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Future Day: A Holiday Devoted to the Future

2012.02.20

IMAGE: PHOTO OF FUTURE DAY

Future Day is a future-oriented holiday. Events will take place in several locations around the world on March 1st, including Hong Kong and Australia. A virtual event will be taking place in Second Life. Thanks to Ben Goertzel for creating the concept and Adam Ford for his work in coordinating it!

See article on Future Day at H+ Magazine. See information about the Second Life Future Day event.

Future Day - A Holiday Specifically Devoted to the Future

What excites you about the future? What frightens you? How might the future change the way we live? And how might we change the way we live in the future?

The future is unknown. With the benefit of hindsight, we often wish we had more foresight. Have you ever wanted to go back in time and fix something? So why do we need a Future Day?

The human species is at a unique stage in history - scientific and technological progress is moving fast and is accelerating dramatically. Ray Kurzweil predicts that technological paradigm shifts will become increasingly common, leading to "technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history".

But what kind of change can we expect? There are many transformative technologies that look like they will have huge impacts on the way we live. What sort of future do you want? If you think through the possibilities of a particular technology, you can better appreciate the consequences of using it. Future Day is a celebration of imaginative and rational thinking about the future where you can participate. In the words of Howard Bloom, author of Global Brain: “Future Day is designed to center the impossible in the public mind once a year as a temptation too delicious to resist.”

Ben Goertzel, the AI researcher who launched the idea of Future Day, expresses his motivation for conceiving the holiday in terms of the concept of the attention economy.

“In the more technologically advanced parts of the world, " he notes, "we are entering a regime in which material scarcity is less of a problem than attentional scarcity. We are in a situation where the focusing of attention, individually and collectively, is of prime importance. My hope is that Future Day can serve as a tool for helping humanity focus its attention on figuring out what kind of future it wants, and striving to bring these visions to reality.”

“Let’s raise a toast to our power to work toward dramatic new solutions to the problems of today -- and let's have fun in the process. Let's celebrate the amazing opportunities we have right now to work towards a beneficial future!, says Adam Ford.

“Future Day is important since it reminds us that a great future does not create itself. In order to realize our hopes and dreams, we have to actively work to make them happen. One of my dreams is to see a day when disease, and the suffering associated with it, is obliterated.” - Sonia Arrison, author of 100+.

Join the conversation on Future Day March 1st to explore the possibilities about how the future is transforming us. You can celebrate Future Day however you like, the ball is in your court — feel free to send a photo of your Future Day gatherings to [[email protected]], and your jubilation may wind up being commemorated on the Future Day website, Humanity+ website, the Second Life Event, and at Facebook page!

“Future Day is a day for action! If all matter in the universe is comprised of patterns, let’s redesign what doesn’t work and form new methods for approaching the future with fluidity. Let’s grow neuromolecular wings for deeper perceptions in our flight in fostering a world of diversity and compassion.” - Natasha Vita-More, Chair, Humanity+

About Humanity+: Humanity+ is affiliated with the Mormon Transhumanist Association. To learn more about Humanity+, go to the website, and to join Humanity+, go here!