Monthly Archives: August 2010

The danger in how we see

Posted on August 30, 2010 by

Tigers like to hide. And, unfortunately for us, they are really quite good at it. Tigers can magically blend in with their surroundings, giving us only glimpses of their true form. But there’s much more to fear from tigers than … Continue reading →

Posted in Pioneer Lessons, Psychology | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

How to build the impossible

Posted on August 28, 2010 by

Throughout history, we have tried to build impossible things. Insanely impossible things. Things that require innovation, complex combinations of technologies, and a lot of coordination and work. And despite great difficulty, we’ve managed to successfully build many impossible things. Like … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Meanwhile, in Finland

Posted on August 27, 2010 by

I found that captioned photo while Googling for images of Finland. But I don’t think we’re allowed to tease Finland anymore. Not since Newsweek recently ranked them #1 on their list of Best Countries in the World. I’ll be giving a … Continue reading →

Posted in Presentations, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Lattice of Coincidence

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

“A lot of people don’t realize what’s really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don’t realize there’s this, like, Lattice of Coincidence that lays on top of everything.” That’s a quote from … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , | 59 Comments

You Look Marvelous

Posted on August 22, 2010 by

We all want to look marvelous. And in virtual worlds, we want our avatars to look marvelous. In both form and motion, we want them to possess beauty and grace.  We want people to gasp at their originality and for … Continue reading →

Posted in Avatars, Psychology, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , | 28 Comments

How the Metaverse was Won

Posted on August 20, 2010 by

Most people deeply involved in Virtual Worlds, from researchers to developers to enthusiastic users, have read Neal Stephenson’s novel “Snow Crash.” In it, Stephenson coins the term “Metaverse.” He describes it as a perceptually immersive successor to the Internet, populated … Continue reading →

Posted in Presentations, Psychology, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , , | 60 Comments

On Being Human

Posted on August 18, 2010 by

Artificial Intelligence is sexy. At least, that’s what we’re constantly being told. Technologists wax poetic about how computers can increasingly replicate our ability to think and reason.  Folks like Eric Schmidt gleefully proclaim that people really want Google to “tell … Continue reading →

Posted in Artificial Intelligence, Psychology | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Good times at the Second Life Community Convention

Posted on August 16, 2010 by

I had an outstanding time at the recent Second Life Community Convention here in Boston. It was great to meet new folks, reconnect with old friends, and I had a blast giving my keynote presentation.  And a big thank you … Continue reading →

Posted in Presentations, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Let’s begin!

Posted on August 16, 2010 by

Time to start a blog. I’ll be posting my thoughts on strategies for pioneers in virtual worlds, online communities, education, and more. I hope you find it interesting and entertaining. – John “Pathfinder” Lester

Posted in Announcements | 13 Comments