“We are always living ahead of our thinking”

It was University of Toronto English professor Marshall McLuhan who predicted universal connectivity. Listen to this archival interview from April 1965 where he predicts a future for education saying that: “in the future people will no longer only gather in classrooms to learn but will also be moved by “electronic circuitry.”
How far are we along on this path? McLuhan believed that the “we are always living ahead of our thinking.”

You can watch the interview here and also explore the Radio Canada archives.

McLuhan had some quite specific thoughts about how the future would unfold. In terms of the connectivity a current article in The Daily Wireless lists The 10 Most Connected Cities in the World – cities that through a combination of public and private investment have provided a remarkably level of high speed connectivity and access for residents and businesses.
Here is the list.
1. Seoul, South Korea
2. Taipei, Taiwan
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Hong Kong, China
5. Singapore
6. Stockholm, Sweden
7. Various Municipal Projects, USA (St. Cloud, Florida; Mountain View, California; Tempe, Arizona; Corpus Christi, Texas)
8. Paris, France
9. Shoreditch, England
10. Silicon Valley, United States
Read the article for more details about the particular projects

Josie Holford

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