0:00:18.278,0:00:21.814
I think everyone in the audience[br]asked already about the future,

0:00:21.814,0:00:26.651
at least in Saskia's talk,[br]pressing the Forward button.

0:00:27.264,0:00:30.505
I am passionate about these[br]questions about the future,

0:00:31.134,0:00:35.656
and I want to know[br]how the future will see us.

0:00:36.412,0:00:40.522
Never before, information was spread[br]in such a density and speed,

0:00:40.522,0:00:46.817
and across our planet, we share[br]our thoughts and emotions in real time,

0:00:47.231,0:00:52.340
and what will remain from all these[br]shares, posts, likes and tweets?

0:00:52.833,0:00:58.415
How will the image of our world[br]look like in a distance of 100 years?

0:00:58.415,0:01:00.985
Or 1000 years?

0:01:02.652,0:01:07.355
Let's try to answer this[br]by what we know from the past.

0:01:08.645,0:01:11.804
Far less than 1% of the antique texts

0:01:11.804,0:01:13.404
are still known.

0:01:14.124,0:01:19.109
And since publishing and reproduction[br]then took some kind of effort,

0:01:19.109,0:01:21.722
we still - after 2000 years -

0:01:22.914,0:01:27.357
we still can reconstruct[br]the antique world and its way of thinking.

0:01:28.324,0:01:31.750
[In contrast], publishing today

0:01:31.750,0:01:36.250
is simple as a post or tweet[br]or video upload,

0:01:36.590,0:01:40.456
and not only scientists[br]or newspapers are publishing,

0:01:40.456,0:01:42.413
everybody can do it today.

0:01:42.934,0:01:48.357
And since pseudoscience[br]has such mass appeal,

0:01:48.357,0:01:52.703
those stories about[br]crop circles and aliens

0:01:52.703,0:01:54.874
find a lot of audience,

0:01:54.874,0:01:59.862
and they are spread much more often[br]than scientific papers.

0:02:00.588,0:02:04.231
That’s why a Google search[br]for 'crop circle'

0:02:04.231,0:02:07.189
yields 20 million entries,

0:02:07.189,0:02:12.077
whereas, for example, 'moon landing'[br]brings only six million.

0:02:12.828,0:02:17.280
A scary fact is that five million[br]from these six million

0:02:17.280,0:02:19.974
are moon landing hoax entries.

0:02:21.513,0:02:24.114
You know, there's the space probe Gaia

0:02:24.114,0:02:27.453
producing the most detailed[br]mapping of our galaxy,

0:02:27.453,0:02:29.364
producing lots of data?

0:02:29.605,0:02:32.007
And yet, over its five-year mission,

0:02:32.007,0:02:36.572
the entire data output[br]is getting microscopically small

0:02:36.572,0:02:40.173
compared to the daily[br]Internet data traffic.

0:02:42.476,0:02:48.031
The things we really spend money on,[br]we puts a lots off effort into,

0:02:48.031,0:02:54.715
they will all drown in oceans[br]of irrelevant, trivial contents

0:02:54.958,0:02:57.823
and, I would say, redundant bullshit.

0:02:58.925,0:03:00.508
So, you see?

0:03:00.508,0:03:06.122
A picture of our time[br]in a distance of 2000 years

0:03:06.965,0:03:12.388
will result in a very distorted[br]image of our time.

0:03:13.358,0:03:15.722
You know all these 'fail' videos, yeah?

0:03:16.402,0:03:20.971
Where people are hurting themselves[br]while doing stupid things,

0:03:20.971,0:03:25.764
like really trying to stand[br]on an inflated exercise ball?

0:03:26.776,0:03:29.172
You know what the people [br]will think in the future?

0:03:30.514,0:03:35.792
'‘Well, those guys from the 21st century[br]never performed spaceflight.

0:03:35.792,0:03:37.624
Too many documents prove

0:03:37.624,0:03:43.533
they're obviously misunderstanding,[br]misinterpreting the law of gravity.'

0:03:49.705,0:03:56.373
So, this picture in the future[br]will be very distorted,

0:03:56.373,0:04:00.986
and probably our era will be defined

0:04:00.986,0:04:05.048
by Minecraft videos, porn videos,

0:04:05.738,0:04:08.328
selfies, kitty images ...

