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The Problem of Immense Human Mass Friction

Thoughts on cultural evolution and education inspired by Nikola Tesla.

Jul 27, 2013

2 min read

Importance

The Problem of Increasing Human Energy. That’s what Tesla called it, being able to accelerate the Human mass, to accelerate evolution. Recognizing that we are no longer restricted by Biological evolution, we are restricted by Cultural evolution.

According to Tesla, we need to be able to communicate with, relate to each other and eliminate cultural and physical gaps.

What is communication if not creation and consumption of information?

Education is the consumption of cultural data - historical and contemporary.

It faces opposition from the characteristics of human behavior it is very well acquainted with.

Education still isn’t shaped around healthy competition, people are afraid to expose themselves in a learning context, fearing they’ll be pushed down in ranks of their group, mocked, humiliated.

This is preventing people from taking full advantage of the unique environment and condition that is to be a young student, compromising future opportunities and quality of life.

To generalize and consolidate some points about Creation and Consumption:

Creation

History

High friction, requires special tools, big learning curve

Perception

Low friction, anywhere through laptops, lower learning curve

Objective

Frictionless, anywhere, anyone.

The only downtime is sleep. Tools to manage creation. Education that promotes creation, gives everyone the ability to easily overcome increasingly smaller learning curves.

Consumption

History

High friction, requires physical presence, wealth

Perception

Low friction, anywhere through mobiles, free through responsible business models

Objective

Frictionless, anywhere without any external augmentation.

Future

Wake up, start consuming, know where you stopped (sleep destroys context), create what you feel more inclined to (mood: Productivity is best when motivated - aware of human behavior, condition. Consumption is most enjoyed when its demand is met immediately and accurately).

No special device required to consume or create, currently we code best in laptops, we consume best in 3D IMAX screens with expensive and complicated sound setups. Top quality media can only be consumed in one place: the theatre screen. Doesn’t it sound like the early 1900s?

We’re not talking about movies and fun, we’re talking about knowledge, the Morrison Planetarium at California Academy of Sciences is an amazing education tool, unique in the world.

We need to fix that. That type of experience needs to become ubiquitous, accessible, break the location barriers. Because that’s what’s needed for a better, more connected society, not through a mangled communication medium (text), but through the highest fidelity medium: full body, audio communication. When we achieve that - wether by moving the body or simulating the environment, Human Mass will be accelerated.

See: Tesla’s The Problem of Increasing Human Energy

There’s a lot more to be said, this is just a quick blurb, feel free to tweet back (@lmjabreu) or further develop this topic.

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