Since I seem to be on a '''technology and society'' kick this week, I might as well point to this fascinating keynote (at least to me) by science fiction author Bruce Sterling. Speaking to a conference of interface and interaction design professionals, Sterling deflates a whole series of common assumptions about the future of digital technology in our lives (sentient humanoid robots, direct computer-brain interfaces), and suggests a future that's both more plausible, and more brain-bending.

For example, what if everything around you had a digital tag, a connection to the network, and a GPS location capability (we're getting closer to that every day)? And what could such an environment provide for its citizens and require of its designers?

Bruce Sterling from Innovationsforum on Vimeo.