Peter Thiel and Charles Bolden Look To The World In 2050

 Futurology

In 37 years, we will reach the year 2050. What lies ahead for us? Never before has our world been so connected and all the possibilities that are literally at our fingertips have been made possible by big ideas. Last year Peter Thiel and NASA administrator Charles Bolden discussed what the future might bring at the World Affairs Council.

In the year 1974, if you told someone that in just 37 years a video camera would be a powerful weapon in war, he or she would be very confused. If you explained, that a person halfway across the world fighting in a civil war, would be able to use a phone/camera/video recorder to transmit images, text and video of the violence, that anybody, anywhere in the world could see by simply accessing a network that connects people through satellite technology, that person would most likely call you crazy. However, in 2012, this ludicrous scenario, by 1974 standards, has become our reality.

In 37 years, we will reach the year 2050. What lies ahead for us? Never before has our world been so connected and all the possibilities that are literally at our fingertips have been made possible by big ideas. You may find yourself asking the questions: how can we become more advanced, as a society, than we already are? How can technology be more advanced that an iPad? How can we socialize any faster than we already do on Facebook or Twitter?

At the closing keynote presentation at the World Affairs Council's WorldAffairs 2012 conference, discussing the “Big Ideas” that will shape the way our world will look in 2050 were NASA Administrator, Charles Bolden and Co-founder of Pay Pal, Peter Thiel. Both speakers will offer fascinating predictions on which “big idea” will change our lives and propel us into the world of 2050.

According to Bolden, "NASA is in the future business."

Nominated as NASA Administrator in 2009, Bolden leads the NASA team and manages its resources to advance the agency’s missions and goals. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions. His flights included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint US-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.

Thiel first gained attention for innovations in banking and startup finance. He works to accelerate innovation by identifying and funding promising technology ideas and by guiding successful companies to scale and dominate their industries. In 1998, Mr. Thiel co-founded and led PayPal. In 2002, he sold PayPal to eBay and founded a global macro fund, Clarium. In 2004, he co-founded Palantir Technologies, which offers platforms for finance companies and intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities to integrate, visualize, and analyze the world’s information. In the same year, he made the first outside investment in Facebook.

The World Affairs Council programs provide opportunities for everyone in Greater Seattle to be a global citizen by advancing a deep understanding of international events and culture. As a hub for all things international, the World Affairs Council creates programs and opportunities for local people to interact directly with leaders, educators, and professionals from around the world.




SOURCE  World Affairs Council

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