Burke nods to future in speech

Science historian James Burke spoke about “The Future of the Future” at 7 p.m. Monday night in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, giving his audience a view of the possibilities for advancement beyond modern technology.

The lecture was part of the IU School of Journalism Speaker Series.

Burke incorporated humor and storytelling to deliver his message to the audience. The message was one of the increasingly outdated methods of “niche studies” throughout the world and the need for people to diversify rather than locking themselves in to one particular focus.

While he explained that the “reductionist” mode of thinking has led to numerous advances throughout society, he said for growth to continue people must step outside of this linear way of thinking and learning and start to think in a broader context.

He also introduced his latest work in progress, the “Knowledge Web,” a system that plays off of the connections people make within their minds and takes them through a progression to help them stop thinking linearly and start thinking laterally.

In an example, Burke showed the connection between Mozart and the man who invented the helicopter. Within ten connections, he showed the type of pathway that lateral thinking allows.

Part of the strength behind Burke’s message was the humor in his delivery, members of the audience said.

“He had a great sense of having just enough humor to kind of keep everybody with him and keep everybody listening,” said Steve Hinnefeld, an IU journalism adjunct lecturer.

Burke also said he believes journalists are in the best position to take this new line of thinking into the future and bring it to fruition. However, he compared this change to the beginning of the mass printing of books, naming it as a monumental shift that will not be easy to come by.

“It is a similar type of revolution,” Burke said, “and it will take time."