Fellow SAP Developers, we don't get out often enough to stretch our brain and imagination. Yes, TechEd is great to hone our SAP development skills, but when was the last time you looked at the big picture?
Is technological acceleration a hidden law of nature? Is Kurzweil on to the ultimate "next big thing"? Is there a trend, as he believes, of increasing technological acceleration that leads to a "singularity" - a change so great that it can't be understood before it occurs?
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His data shows that many trends in technology's development have accelerated independent of economic conditions, marching to their own increasing efficiencies, and periodically taking us into an "exponential economy." But can this be extrapolated to all computational systems?
Extend your TechEd week with a weekend at the Accelerated Change Conference 2003, happening from September 12th to the 14th at Stanford University in Palo Alto California.
There is a great lineup of speakers: Ray Kurzweil, Steve Jurvetson, Eric Drexler, Tim O'Reilly, and more.
Full disclaimer: I am one of the organizers of the conference. I don't get any monetary benefits from it, I just strongly believe that it is going to be a great event. If you bring bright minds together, some of them experts in their fields, coming from different walks of life with different viewpoints, magical things will happen.
For example, the Collective Intelligence Dinner on Saturday evening is something I am totally looking forward to. There will be many round tables where 8 to 10 people can sit. Every table has a sign posting a question from the 4 focus areas of Science, Technology, Business and Humanities. For example one of the business questions will probably be: "How do we maximize the spread of individual and corporate wealth in a sustainable and culturally appropriate manner in our global economy?" Science: "Is modern humanity better characterized as selective catalysts than as controllers of technological development?" (Current list of questions)
As a conference participant you sit down at the table with the question, that tickles your interest the most. That way, more or less organically, highly motivated interest groups are formed. During the dinner there is a focused discussion around the selected question. At the end every table presents their conclusions of the dinner talk for 5 minutes.It's the hive mind at work; absolute magic.
That experience alone is worth the $400 conference fee. SAP is a proud sponsor of this event. This is why you, as an SAP Developer Network participant, get a discount of $75 when you sign up for the conference. You need to call this number: +1 310 398 1934 and tell them that you are a member of the SAP Developer Network and you will receive the discount.
See you all there, Mark.
