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"The 'architecture of the mind' consists of both the biological brain coupled with the technologies that we have developed to extend our cognition. From the moment that we started storing our thoughts in permanent symbolic form outside of our bodies via Venus figures, body paint markings and cave paintings, humans have 'offloaded' cognition onto symbols outside of the brain. These external, materialized symbols have allowed us to extend our cognitive abilities beyond the limits of our biological brains. Far from 'making us stupid', the Internet represents merely the next great extension of this 'external symbolic storage system'. For all the dramatic and disruptive change that the Internet surely represents, placing it in this long term historical context renders this change more familiar, perhaps even less jarring. Understanding that there has been a deep history of intimacy between humans and their cognitive tools provides a framework for thinking about the possible futures of the brain-Internet interface: the future of the architecture of the mind. "--

We have been advised for some time now that, in order to withstand the economic, demographic, and other challenges they face, universities must continually innovate. Presidents and vice-chancellors must foster "disruptive innovation" if they are to ensure that their institutions survive and thrive. But how to create an innovative university, especially when institutional change of any kind proves to be a complex process with limited success stories. In order to bring about the kind of disruptive innovation that the current environment seemingly demands requires rethinking the idea of a university incubator. Universities might develop incubators not to generate new technologies or new businesses but new, innovative forms of the very idea of the university itself. In this model, the idea of the university becomes that entity that engages in the creation and nurturing of organizational novelty, novelty here referring to new forms of epistemological organization. The design and implementation of new organizational forms becomes the raison d'etre of the university.

This article will describe how historians can teach the future of technology. Historians need not alter their traditional methods of historical inquiry to teach the future, and indeed the history classroom is a natural site for foresight education. Historical inquiry begins with questions, and futuring similarly begins with asking the right questions. The historian seeks out evidence, and futurists as well identify drivers and blockers, considering how these drivers and blockers will interact with each other. In contrast to social scientists, historians work with imperfect or incomplete information, an apt description of the state of our evidence about the future. In a manner similar to historians, futurists interpret and draw inferences from evidence. After the research an analysis of the evidence is complete, the historian/futurist writes representations. This article will describe how I employed the historical method to teach the future of technology in a history research seminar, the results produced by the students, and ways that the study of the future can be situated in the history classroom.

Ontology is the philosophical inquiry into what exists, and whether or not the phenomenon under consideration exists. The ontology of the future, then, means an examination of the nature and existence of the future. To inquire into the ontology of the future is not to ask "what is the future?" or "what will happen in the future?" but to, instead, consider the nature of the container that is the future. Is the future a kind of container of events? Is it a space that contains all future happenings? If so, this implies that the future already exists, like a distant land toward which we might travel. Perhaps the future is a container that holds only potential occurrences, and is thus not fully in existence. The future might not exist at all, as there are no preexisting occurrences and, thus, nothing to contain such occurrences. The future is a void, and only comes into existence when we experience it, but there is nothing that preexists. The future might already exist because it is a repetition of events that have previously occurred. The goal of the present article is to situate the problem of the ontology of the future within a wider historical context. It has been a commonplace since the Scientific Revolution to view time as linear and the future as an ontologically existent realm linked to past and present. Our understanding of the ontology of the future has a history, meaning that there have been differing ideas about the nature and existence of the future. Generally speaking, how a society understands the shape of time frequently determines how that society views the reality of the future. There is every reason to expect that our view of the nature and actuality of the future will change alongside changes in our understanding of time.

The apparently universal presence of digital technology is an insufficient condition for a global civilization. An examination of the distribution of the physical hardware of cyberspace reveals deep continuities with earlier patterns of international commerce and information flow, which contradict the supposedly revolutionary nature of the global information network. These patterns have reflected and continue to reflect hierarchical power relations—not global harmony—between the technological haves and have-nots.

