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James Patten

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If you could give computers one magical power, what would it be and why?

Live TED Conversation: Join TED Fellow James Patten

James is an inventor who is exploring new ways that physical objects can represent and control digital information.

This conversation will open at November 14 at 1:00PM EST.

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Closing Statement from James Patten

Thank you to everyone for sharing some great ideas! One theme that I was really struck by was the extent to which people wanted their computers to have human qualities. Also there were some great suggestions about new types of input and output, ways of processing information and many others. I think that within the next several decades many of the things mentioned here will some to pass (some much sooner than that). Ultimately what we think of as a "computer" will change drastically in the next several years, as things adapt to better suit human abilities. Thank you everyone for participating!

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  • Grace Evans

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    Nov 14 2011: To diagnose or predict illness to some degree of confidence (with just one scan).. And the ability to examine / make physical contact with the patient. Because, (I expect) a computer can more effectively process/connect diverse bits of information (risks, symptoms, irregularities etc).
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    Jonathan Ellis

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    Nov 14 2011: The physical construction of portable computers may well change given the rise of tablets (iPad etc.) To retain marketability for both home/office use and on the move, perhaps construction could follow this trend by allowing the screen to be removable and behave as a tablet. Once reattached, behave like a normal laptop screen. This is possibly in the pipe line at an RnD level already?
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    John W. Furst

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    Nov 14 2011: Before I give computers any magical power I'd make sure the three laws of robotics according to Stanislaw Lem are in place.

    Now they are ready to receive the gift of creativity in Arts, Engineering and Science.

    Why? Because it could make a big difference. I am not sure if it were beneficial to give them emotions, too.

    What do you think?

  • Jonathan Catuccio

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    Nov 14 2011: An AI that can convince us that the "singularity" will never pose a threat to humanity, and forever work to the improve the human condition ; )

  • Daniel Sosnoski

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    Nov 14 2011: What I would like may already exist - I'd like my computer to track my eyes so that I could look at the screen instead of using a mouse or trackball. By thinking "click" or something similar, I could then "press" a button or navigation item. This would be a large improvement in speed and ease of use.
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      James Patten 100+

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      TED FellowTED Attendee
      Nov 14 2011: Hi Daniel, this does exist, but traditionally has been very expensive. There is at least one effort to make it easier though. Check out this project by Zach Lieberman: http://www.eyewriter.org/

      At its current state it's mainly targeted at people with ALS and other handicaps. I don't think you would find it faster or easier in its current form. One issue is that the movement of the human eye is actually very jumpy compared to what one might expect.
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    Morris Dovey

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    Nov 14 2011: Having progressed through data systems, information systems, and various flavors of expert systems, I'd like to see the advent of wisdom-based systems - systems that can process a question into lesser sub-questions (ad nausea) until it can formulate a complete set of propositional alternatives and then apply consequence criteria to produce an optimal ("wise") solution. I realize that I'm asking a lot, so wouldn't expect delivery until 3Q12. :-)

  • Richard Leslie

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    Nov 14 2011: How about a way to capture dreams just as you awake? Or even cooler, while you're dreaming?

  • Richard Leslie

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    Nov 14 2011: It would be great to have a software/hardware tool that could diagnose conditions like depression, panic disorder, etc., or help with seizures.

  • David Goese

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    Nov 14 2011: I'd love if computers could help us understand health, wellness, and the process of disease more richly. With all of the evidence-based medicine we have and all of the studies in all of our journals, I always feel like the "day to day" is lacking a little bit. It also happens that "day-to-day" health behaviors (really, just how a person lives their life) can lead to certain illnesses. Perhaps a reasonable magical power computers could have would be to provide individualized preventative medicine and health suggestions based upon the individual's genetics, environment, social ties and support networks, etc., ideally accounting for more than just the biological process of disease (meaning, the social determinants of health as well). If a computer could continuously monitor things like levels of stress and diet intake and other things we know cause disease, perhaps we could understand that disease process more fully, and, more importantly, understand what being health means more fully. Also, the computer would give feedback to health professionals and provide lots of data, allowing the entire evidence-based field to become more personal.

    I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks.

  • Sally Hirsch

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    Nov 14 2011: Compassion

  • Nándor Pintér

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    Nov 14 2011: I can imagine a computer that first scans our mind and the way we solve different problems. Than links more people who try to solve the same problem which they obviously cannot solve on their own, and with some real time combinatory, mathematical magic application it would give us a solution or alternatives of solution by using our thought fragments and combining them. Like a computer synchronizing our minds and the results from our thinking processes in a way we would never use.
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    Elwira Stadnik

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    Nov 14 2011: The question is if computers will drive us not to use our brain any more, or our human invention will be driven by computers ? I hope it will not.

  • Parth Vartak

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    Nov 14 2011: One of the thing that seperate computers from Human Beings is the Common sense.
    so i would love to give this power to the computers.

