A little over a month ago, in partnership with our friends at BigThink we kicked off the Humanizing Technology Series – an online video gallery of leading thinkers discussing the evolving relationship between man and machine. In addition to showcasing visionary perspectives on the state of technology, the series included a competition to identify technologies that are bridging the gap between humans and technology. The series will culminate this week with a real-world expo showcasing technology that elevates the best of human nature.
On June 30-July 1, Bing and Big Think will present For Humankind, a weekend-long science, technology and design pop-up expo at 201 Mulberry Street New York City. Here we will spotlight those ideas, communities and devices that integrate our lives, capitalize on our unique strengths, and amplify the best of human nature. For Humankind will explore the boundaries of what it means to be human, today and into the future.
A highlight of the event will be The Humanizing Technology Prize, awarded by a panel of judges including:
- Peter Diamandis – Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation
- Jaron Lanier - Computer scientist, composer, visual artist, and author credited with coining the term “Virtual Reality”
- James Gleick – Tech writer/columnist, Pulitzer prize and National Book Award finalist for his book Chaos,
- John Maeda – President of Rhode Island School of Design
- Joi Ito, Director of MIT Media Lab, CEO of Creative Commons
- Maddie Grant – Founder of SocialFish. Co-author of Humanize: How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World
- Sonia Arrison – Bestselling author/technology analyst and founder of of Singularity University.
- Jon Yost – CEO of SuperBetter Labs
You can learn more at the For Humankind event site – it’s an event you won’t want to miss. Come get inspired and join us for a celebration of technology, innovation and what it means to be human!
A few of the exhibitors and presenters that you’ll see:
- Soccket: Meet the founders of unchartedplay.com, two female Harvard students who devised a soccer ball that can provide electrical power for people with poor or no access to electricity.
- Open Source Ecology: What would it take to build civilization? These folks are creating the Global Village Construction set, a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.
- Sonar: Know who you should meet wherever you go. Sonar is a mobile app that lets you know when friends/friends-of-friends are nearby, allowing you to take advantage of serendipity and the ways we are all connected.
- Not Impossible Foundation: On April 24, 2009 a totally paralyzed graffiti artist created a completely new mural on a 10-story wall in Los Angeles — using only his eyes. Learn more about the Eyewriter technology that made this possible.
Hopefully you’ll be just as inspired as we are.
- Stefan Weitz, Senior Director Bing, Aya Zook, Senior Manager, Bing and Betsy Aoki, Senior Program Manager, Bing