The f(x)=e^x | The spatial web, psychedelics and a collapsed gulf stream — welcome to the future

Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP
3 min readJul 26, 2023

The f(x) = e^x | July 26, 2023 — Vol. 225

Claude 2’s joke of the week:

I asked my AI assistant to take me to the spatial web, but it got lost in space!

Unlocking Reality: The Spatial Web’s Transformative Impact

My latest article:

Spatial computing interweaves physical and digital realities through augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. This transformative technology is revolutionising industries like healthcare, education, retail, and more by enhancing operations, customer engagement, and collaboration. While spatial computing brings exciting opportunities, organisations must also address challenges around implementation, security, and responsible innovation.

Feel like the pace of the digital revolution is leaving your business in the dust? I’ve developed a 3-hour workshop for executive leaders and board members to demystify buzzwords like AI, metaverse, and quantum computing, preparing you to steer your organisation into a confident digital future. Don’t be among the 49% of businesses that see digital transformation as a threat — seize the opportunity now!

Useful Nuggets of Information

My weekly tips from around the web to get you thinking.

1. The high-stakes race for safe AI.

Major tech firms like Google, Microsoft and startups like Anthropic are locked in a tense competition to develop advanced artificial intelligence, but some experts warn this AI arms race could unleash dangerous technology if safety is not the top priority. Striking the right balance between innovation and caution will be vital to realising AI’s benefits while mitigating risks. (Vox)

2. The AI search threat.

Google’s new AI search tool summarises content from across the web, keeping users on Google instead of clicking through to other sites. If widely implemented, this could starve publishers of needed traffic and shrink the open internet. This existential threat could create a vicious cycle where less original content gets created, limiting the AI’s own capabilities and usefulness over time. (The Atlantic)

3. Psychedelics: the brain’s master key?

Neuroscientist Gul Dolen’s research on mice suggests psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms can reopen “critical periods” in the adult brain, windows of heightened neuroplasticity when we rapidly acquire new skills and knowledge. This could lead to transformative therapies, but also raises concerns about vulnerability and identity. (Wired)

4. The Day After Tomorrow — in 2025.

New research suggests the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which includes the Gulf Stream, could completely shut down as early as 2025 due to climate change, bringing catastrophic impacts to weather systems billions rely on for food. Though other scientists debate the study’s assumptions, the potential crisis highlights the urgent need to slash emissions before climate tipping points are irreversibly crossed. (The Guardian)

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Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP

Innovation Keynote Speaker (CSP) & Strategic Futurist for Fortune 500 | Talk to my Digital Twin via text, audio or video in 28 languages!