  • bubbles tintin

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    Nov 14 2011: If computer processed information in the speed of light.
    Solving complex problems in real time.
    Each spectrum is a value and each wavelength is a value.
    With millions of colors and and wavelengths you'll have a tremendous amount of information at your disposable being detected at light speed.
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    Xavier Vilalta 50+

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    TED Fellow
    Nov 14 2011: hi james, i believe the point of separating between a tool or a colleague is a big issue. why don´t we put them together? would it be possible that computers act like tools that correct ourselves, some do already, but in a more human way? or maybe like a tool that continues working when you are tired or lazy, that you start doing something and it continues it by adapting to the method you started...
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      James Patten 100+

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      TED FellowTED Attendee
      Nov 14 2011: Hey Xavier!! That makes sense, maybe there can be a middle point between the two. There is an idea called collaborative interfaces that tries to be a middle point, but it seems like the human qualities are where things are really lacking still.
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    Dennis Hitzeman

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    Nov 14 2011: I'm not sure if it's a magical power, but what about giving computers the ability to speculate about the outcomes of decisions before they're made. A computer would have the advantage of being truly dispassionate and so would not suffer from the human penchant for pre-selecting a sentimental course. Such a computer could, I think, greatly improve the lives of many people faced with difficult decisions.

  • Jasper Raedisch

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    Nov 14 2011: To evaluate and improve their effects on humans based on those humans' predefined goals.

  • Jofree Shimray

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    Nov 14 2011: My wife votes for 'Google Home' - search lost articles at home, or in any given space. "Siri find my remote!"
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      James Patten 100+

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      TED FellowTED Attendee
      Nov 14 2011: Hi Jofree, one of the capabilities I've been excited about for a long time is the ability for the computer to track the positions of arbitrary objects in 3D space. It seems like this would open up a lot of different kinds of applications, including finding lost objects and turning walls and tables in your home into interactive surfaces. finding lost things would be really helpful!

  • George Miczum

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    Nov 14 2011: Ability to format your short-term memory (e.g delete the last 2 hours from it)
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      Marcel Paans 20+

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      TED Translator
      Nov 14 2011: You can actually achieve that by drinking a bottle of liquor in one go..

      I don't recommend it tho!
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    Estela Estela

    • 0
    Nov 14 2011: This is changing already but if could give them one magical power it would be to get rid of all of its hardware (but have it be practical too).

    I want to pull information out of the air like pulling a rabbit out of a hat! I want to slide pieces of information around in front of me like I'm some conductor at a symphony but instead of music I'm directing blocks of information to move about all at the same time and I don't want a square box (a computer monitor) getting in my way.

    You know, just like they do in futuristic movies (life imitates art?)

    Why? Do you really have to ask? lol

  • kimberly chandler

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    Nov 14 2011: empathy

  • Jofree Shimray

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    Nov 14 2011: Battery life. OS, RAM and storage gets enough attention, can someone pay attention to the batteries please! (I'm assuming hand held devices fall into 'computer').
    But since the question is 'magical power' I'd like invisibility... or nano tech, or simply wi-fing google pages to my head- that would make me magical. Add a little Siri and Milo/Mylo there!

  • kalyan v

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    Nov 14 2011: A computer is actually a machine which reduces human efforts.Lets come up with one which can simply reduce the stress and work,its should make the life a much simpler to live than it looks like.I think gesture technology will be the next evolution for the present computers.
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    Trina Bohan Tyrie

    • 0
    Nov 14 2011: To be able to list it's alments as it begins to run slow... for example and then able to speak clearly and produce the answer to the problems. And then mend it self quickly and quietly without fuss...adding to your knowledge. With out a whole lost day becoming an expert in a NOT need to know.

  • Martine Rossignol-Winner

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    Nov 14 2011: Interesting question: I think the computer (or artificial limb or whatever it may be) would need a signal, the way the brain sends an electrical impulse to command your mouth to open and sound to come out of your throat. Normally, unless someone has a neurological problem, we don't start moving limbs or shouting unless we want to. So there must be a way that, say, a limb knows not to move when the brain is sending the message for the eye to make wink, for example. A way to "ignore" the impulse if that impulse is not meant for you.

    Necessity (or in my case, laziness) is the mother of invention, they say. I had written the premice to a story where people had implants in their hands. The impulses from the brain and through the implant would command nanites to accomplish a task. Say: "install drapes over that window" or "clean those dishes". In my story, the nanites were highly evolved and could compose themselves into shapes in order to accomplish the task they were commanded to do. There were even nanite cops that could reshape as needed. So there... That should give you plenty to work on for, oh, a century or two! :-)

  • Mike Magnus

    • 0
    Nov 14 2011: I'd like an option to plug into the matrix. I want to be able to explore a digital world while feeling like I'm within my own body, using my senses to explore. I know this is a huge feat, but I know scientists are beginning to decode our brain chemistry to understand how our brain processes images, so intercepting nerve signals and replacing visual ones could be a start, but it's a long way out.

  • Ken Whitehurst

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    Nov 14 2011: A computer should be able to work like an experienced assistant. It should be able to know that, first thing in the morning, I want to read a certain website, check certain emails which are more important to me, and perhaps hear a certain type of music. It should observe my actions, and adapt to them, offering what it thinks I might like, but quickly accepting (and adapting) to my changes. A computer should do for actions and living what Pandora is beginning to do with selecting music.
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      James Patten 100+

      • 0
      TED FellowTED Attendee
      Nov 14 2011: Hi Ken, I agree and it seems like things are starting to take steps in that direction, but in a piecemeal way. e.g. google priority inbox and the favorites pages that many web browsers have now..

  • Nancy Peck

    • 0
    Nov 14 2011: Remedy loneliness for the user. Loneliness is rampant. Social media helps somewhat but hasn't quite remedied it. What's missing?
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    Derek Mathis

    • +1
    Nov 14 2011: The power to allow human beings to directly perceive the thoughts and motivations of others...

    Because I think we all sometimes need a jumpstart in this area.
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