Author: Tam

Postliteracy: When Reading and Writing Become Optional

“Reading maketh a full man, […] and writing an exact man,” said Sir Francis Bacon. But what happens when the written word is overshadowed by the spoken one?

Welcome to a new era – call it postliteracy if you will – where endless paragraphs give way to short snippets, audiobooks and podcasts grow ever more popular and artificial intelligence reliably handles the nitty-gritty of spelling, grammar and style. It’s a time when you can speak your mind, quite literally, into a microphone and watch the words appear on screen, automatically polished for publication.
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Why the Autonomous Car Manufacturers Are Getting Europe Wrong

Autonomous car manufacturers like Zoox or Waymo have, for the most part, been perfecting their technology in environments like San Francisco, Phoenix and Seattle – cities known for broad avenues, sprawling suburbs, and a distinct lack of comprehensive public transport. From a purely technological standpoint, it’s understandable: America offers controlled-access highways, relatively predictable road layouts, and plenty of space for trial and error. Yet this approach overlooks the fact that Europe’s transport ecosystems are quite different, and it’s a difference that could undermine the success of self-driving cars if ignored.

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Three-Armed Spot: The Domestic Robot We Really Need

The world is abuzz with the promise of domestic robots – devices designed to transform our homes and lives. Yet, as I watch the glossy promotional videos and lofty claims, I can’t help but wonder if the focus is all wrong. Many companies are so busy trying to make their robots look and act like humans that they’re overlooking the more practical needs of their future users. Let’s face it: most of us don’t want a humanoid butler pouring our tea. We need a robust, functional workhorse for the gritty, unpleasant tasks we’d rather avoid.
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Counterurbanisation

It’s hard to believe that just five years ago, many of us were living through a worldwide lockdown, trying to make sense of new ways of working and living. Back then, I believed the pandemic would dramatically and permanently accelerate the move away from big cities in favor of smaller towns and the countryside – something often referred to as counterurbanisation. In hindsight, my predictions weren’t entirely off the mark, but I was definitely too optimistic about how quickly these changes would reshape our world.
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Fleets Over Ownership: The Case for Autonomous Vehicles

When I first wrote about this topic in 2016, it felt like a provocative prediction: self-driving cars would never be something the average person owns. Nearly a decade later, much of what I foresaw has come to pass, and the trajectory of autonomous vehicles (AVs) confirms that private ownership of these technological marvels will remain a niche luxury. Let’s revisit and update the reasoning behind this.
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From Microwaved Meals to Robot Foragers: A Vision for the Future of Food

In twenty years, dinner might look a lot different than it does today. Picture this: instead of a frozen, microwaved meal, you’re enjoying a plate of seasonal, locally sourced food – picked, foraged, or raised by robots. It’s a culinary revolution as transformative as the agricultural and industrial revolutions that came before, merging tradition with cutting-edge technology.
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Why AI and Robotics Make a Universal Basic Income Essential

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming the nature of work and the economy. Tasks that once required human labour are now being automated at an accelerating pace, driving down the value of labour and creating profound economic challenges. If we do not adapt, these shifts could lead us to a dystopian society dominated by extreme inequality and neo-feudalism. However, there is a way forward: implementing a universal basic income (UBI) financed by taxing land, resources, and energy. This approach can ensure a fair distribution of wealth in a world where machines handle most of the production.
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The Renaissance of Food: A Vision for Health, Sustainability and Pleasure

Imagine a world where every meal is an experience—not just a routine necessity. A world where food is optimised for your health, prepared with care, and sourced sustainably. This might sound like a vision of the distant future, but it’s closer than you think, thanks to the emergence of kitchen robotics and artificial intelligence. Welcome to the Renaissance of Food.
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