33 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. ; Libro Electrónico ; "Para los bibliotecarios académicos que tratan de demostrar el valor de sus bibliotecas en sus instituciones, es importante saber lo que va a ser valorado en el futuro para que podamos empezar a tomar las medidas apropiadas ahora. Este documento presenta 26 posibles escenarios basados en una evaluación de las implicaciones de las tendencias actuales, que pueden tener un impacto en todo tipo de bibliotecas universitarias y de investigación durante los próximos 15 años. Los escenarios representan los temas relacionados con la cultura académica, la demografía, la educación a distancia, la financiación, la globalización, la infraestructura, instalaciones, bibliotecas, clima político, la industria editorial, los valores sociales, los alumnos, el aprendizaje, y la tecnología. El informe refleja la opinión experta de los miembros de la ACRL en cuanto a sus expectativas y percepciones acerca de la probabilidad, el impacto, la velocidad del cambio, y la amenaza, oportunidades potenciales de cada escenario. Finalmente, el estudio extrae consecuencias para las bibliotecas universitarias. Para los escenarios que han sido identificados como de alto impacto con una alta probabilidad de ocurrir, es responsabilidad de los directores de bibliotecas y de aquellos que establecer agendas estratégicas para bibliotecas universitarias con el fin de poder planificar para actuar ahora sobre estos escenarios. Este informe refuerza la idea de que las bibliotecas universitarias son parte de un ecosistema más grande, y los bibliotecarios deben constantemente explorar el entorno en busca de signos de los cambios que puedan surgir. Se incluye un apéndice con una actividad sugerida para participar junto a colegas de la biblioteca en desarrollar su imaginación y teniendo en cuenta los futuros posibles. Esto puede aumentar la capacidad de participar en el pensamiento estratégico y la planificación, el apoyo a los bibliotecarios en la toma de mejores decisiones ahora que se puede abordar una variedad de diversos futuros posibles de futuros posibles" Tomado de: http://www.universoabierto.com/8045/el-futuro-de-las-bibliotecas-universitarias/ ; ACRL has released a new report, "Futures Thinking for Academic Librarians: Higher Education in 2025," to prompt academic librarians to consider what trends may impact the future of higher education in order to take strategic action now. Authored by David J. Staley, director of the Harvey Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching in the History Department of Ohio State University, and Kara J. Malenfant, ACRL scholarly communications and government relations specialist, the report presents 26 possible scenarios for the future which may have an impact on all types of academic libraries over the next 15 years. The scenarios are based on implications assessment of current trends and reflect a variety of potential futures for higher education. The scenarios represent a variety of themes relating to academic culture, demographics, distance education, funding, globalization, infrastructure/facilities, libraries, political climate, publishing industry, societal values, students/learning and technology. ; "For academic librarians seeking to demonstrate the value of their libraries to their parent institutions, it is important to understand not only the current climate. We must also know what will be valued in the future so that we can begin to take appropriate action now. This document presents 26 possible scenarios based on an implications assessment of current trends, which may have an impact on all types of academic and research libraries over the next 15 years. The scenarios represent themes relating to academic culture, demographics, distance education, funding, globalization, infrastructure/facilities, libraries, political climate, publishing industry, societal values, students/learning, and technology. They are organized in a "scenario space" visualization tool, reflecting the expert judgment of ACRL members as to their expectations and perceptions about the probability, impact, speed of change, and threat/opportunity potential of each scenario. Finally, the study draws out implications for academic libraries. For scenarios which have been identified as high impact with a high probability of occurring, it is incumbent upon library directors and those who set strategic agendas for academic libraries to plan to act now upon these scenarios. This report reinforces the notion that academic libraries are part of a larger ecosystem, and librarians should be consistently scanning the environment to look for signs of the changes that may come. It includes an appendix with a suggested activity to engage library colleagues in stretching your imaginations and considering possible futures. This can build capacity to engage in strategic thinking and planning, supporting librarians in making better decisions now that can address a variety of possible futures." Tomado de: http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/06/24/futures-thinking-for-academic-librarians-higher-education-in-2025/ ; "La prospectiva nos ayuda a comprender lo que puede pasar en el futuro -no a conocer el futuro mismo- y nos da la oportunidad -si sabemos aprovecharla- de influir en él trabajando desde el presente. Un instrumento prospectivo