0:04:10.548,0:04:15.315
But having a, in some aspects,[br]'fails' remembrance

0:04:15.315,0:04:19.009
is even better than having none at all.

0:04:19.946,0:04:21.129
Why this?

0:04:21.129,0:04:24.623
It says the Internet[br]doesn't forget, right?

0:04:25.637,0:04:28.952
But I want you to consider this:

0:04:29.241,0:04:34.737
These days our World Wide Web[br]turned into what it is per definition:

0:04:34.737,0:04:36.397
world wide.

0:04:36.397,0:04:40.174
3.4 billion people are online,

0:04:40.174,0:04:44.723
and that´s 3.4 billion Internet users

0:04:44.723,0:04:48.093
creating data and data traffic.

0:04:49.413,0:04:51.634
Every single minute,

0:04:51.634,0:04:56.604
600 hours of video material[br]are uploaded in YouTube.

0:04:56.784,0:04:59.750
This is only from this year, 2016.

0:04:59.750,0:05:01.834
In the total duration

0:05:01.834,0:05:07.504
of 35,000 years,

0:05:08.164,0:05:11.917
30,000 years ago,[br]we started to paint in caves,

0:05:11.917,0:05:17.713
and only 4500 years ago[br]we built the pyramids.

0:05:17.713,0:05:22.656
So this is quite a long thing we upload.

0:05:24.661,0:05:29.648
More and more videos[br]in higher definition from mobile devices

0:05:29.648,0:05:30.881
that leads to -

0:05:30.881,0:05:36.759
that our data traffic volume[br]in the last ten years,

0:05:36.759,0:05:42.717
it doubled, doubled,[br]doubled, every 18 months.

0:05:44.641,0:05:48.431
And now I want you to step[br]to a different perspective:

0:05:50.137,0:05:55.045
Data traffic needs energy,[br]and energy causes carbon emission.

0:05:55.536,0:05:59.543
In fact, the Internet[br]is already responsible

0:05:59.543,0:06:02.843
for 3% of the global carbon emission.

0:06:04.045,0:06:08.767
And if data traffic increases [br]in the coming ten years

0:06:08.767,0:06:10.761
as it did in the past ten years,

0:06:10.761,0:06:14.984
it will be more than 50[br]times higher than today.

0:06:16.282,0:06:19.514
Theoretically, we soon run out of breath.

0:06:20.757,0:06:25.013
This critical point is too close[br]as to rely on new technologies

0:06:25.022,0:06:30.313
such as unlimited energy sources[br]or electricity-free data transfer;

0:06:30.313,0:06:33.466
it was both far down the line.

0:06:34.862,0:06:39.474
That means that in a very close future,

0:06:39.803,0:06:42.744
economic and ecological reasons

0:06:42.744,0:06:47.547
will force us to delete data massively.

0:06:47.794,0:06:52.363
A profound erasure executed by algorithms.

0:06:53.444,0:06:55.086
In other words,

0:06:55.475,0:06:58.967
the image our grandchildren[br]will have of our time

0:06:59.327,0:07:02.476
will have been created by machines.

0:07:02.673,0:07:08.670
And what Snapchat started[br]could be a common feature in the future:

0:07:08.670,0:07:11.909
a deletion after a predefined period,

0:07:12.579,0:07:18.821
resulting in a society which[br]floats in a permanent presence,

0:07:18.821,0:07:21.155
having no past anymore.

0:07:22.962,0:07:28.473
This is why we should select today

0:07:28.473,0:07:31.393
what we want to be kept for tomorrow.

0:07:31.793,0:07:35.468
The project Memory of Mankind[br]keeps our stories,

0:07:35.468,0:07:40.291
both for our grandchildren[br]and for a remote future.

0:07:40.975,0:07:44.161
This is accomplished[br]in a very durable way,

0:07:44.161,0:07:49.530
stored deep and protected[br]deep in a salt mine in Hallstatt,

0:07:49.530,0:07:54.135
a UNESCO World Heritage[br]region in the Austrian Alps.

0:07:55.290,0:08:00.680
And ceramic tablets[br]carry analog information -

0:08:00.695,0:08:05.436
that means text are letters[br]and images are photos.

