me the opportunity to finish what he started. I hope that the finished product reflects well his original intentions.
Paul T Kidd Macclesfield, United Kingdom February 2007 |
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