Western societies are sleep deprived and as a result people are becoming clumsy, stupid, unhappy and dead according to Dr Stanley Coren (author of The Sleep Thieves). Social observers have coined the term TATT Syndrome to describe people that are Tired All The Time. Whether you buy in to such phraseology the condition seems real enough and sleep is set to be one of the next big social and medical issues. The figures certainly speak for themselves. Back in 1900 Americans slept for an average of 9.0 hours every night. The figure is now 6.9 hours. In Australia there were 4 sleep clinics in 1985. The number is now 70. In the New York there is even a company called Metro Naps that sells sleep to stressed out city types (US $14 for 15 minutes).
Sleep is the new sex
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Nanotechnoloy (i.e.the manipulation of structures at an atomic level — or the science of very small things) is the hyped technology of the new millennium. It’s unlikely to disappoint either because it’s a disruptive technology. Nanotech will effect every industry from toothpaste to car tyres and from to glass to clothing. Also expect a major Nanotech accident by around 2025 (see Bill Joy’s article entitled ‘Why the future doesn’t need us’).
There are approximately 40 wars in 35 countries going on as you read this. Terrorism is rife and if ‘they’ don’t get you a global pandemic probably will. At least that’s how quite a few people feel. Post 9/11 the feeling was probably fearful but this has now settled down to anxiety and, if all goes well this might level off to people being slightly rattled. But the general feeling isn’t going away. Trust has all but evaporated (people don’t trust institutions like government or the police any longer) and the speed of change, together with technology that disempowers, has left people yearning for the past. This insecurity is to some extent generational but whether you’re eighteen or eighty there is a general feeling of powerlessness. This in turn is fuelling everything from an interest in nostalgia to the growth in narcissism, localisation and tribalism.