Interesting conversation yesterday with a neighbor who works essentially as a visionary. He referenced a recent article in Wired (found via Kevin Kelly's Technium) related to the 'end of theory' (his position being that such articles are typical of a kind of technological exceptionalism that has been a fixture of all eras for at least 10,000 years). I remarked sort of half-heartedly that, as I get older, I begin to ponder whether I'll be around to see if any of the current "big ideas" pan out (I'm thinking AI, singularity, and all of the attendant speculation/desperation around the defeat of the void). He answered by remarking that he likes to read period writings in ancient languages (Greek, Hebrew) as way of grounding himself, and he suggested that our obsessions have changed very little over the millenia. Nothing and everything pans out.