The cognitive surplus is made of fossil fuels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v17i11.4120Keywords:
Cognitive Surplus, Fossil FuelsAbstract
People in the industrial world have a great deal of free time. Clay Shirky has described this free time, considered as a whole, as a vast “cognitive surplus,” and presents many efforts currently under way to use the cognitive surplus for prosocial ends. However, the cognitive surplus came to exist largely as a result of labor–saving devices that run on fossil fuels. Many problems relating to fossil fuels constrain how people can responsibly use the cognitive surplus to address environmental sustainability and other current concerns. We suggest that an excellent use of the present cognitive surplus is to help society prepare for an energy–scarce future — that is, a future that may not be able to support the existence of a cognitive surplus at the current level.Downloads
Published
2012-10-31
How to Cite
Tomlinson, B., & Silberman, M. S. (2012). The cognitive surplus is made of fossil fuels. First Monday, 17(11). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v17i11.4120
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Authors retain copyright to their work published in First Monday. Please see the footer of each article for details.