bastante habitual es la creación de escenarios que ayudan a las organizaciones a prever futuros posibles, a entender las diferentes maneras en que los acontecimientos pueden desarrollarse y a diseñar con acierto sus planificaciones estratégicas. Para poder ser verdaderamente útiles, los escenarios deben ser bien documentados, relevantes, pertinentes, coherentes y verosímiles. La creación de escenarios que enmarquen los planes estratégicos de las bibliotecas es relativamente frecuente ya que son un potente elemento inspirador a la hora de establecer estrategias de futuro. La técnica ha sido empleada con éxito por muchas bibliotecas que, de esta manera, han podido enfocar el uso de sus recursos y su potencial innovador hacia aquellas acciones que tendrían mayor impacto y aportarían más valor a sus usuarios. Muy a menudo las bibliotecas, a la hora de planificar, buscan horizontes a 3-5 años pero el estudio encargado por la ACRL, Futures thinking for academic librarians: Higher Education in 2025, nos propone echar un vistazo a lo que espera a las bibliotecas universitarias mucho más allá, en el horizonte de los próximos 15 años. Tomando como punto de partida las tendencias actuales, presenta 26 posibles escenarios con el fin de ayudar a descubrir qué será importante en el futuro para que, ya desde ahora mismo, las bibliotecas puedan emprender las acciones adecuadas. Los diferentes escenarios proponen una visión plausible e internamente consistente de lo que podría pasar en la posible evolución de temas clave para las bibliotecas universitarias como son la cultura académica, la demografía, la educación a distancia, la financiación, la globalización, las infraestructuras, las mismas bibliotecas, el clima político, la industria editorial, los valores sociales, los estudiantes y el aprendizaje, y la tecnología. A partir de los resultados de una encuesta, el estudio refleja las opiniones, expectativas y percepciones de los miembros de la ACRL sobre la probabilidad, impacto, velocidad de cambio y amenaza y / o oportunidad potencial de cada uno de los escenarios. Hay que indicar, sin embargo, que aunque los escenarios han sido preparados para ayudar principalmente a las bibliotecas estadounidenses, la mayoría son perfectamente plausibles y adaptables a nuestro entorno. De los 26 escenarios presentados aquel que fue considerado de más alto impacto y mayor probabilidad y, en definitiva, el que preocupó más, fue el escenario titulado "Aumento de la amenaza de la delincuencia informática" que presenta la universidad como objetivo de los piratas informáticos, que interrumpen las operaciones durante días y semanas mientras los bibliotecarios luchan por mantener la privacidad de los usuarios y se enfrentan a un creciente escrutinio y crítica en su intento de preservar la libertad intelectual en línea. Ciencia ficción? No, un escenario posible. El estudio propone otros escenarios de títulos sugerentes como "Un título universitario para cada ciudadano", "Rotura del monopolio del libro de texto", "Veo lo que ves", "Fuera del negocio" o "La longevidad es la nueva salud ". No todos acabarán siendo reales, a medida que el horizonte temporal se acerque a estos 15 años se irán transformando. Unos ganarán en detalle y certeza, otros se desvanecerán o nuevos acontecimientos les harán tomar un giro inesperado. Lo que probablemente es más importante, como dice el estudio, es no perder la visión estratégica periférica que nos ayudará a evitar ser sorprendidos por las sorpresas. Futures thinking for academic librarians: Higher Education in 2025 concluye con un apéndice que presenta una metodología sencilla para trabajar los escenarios dentro de las bibliotecas y sacar todo el provecho adaptándolos al entorno específico de cada una. De esta manera se puede estimular el pensamiento en clave de futuro y se pueden crear y poner a prueba nuevas estrategias de la biblioteca universitaria." Tomado de: http://www.ub.edu/blokdebid/es/content/escenarios-de-2025-para-bibliotecas-universitarias-de-2010-como-evitar-ser-sorprendidos-por- ; Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 3 Theoretical Frameworks 4 Methodology 5 The Scenarios 7 Analysis of Findings and Discussion 21 Conclusion 23 References 23 Appendix A Methodological Notes 25 Appendix B Demographic Profile of Survey Respondents 28 Appendix C Activity: Scenario Thinking at Your Library 31

"Technological balance" occurs automatically when the designer, builder, and user of a tool is the same person. "Technological imbalance" occurs when these activities become separated and in opposition to one another. Tools become menacing exoge nous objects. We see a shift in connotation of the word technology from the skill of the person to the object produced. Designers and builders create tools with the passive consent and willful ignorance of users. Curricula often contribute to this imbalance. Apprentice designers and builders receive specialized instruction in creating objects, whereas users uncritically learn the procedural requirements of the resulting objects. This system of education turns "machine tending" into a pedagogical goal. The university has the potential to become a model of technological balance for the soci ety as a whole using such means as selecting tools that encourage balance, "technology audits, " and break ing down the specializations among designers, builders, and users.