This future Architype from the Rubbish = Resource Event at ODC last week really resonates with me. I’m now pondering what the infrastructural needs would be for me to make the leap to a Surplus Sustained existence. The Surplus Sufficient sees waste as just excess resource, something which is Surplus to requirement. They use this […]
Author Archives: Jay Cousins
System Upcycling: Using the infrastructure of a broken system to build a better world.
One of the ideas which sprang from our discussions around the future of waste was that of “System Upcycling”. System Upcyclers look at how existing infrastructures and technologies can be put to better use, they look to take the elements of our “legacy systems” which are broken, wasteful or social destructive and buy them up […]
The Future of Money Project
Image via Wikipedia In Fail Safe, a documentary made by Gabriel Shalom about the fail conference. I made some balls out statements about playing a new game, and needing someone to play with. The “game” I was of course referring to, was the existing economic system. Our subscription to the collective myth of money is […]
Chaordination, and the emergence of the collective will
In February we participated in a modest event at Betahaus sponsored by jovoto who kindly provided a budget of 500 Euros for some food and material costs. The event fostered a community, and a documentary, as well as numerous products and experimentation, which generated hype, which in turn generated another community. But it didn’t stop […]
Parallel process collaboration
Whilst chaordinating (a word I keep slipping into sentences, and nobody even flinches, I hope they’re not hearing coordinating, or they’re missing the point) a truly epic event (which I really should write something about) with Gabriel Shalom (I should note we have 22 other collaborators, but this particular discussion was between the two of […]
The myth of the individual, AKA completely missing the point of Palomar 5
I just read another press article, and whilst it expresses coherently some of the great things explored and achieved at Palomar 5, it completely misses the point. It perpetuates the myth of the individual above collective output. What is it about our society that looks for the individual? That looks to place achievement on one […]
Taking names at the shop door AKA fuck forms
Imagine walking into a shop, and instead of browsing the goods at leisure you are greeted instead with a request to fill in you address, telephone number, name and date of birth before you could even look at the goods. Imagine if a hair dresser took you through a survey before they cut your hair. […]
What businesses can learn from terrorists
A terrorist cell acts autonomously, with little communication. It acts according to a strong intrinsically motivated belief system, with a clearly defined objective – terror and disruption. It matters not how the objective is achieved, only that the objective is achieved. Knowledge is shared and innovation encouraged. What has this got to do with business? […]
Hyperlocal telepresent information streams
I just watched http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera.html in a bid to get my latest Ted fix, and am very excited by the potential that this technology represents, especially when combined with crowdsourcing. What if people start offering their phones anonymously for specific requests? What if you could visualise the swarm of mobiles available at any given time, at […]
Expanding the concept of literacy
Why do we place so much value on reading, writing and arithmetic? We have created a cultural imperialism through our schooling systems that applies focusses our skills and abilities on 2 forms of communication – that which is described in words, and that which is described in numbers. This limits our expressive capabilities, our receptive […]
Hyphall 