Notes from a TEDtalk - Ian Goldin: Navigating our global future

In a short but rapid-pace talk, Ian Goldin stakes the claim that this century could be humanity’s greatest ever — or our worst.  Goldin outlines the many challenges that lurk in the near future for our cumulative societies, beginning first with the unpredictability of tomorrow.  The future, he says, is unpredictable.  Despite increasing prosperity, increasing life expectancies, increasing literacy and more — creating new potential for innovation and development — there are some dangerous consequences to globalization.  He references two “Achilles’ heels” of globalization: growing inequality and growing complexity.  Inequality is growing, leaving a greater and greater proportion of people without the opportunities of the richest.  Complexity is developing, and more than ever before changes to one system of the world will have great impacts on changes to the systems of the rest of the world. 

Thus, leaders of the globalized future must be resilient — they must embrace complexity, and with it, be prepared for systemic shocks.  The big question is: how do we leverage globalization and advances in technology to lead us into a successful future?  It is going to require innovation, and the recognition that the glories of globalization come with the potential that it could be our downfall.  We can, collectively, create miracles in our lifetime; it is vital that we do so.  

The institute that Ian Goldin directs - the Oxford-Martin School at the University of Oxford - seems to be pretty interesting.  Delve here for more info.

Cross-post with youthventure.tumblr.com.