58
3 Social Forces
plan to add a personal data store,
69 which will allow you to determine what kind of
data you want to share with whom, for what purpose, and for what period of time.
Nervousnet would be run as a Citizen Web, built and managed by its users. It
would allow all developers to add measurement procedures and apps. For example,
you may run games, scientific measurement projects, or business applications on top
of the Nervousnet platform. So, anyone could add data-driven services and products. For security and conceptual reasons (such as scalability and fault-tolerance),
Nervousnet would be based on distributed data and control. To promote responsible
use, Nervousnet would integrate reputation, qualification, and community-based selfgoverning mechanisms, determining accessible sensors, data volume and functionality. All this is intended to catalyze a novel information, innovation and production
ecosystem to create societal benefits, business opportunities, and new jobs.
Nervousnet would offer five main functionalities. First, it would empower us to
collectively measure the world around us in real time. For example, it would allow us
to quantify external effects of our interactions with the environment and others (such
as noise and emissions, but also economic, social and immaterial value created).
Such measurements could help to create a circular economy and more sustainable
systems.
Second, Nervousnet would help to create awareness about the problems and opportunities around us. It would warn us of the side effects of certain decisions and
actions (e.g. the amount of CO 2 emissions produced) and support us in identifying
and implementing better alternatives (e.g. how to use public transport comfortably).
Third, the Nervousnet data stream would establish something like a “CERN for
society”. It would allow us to reveal the hidden regularities and forces underlying
socio-economic change. This would create the knowledge to establish a Global
System Science,
70 which is needed to master our future in a highly complex and
interdependent world.
Fourth, the combination of this knowledge with real-time data would enable us to
build self-organizing systems, using real-time feedbacks. With the right kinds of interactions, a complex dynamical system could create a huge variety of self-stabilizing
structures, properties and functions in a way that is self-organized and enormously
efficient. For example, self-controlled traffic lights, which flexibly respond to local
vehicle flows, can dramatically reduce urban congestion compared to the classical,
centralized control approach.
71 By using the Internet of Things or Internet of Everything, as some people say, many production processes could benefit as well (often
summarized under the label “industry 4.0”).
Fifth, Nervousnet would support a network of distributed artificial and human
intelligence. Digital assistants would support us not only in everyday situations, but
also in bringing knowledge, ideas, and resources efficiently together. By creating such
“collective intelligence”, we would be able to master the combinatorial complexity
of our increasingly interdependent world much better.
69 de Montjoye et al. [46].
70 Helbing [47].
71 Lämmer and Helbing [48], Helbing [49]; see also http://www.stefanlaemmer.de/.
3 Social Forces
plan to add a personal data store,
69 which will allow you to determine what kind of
data you want to share with whom, for what purpose, and for what period of time.
Nervousnet would be run as a Citizen Web, built and managed by its users. It
would allow all developers to add measurement procedures and apps. For example,
you may run games, scientific measurement projects, or business applications on top
of the Nervousnet platform. So, anyone could add data-driven services and products. For security and conceptual reasons (such as scalability and fault-tolerance),
Nervousnet would be based on distributed data and control. To promote responsible
use, Nervousnet would integrate reputation, qualification, and community-based selfgoverning mechanisms, determining accessible sensors, data volume and functionality. All this is intended to catalyze a novel information, innovation and production
ecosystem to create societal benefits, business opportunities, and new jobs.
Nervousnet would offer five main functionalities. First, it would empower us to
collectively measure the world around us in real time. For example, it would allow us
to quantify external effects of our interactions with the environment and others (such
as noise and emissions, but also economic, social and immaterial value created).
Such measurements could help to create a circular economy and more sustainable
systems.
Second, Nervousnet would help to create awareness about the problems and opportunities around us. It would warn us of the side effects of certain decisions and
actions (e.g. the amount of CO 2 emissions produced) and support us in identifying
and implementing better alternatives (e.g. how to use public transport comfortably).
Third, the Nervousnet data stream would establish something like a “CERN for
society”. It would allow us to reveal the hidden regularities and forces underlying
socio-economic change. This would create the knowledge to establish a Global
System Science,
70 which is needed to master our future in a highly complex and
interdependent world.
Fourth, the combination of this knowledge with real-time data would enable us to
build self-organizing systems, using real-time feedbacks. With the right kinds of interactions, a complex dynamical system could create a huge variety of self-stabilizing
structures, properties and functions in a way that is self-organized and enormously
efficient. For example, self-controlled traffic lights, which flexibly respond to local
vehicle flows, can dramatically reduce urban congestion compared to the classical,
centralized control approach.
71 By using the Internet of Things or Internet of Everything, as some people say, many production processes could benefit as well (often
summarized under the label “industry 4.0”).
Fifth, Nervousnet would support a network of distributed artificial and human
intelligence. Digital assistants would support us not only in everyday situations, but
also in bringing knowledge, ideas, and resources efficiently together. By creating such
“collective intelligence”, we would be able to master the combinatorial complexity
of our increasingly interdependent world much better.
69 de Montjoye et al. [46].
70 Helbing [47].
71 Lämmer and Helbing [48], Helbing [49]; see also http://www.stefanlaemmer.de/.