0:08:06.154,0:08:09.009
These ceramic tablets

0:08:09.009,0:08:13.529
are the most durable[br]data carriers we ever used:

0:08:14.239,0:08:18.318
They are resistant[br]to high heat and pressure,

0:08:18.318,0:08:20.119
and water and chemicals,

0:08:20.119,0:08:22.048
and radiation,

0:08:22.048,0:08:23.427
magnetism.

0:08:24.216,0:08:29.202
And in order to be recovered[br]sometime in the future,

0:08:29.465,0:08:33.942
everybody who takes part[br]in this project receives a token -

0:08:33.942,0:08:39.187
a small ceramic disc[br]indicating the location of this archive

0:08:39.187,0:08:43.957
and at the same time serving as a barrier[br]against unauthorized access.

0:08:43.957,0:08:46.398
It can only be comprehended by a society

0:08:46.398,0:08:51.256
which has at least a similar[br]technical understanding as we have.

0:08:52.781,0:08:56.378
Languages are changing,[br]so there‘s a deciphering tool:

0:08:56.378,0:09:00.543
You can imagine a Pictionary of photos -

0:09:00.543,0:09:03.042
thousands of photos[br]of things and situations

0:09:03.042,0:09:06.449
directly labeled[br]with the respective words,

0:09:06.449,0:09:09.846
combined with the theoretical volumes[br]of our main languages,

0:09:09.846,0:09:14.206
such as thesaurus, grammar,[br]phrases, orthography.

0:09:15.691,0:09:18.233
The contents of this[br]Memory of Mankind project

0:09:18.233,0:09:20.396
are split into three sections,

0:09:20.396,0:09:25.721
there is common content,[br]specific content and individual content.

0:09:27.205,0:09:33.367
In order to transmit a mostly objective,[br]global, overall image,

0:09:33.752,0:09:37.885
we created some mechanisms[br]to fill this archive with content.

0:09:37.885,0:09:39.290
For example,

0:09:39.732,0:09:44.161
big newspapers of every country[br]send their daily editorials.

0:09:44.388,0:09:46.152
Editorials are more than just news,

0:09:46.152,0:09:48.542
they are already[br]some kind of interpretation,

0:09:48.542,0:09:50.732
can be contradicting.

0:09:51.142,0:09:56.325
Similarly, we invite significant magazines[br]to store their monthly issues.

0:09:56.761,0:10:03.731
And common content is also[br]randomly selected Facebook profiles.

0:10:05.227,0:10:07.309
And, of course, also the weird things,

0:10:07.309,0:10:12.282
like the conspiracy theories[br]or the alien crop circles,

0:10:12.282,0:10:14.844
but, of course, declared as such.

0:10:15.192,0:10:18.671
Probably to give them something[br]in the future to laugh about.

0:10:20.120,0:10:24.611
Specific contents[br]are contributions by institutions

0:10:24.611,0:10:30.876
like museums, universities[br]or awards for literature or science.

0:10:31.574,0:10:35.675
And an important part[br]of Memory of Mankind is the documentation

0:10:35.675,0:10:40.067
about our nuclear waste repositories[br]by the atomic industry.

0:10:41.057,0:10:45.025
Individual contents[br]is created by you and me:

0:10:45.025,0:10:50.204
stories of life, wedding photos,[br]cooking recipes,

0:10:50.457,0:10:53.954
whatever you find worthwhile[br]to be preserved for eternity.

0:10:53.954,0:10:57.421
Everybody can take part[br]in the Memory of Mankind.

0:10:58.146,0:11:02.451
Send your personal message[br]in a bottle to the future.

0:11:05.069,0:11:09.757
The Memory of Mankind project[br]certainly raises some questions.

0:11:10.608,0:11:11.840
One is:

0:11:12.810,0:11:18.930
Who in the future[br]might be interested in our legacy?

0:11:20.460,0:11:26.277
Well, as long as societies are based[br]on the principle of cause and effect,

0:11:27.087,0:11:30.047
and the academic[br]application of this principle,

0:11:30.047,0:11:34.443
the question 'What was before?'[br]is part of the common understanding.

0:11:34.443,0:11:36.834
That's why we are interested in our roots

0:11:36.834,0:11:40.352
in the same way[br]as the Romans were in theirs.

