A Futurist Look at Global Connectivity
Occasionally, I conduct impromptu and unofficial focus groups to test the random knowledge of my friends and family. These queries usually involve general interest or scientific factoids. “Why does salt melt ice?” “How does lighting produce thunder? “Why do men have nipples?” While it is true that some of these questions invoke relatively unimportant facts, I can usually predict which will be generally known versus which will be met with a universal WOW. But the responses to a recent query — indicating a general lack of familiarity with the topic — truly surprised me and made me realize that my own focus on those things that are in the process of reshaping the very world we live in is not necessarily shared by all.
The question I asked was about Elon Musk’s Starlink — the futurist entrepreneur’s mission to provide high speed internet access to everyone on the globe. Put simply — I cannot think of anything on the legitimate horizon that will have a larger impact on every person on Earth and play a larger role in ‘The Great Reboot/Rewiring/Reset’ than real global connectivity and I believe strongly that we should all be thinking about the repercussions that it could have if we meet the opportunity — and what a sad waste it would be if we do not.
When fully realized, Starlink will essentially be a constellation of amazingly fast and interconnected…
