RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

Much needs to be learned about how humanity can best ensure its journey into the future. Three3 is well-qualified to contribute to humanity’s knowledge base in this general area through foundational and applied research and design-oriented projects. Three3 is:
  • eager to enter into partnerships with other researchers and funders to accomplish this important work;
  • available to consult on research projects being conducted by others; and
  • available to conduct research that may help specific organizations answer such questions as they apply to their own activities and reasons for existence.
Below are examples of ideas of research and design projects that fall within the broad scope of caring for future generations.
1- Foundational Research – Projects that fall under this rubric seek to better establish the basic principles, parameters, metrics and assumptions that underlie the caring for future generations endeavor. Foundational research is seen as being qualitative, convergent, and synthesis-oriented in nature and is needed in numerous areas. Topics for projects include:
  • enhancing philosophical arguments for why current generations should care about future generations;
  • establishing the acceptable risk threshold of human extinction;
  • better defining our obligations to future generations and metrics about how well current generations are meeting the obligations; and
  • a focus on innovative approaches to economics, political science, and sociology that can result in theoretical guidance designed improve the futures-orientation of these disciplines.
2- Applied Research – This research is more quantitative in nature. Three3’s strength is in social science, though a convergence of the natural and social sciences is needed to enhance humanity’s knowledge base with respect to its journey into the future. Projects that fall under the applied research rubric could:
  • seek to estimate metrics related to meeting obligations to future generations;
  • assess the contributions that unintended consequences of emerging technologies may make to increasing the risk of human extinction;
  • assess the ability and willingness of individuals to care about future generations;
  • develop and test methods to teach individuals about how to become more futures-oriented; and
  • evaluate the impacts of anticipatory institutions and programs.
3- Design-Oriented Projects – A third research area falls under the rubric of design. Here we include projects that could focus on the design of national anticipatory institutions, millennial projects, and major global information systems needed to support humanity’s journey into the future. Such projects could:
  • address new systems of production and more sustainable urban designs; and
  • develop scenarios needed for global futures decision making – such as, scenarios of human extinction and those that describe major transformations in society needed to ensure more futures-oriented policy making and human behavior.
For more information about Research and Consulting, please contact Dr. Bruce Tonn at [email protected].