As the world enters the next stages of technological revolution, what we are beginning to unravel about the universe is rapidly propelling us to the frontiers of the unknown.  Now, and in the years to come, all of our bodies of understanding will be profoundly changed.  What we did, what we made, what we believed and what we valued are all undergoing fundamental transformation.  What we measure, still, is what we can see, what we can touch, and what we can replicate.  These measurements are no longer appropriate and effective for the world into which we are moving.  We are only beginning to realize that we need to learn how to measure different things differently if we are to thrive as people and as institutions.

Recently, we have heard a lot come through the pipeline as it relates to the Theory of Everything, String Theory and the Akashic Field.  All, in essence, claim that every point in space is connected with every other point; and every thing with every other thing. Other theories are gaining more mainstream traction, too.  The growing field of Evolutionary Panpsychism, for instance, posits that consciousness is universal and applies to all things.  This thinking represents a revaluation of the natural world in which human and non-human are one.  If our thinking shifts to view the world so holistically – with no duality between humans and nature – what are the ethical consequences? Will this eventually serve as a source for more compassionate and ecological values?

Many believe human communication and interaction is limited to our sensory channels.  Our views and experiences are restricted by our own senses.  The human, for instance, only sees within a small portion of the light spectrum.  The five senses are the key instruments that we have in life to perceive the world and make our way within it.  We are just beginning to learn how to unleash our higher – or heightened – forms of seeing and hearing that could link us to the greater universe of consciousness, just as our outer senses connect us to the external world.

We are learning that we are linked by more subtle and encompassing connections as well.  For all of human history, the wider universe of waves, frequencies and vibrations was virtually unexplored…until now.  Here are a couple of examples:

• In the laboratory, modern people display a capacity for spontaneous transference of impressions and images, especially when they are emotionally close to each other.
• Reliable evidence is becoming available that the conscious mind of one person can produce repeatable and measurable effects on the body of another.
• Intercessory prayer and spiritual healing, together with other mind- and intention-based experiments and practices, yield impressive evidence regarding the effectiveness of telepathic and telesomatic information- and energy-transmission.
• The chanting of monks and the sounds absorbed in the womb from the mother have long been known to affect the physical being, but imaging research is now confirming the effects on the brain and development.
• Questions about what is happening to bee populations around the world – populations vital to the food chain – often center around the effects of confusing signals in the environment, disorienting them.
• New forms of therapy are emerging which are being used as personal tools for growth, transformation and healing: sound healing, consciousness healing, transcendental meditation, magnet therapy, chakra clearing and balancing, out-of-body experiences, clairvoyance and ascension, pranic healing and seichim (learning how to harness personal energy systems and living light energy).

The fusion of cosmology, quantum physics, quantum biology, neuroscience and parapsychology (among many other factors) are now beginning to reveal that our bodies and minds are not just biochemical systems. This convergence of seemingly disparate fields of study may in fact provide a physical-scientific basis for universal consciousness. Further, it demonstrates that certain spiritual or transcendental states of collective consciousness could have a valid basis within scientific circles. This delicate interplay is also dramatically altering our traditional notions of time and space.

What we are seeing is that a new form of spirituality is arising, not out of ideology, but out of scientific hypotheses and applications, especially as science gives more nods to the non-linear, non-rational and non-tangible.  Concepts like virtual, interconnected or appropriate (appropriate technology (AT) is designed with particular consideration to the environmental, ethical, cultural, social, political, and economical aspects of the community it is intended for) could likely gain a new significance. The “science of spirituality” will continue to evolve, especially as the lines between the two become increasingly blurred.

In an effort to boost employee productivity, more companies are now formally encouraging their employees to nap during the workday — in some cases, even providing designated areas meant for employee napping. Nike and Google are among those leading the charge in this area.

For a long time, encouraging “sleeping on the job” would have been considered counter-intuitive to productivity. However, a growing body of research indicates that productivity increases as people are better-rested. A recent Stanford study suggests that Americans average fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night (far fewer than are recommended to be both healthy and productive), and around 20 percent of Americans suffer from sleepiness during the day. As a result, companies in aggregate can save several billions of dollars per year.

In many cases, people report to work without receiving the proper amount of sleep the night before, and this actually hurts their overall productivity and ability to focus on the tasks at hand. The causes of sleep deprivation and fatigue are complex and manifold: sleep-related disorders like insomnia, family-issues (e.g., feeding schedules of babies and young children), commuting, excessive recreation on “work-nights,” and the compounding nature of being both overworked and overstressed at the office.

Take for example, the following scenario: If an employee works for 7 hours and naps for one during the middle of the day, then that employee may very well get more accomplished — and the quality of work may improve — versus someone who works for a full 8 hours per day but is over-tired. Also consider the physiological reality that many employees feel fatigued in the afternoon hours after lunch — and this could serve as a perfect time for companies to offer their employees a much-needed siesta.

