Predicting the Future Starts Now!

In my previous posting “Inventing the Future” I covered the upcoming competition created by a combination of Jane McGonigal and the ten year forecast team at the Institute for the Future called “Superstruct”. They describe it as “the world’s first massively multiplayer forecasting game.”

"By playing the game, you'll help us chronicle the world of 2019--and imagine how we might solve the problems we'll face,"

"Because this is about more than just envisioning the future. It's about making the future, inventing new ways to organize the human race and augment our collective human potential."

As with all Jane’s alternate reality games, this one starts with a scenario. In the case of Superstruct, it begins with the following:

"Humans have 23 years to go:  Global Extinction Awareness System starts the countdown for Homo sapiens. PALO ALTO, CA — Based on the results of a year-long supercomputer simulation, the Global Extinction Awareness System (GEAS) has reset the "survival horizon" for Homo sapiens—the human race—from "indefinite" to 23 years."

When the game is over, the Ten Year Forecast team at the IftF will will review and analyze all the input received and post a report of the key insights for the year 2019, and the best tactics for inventing and "superstructing” the future.

Well the game is now live (as of Oct. 6, 2008) and will run for about the next six weeks.  There are a number of fun and informative videos on the Superstruct site such as the one above.  So for those of you who are interested in joining in the fun head on over to the Superstruct site and start predicting the future now!