Halcyon Imagines

Imagining how mapping humans' intricate social networks...

 

...could better our lives, by e.g. detecting epidemics earlier than ever, from the spread of innovative ideas, to risky behaviours, to viruses.

Imagining answers to some of the most intractable problems...

 

Google recently asked the global public for ideas to address the following societal issues:

• Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
• Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
• Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
• Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
• Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
• Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
• Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
• Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don't fit into any category at all.

Thousands of people from more than 170 countries submitted more than 150,000 (or around 10^5.2) ideas.  Voting is complete and Google will announce the winning big ideas in the near future.

What other answers can we dream up and enact together?

Imagining we could all become "heroes of the environment"...

...working, each in our own small but connected ways, to improve the planet.

Imagining really getting to know people through brief encounters...

...anywhere, even in an airport terminal.