Many progressive and forward-thinking companies have already begun to encourage on-the-job napping. It could very well be that these companies stand to gain a tangible competitive advantage in the future as their employees become more productive on a day-to-day basis. Also consider that in a day and age where employees (specifically younger ones) care about corporate culture more than ever, companies who have on-the-job napping policies and/or novel office space that accommodates relaxation stand to attract more and better talent in the long-term.

Most importantly, will friends and family members become jealous of one another over policies like this? I don’t know too many people that would argue with a workplace napping policy — or who would not resent those around them who benefited from such policies! Picture the benefits package of the future: 401(k) matching, gym memberships, generous group health and dental plans, on-site childcare facilities…and of course, a state-of-the-art napping facility! It’s already starting to happen…

Mounting evidence now suggests that girls are entering into puberty at even earlier ages that previously thought. Specifically, newly emerging research indicates that increasing percentages of girls in the U.S. are exhibiting premature development — most notably, the growth of breasts — as early as 7 or 8 years of age. Considering that these girls are still in the early years of grade school, this is a profound trend. Additionally, some female infants in china are beginning to exhibit the same symptoms of premature development. In China, there is some speculation as to whether tainted milk and baby formula is a possible cause of these infant cases. Research has yet to determine with any certainty whether that or other causes are to blame. More broadly, researchers posit that a combination of exposure to certain chemicals and inappropriate diet/nutrition could be underlying these trends. The reality that girls may be entering puberty at earlier ages not only leads to an important discussion of the causes, but also the long-term repercussions:

1) Health: The earlier that girls experience puberty, the greater their risk for various diseases, ailments and reproductive issues later in life. For example, we may eventually see increased incidence of certain types of cancer among women as a result of this.

2) Reproduction: The implications here are two-fold. First, as girls are able to have children at earlier ages, there will undoubtedly be an uptick in risky behavior — specifically, unwanted teenage and pre-teen pregnancies. Secondly, women who experience earlier puberty will have diminished reproductive capacities at earlier ages than ever before. This may cause many women to reconsider putting off children until later life, in favor of career and income development — as has been the macro trend across much of the developed world.

3) Education: As more girls enter puberty earlier, the developmental divide between girls and boys (who already tend to develop later) could increase. As a result, educators around the world dealing with this issue will have to adopt strategies for educating many children of the same “age” in the same classes who will be at staggered, advanced or inappropriate developmental levels.

4)  Family & Parenting: Will parents be cognitively flexible to the reality that their child may be entering puberty at what would historically be considered an “incorrect” or “inappropriate” time? How will parents adjust their strategies in raising these children, and will intra-familial conflict — so often the trademark of parent/teenager interactions — become a growing concern among girls as young as 7 or 8 and their parents?

5) Gender Dynamics: What will the long-term implications be for this as it relates to gender interaction? Will girls who enter puberty be ostracized and/or have a “leg up” on their female peers? Alternatively, will some sort of divide broaden between the performance and maturity of girls and boys? (note that several issues are already leading to many boys falling behind socially and in educational systems around the world)

Inevitably, if this trend increases, it will undoubtedly lead to an explosion of new product and service opportunities as global marketers look to capitalize on a never-before seen demographic niche — and their parents. Not only will education and advocacy programs be important, but entirely new health, beauty, pharma and reproductive product markets will emerge.

At this quarter’s STEP meeting, we presented a working paper on how networks are becoming more intricate and pervasive, and systems more interconnected and embedded.  This includes the interconnection between RFID and smartphone technology. I recently came across an example of how this integration is being applied in new and innovative ways.  DOK, a cutting-edge library center in Delft, the Netherlands, has been finding new ways to use RFID, smart and wireless technology as a way to inspire and connect its patrons through a variety of concepts:

DOK Agora: DOK Agora is a multimedia center featuring several “tell-­stories” stations, a video recording station, and a video wall. By scanning library passes on a screen with a built-in RFID reader, visitors can upload a chosen story, take it to the “tell-stories” tables, and attach their own content-photos, text, audio, and video. A built-in camera takes a visitor’s photo and adds it to his or her story. The stories are then visible on the DOK Agora screens for all to see. The exhibitions are based on themes that are relevant to a large number of people in the Netherlands, i.e. the drastic renovation of the downtown railroad zone.

Delft Heritage Browser: Users can dig into the Delft city archive using membership cards, which contain their age and locations. The system shows visitors images relevant to their lives, displayed as a “pile” on the screen. By touching the screen, visitors can browse images dating from when they were born, or depicting the street where they live. DOK is also working with multiple libraries and museums to create applications to access their collections.

Tank U: Tank U is a stand-alone, public download unit, at which people stop to “tank up” their mobile device via a Bluetooth or wireless connection.  It is being deployed in locations beyond the library proper, such as railway stations or supermarkets, where people can receive sophisticated and surprising content. The fuel in Tank U includes text, audio, and video from a number of sources.

Technology can now fuse many different types of systems into a unified platform, and examples such as this are just the beginning. The marriage of technologies could deliver many benefits to companies as it begins to be implemented in practical ways that provide clear benefits to businesses and consumers.