0:11:41.561,0:11:44.628
The more interesting question,[br]however, for me, is:

0:11:44.970,0:11:51.222
What side effect may this[br]project have on our presence?

0:11:52.861,0:11:55.733
Isn't there a huge discrepancy

0:11:55.733,0:12:01.413
between the physical traces[br]we leave behind and our virtual legacy?

0:12:02.325,0:12:09.299
Never before have human beings[br]exercised such an impact on our biosphere.

0:12:09.740,0:12:16.429
The toxic chemical waste[br]will outlast our species many times over.

0:12:16.790,0:12:18.891
And the effects of global warming

0:12:18.891,0:12:24.067
will shape the lives[br]of countless generations.

0:12:25.293,0:12:27.974
And yet, at the same time,

0:12:27.974,0:12:33.675
we don't leave any durable records[br]about our present activities at all.

0:12:34.934,0:12:40.305
In fact, we inhabit this planet[br]like there is no tomorrow:

0:12:41.091,0:12:46.356
wasting the place and leaving[br]without paying the rent.

0:12:50.059,0:12:52.348
Think of surveillance cameras:

0:12:52.348,0:12:55.400
We accept to be permanently watched

0:12:55.400,0:13:00.059
because we understand this should[br]prevent us from committing criminal acts,

0:13:00.059,0:13:01.805
and if something happens,

0:13:02.170,0:13:04.652
the suspect swiftly is detected.[br]

0:13:06.504,0:13:10.210
There are no surveillance cameras[br]watching our planet.

0:13:10.639,0:13:15.274
And in the future it will be unknown,[br]completely unknown,

0:13:15.848,0:13:16.989
'Who did it?

0:13:16.989,0:13:21.689
Who was responsible[br]for this ecological disbalance?'

0:13:23.482,0:13:29.921
So is this probably the reason[br]why we behave like reckless morons?

0:13:29.921,0:13:33.677
Because nobody will ever know?

0:13:35.793,0:13:40.317
In reverse, would a permanent record[br]about our present activities

0:13:40.317,0:13:42.997
make us behave more responsibly?

0:13:43.495,0:13:50.075
If it is known forever, who profited[br]from the exploitation of our planet,

0:13:50.075,0:13:51.533
which families, which groups,

0:13:51.533,0:13:55.361
which companies[br]are to be made accountable for,

0:13:55.728,0:13:57.431
will this change anything?

0:13:59.471,0:14:00.611
I think so.

0:14:00.611,0:14:03.742
A big common voice, as we know,[br]can change things.

0:14:03.742,0:14:05.839
Think of Avaaz, for instance.

0:14:06.229,0:14:11.386
So, let´s take this big selfie.

0:14:11.552,0:14:14.157
I mean, despite all the mess around,

0:14:14.157,0:14:17.605
there is so many[br]fascinating things happening.

0:14:17.960,0:14:21.376
Breathtaking, really[br]breathtaking discoveries.

0:14:21.376,0:14:24.060
You remember the images of Pluto

0:14:24.060,0:14:26.257
and the quantum physics effects,

0:14:26.257,0:14:29.275
or the last indigenous tribes,

0:14:29.275,0:14:32.822
or how the smartphone changed our life?

0:14:33.534,0:14:36.174
I mean, like any generation,

0:14:37.404,0:14:40.454
we do have some[br]pretty good stories to tell.

0:14:41.464,0:14:47.383
Or the TED Talks - what a wonderful[br]portrait of what moves us today.

0:14:48.607,0:14:52.918
So let's keep the roots[br]of our grandchildren,

0:14:53.840,0:14:57.791
presenting them with a yesterday

0:14:58.989,0:15:02.005
to give them the chance[br]to survive our tomorrow.

0:15:02.733,0:15:08.655
We, ourselves, we too need the past [br]to understand our presence.

0:15:08.997,0:15:12.009
And as a great humanist,[br]Wilhelm von Humboldt,

0:15:12.009,0:15:15.000
200 years ago, put it into the words:

0:15:15.309,0:15:19.911
'Only who knows his past,[br]can have a future.'

0:15:21.214,0:15:22.478
Thank you.

0:15:22.478,0:15:24.582
(Applause)