When I think about World Leaders (in places like North Korea, Russia, or Syria), I recognize how lucky we are to be able to elect our leaders in fair and free elections.
Unfortunately, that's not an opportunity that we take advantage nearly enough.
America has a two-party system, and we count our votes down district and state lines to decide which candidate will end up with the electoral votes for that state ... but what if abstention was counted as a vote for nobody?
via Philip Kearney
It's an interesting exercise to visualize what our absenteeism in voting looks like ... in the last presidential election, four times as many voted for nobody as for Trump and Hilary (combined!).
For all the people who whine and moan in any Presidency, you'd expect more people would have taken action to support their beliefs.
Now, try to imagine how few people vote in the more minor election cycles.
There are many interesting practical and theoretical discussions to be had about voting - engagement, education, etc. - but looking at this graph certainly puts one of the problems into perspective.
It's easy to point out a problem. It's more productive to propose a solution.
- Making election day a national holiday?
- Allowing mail-in or digital ballots?
Many individuals feel they don't need to vote because their state uses an "all or none" electoral college approach, or because they feel they already know how their state is going to vote.
In addition, unless you're in a battleground state - it can often feel pointless - whether or not it is.
What do you think it would take to increase turnout?
Hyper-Reality: The Future of Augmented Reality?
Our physical and virtual realities are beginning to blend. Animation is becoming more realistic. Virtual and augmented reality are becoming more affordable. Wearables are becoming pervasive. And, the internet of things will soon overtake the Internet.
We're moving towards a world where technology envelops every aspect of our lives ... figuratively and literally.
The following (still fictional) video is thought-provoking. What happens when these new technologies are used to influence behavior, decision-making, and even your identity?
Keiichi Matsuda via Vimeo
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are not new fields - but, they are evolving quickly. Technology and infrastructure are getting to the point that AR and VR will become common for us.
You have already started to see it (from Google Glass, to the NBA, and of course, to porn).
Your doctor or nutritionist could help you make better choices for you. Your therapist or coach could help you perceive and respond differently to the challenges life presents you. Marketers could better influence your purchases. Employers could better monitor and measure your performance and productivity. And governments will not be far behind ... doing what they do.
Like many things, these technologies make possible awesome new capabilities (if used well) and horrific consequences (if abused or used in authoritarian ways).
Similar issues are being dealt with in the fields of BioEthics and AI Ethics. In addition, there is a growing discussion of the impact these technologies will have on society.
We live in interesting times!
Posted at 04:03 PM in Business, Current Affairs, Gadgets, Games, Healthy Lifestyle, Ideas, Market Commentary, Religion, Science, Sports, Television, Trading Tools, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
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