Ambassador Lasse Birk Olesen at TEDx Copenhagen: Seasteading + Technology > Politics

Updated to include video:

https://youtu.be/Tv5gBFqzQfY[/embed]

Seasteading ambassador Lasse Birk Olesen has been one of the most effective messengers of our vision, and probably the most effective messenger in all of Europe. He has spoken to dozens of groups in his native country of Denmark, and reached countless others through online forums and his volunteer work for the Institute and Blueseed.

Lasse recently had a chance to promote seasteading at TEDx Copenhagen alongside two of his other favorite technologies, the digital currency BitCoin and 3D printers. A transcript of the talk can be found here, although the site is in Danish, so you’ll need to enable your browser’s translator. Superficially, it’s clear that all three ideas share a futuristic component, but Lasse explains the deeper connection among them. His point is not just that we can expect incredible things in the not-so-distant future, but that these technologies–used independently or in conjunction with one another–have the potential to reshape or even replace politics. In a nutshell, Lasse argues, while political technology (government), has hardly progressed in centuries, other technology is rapidly advancing in ways that will meet our needs far better than politicians.

A diverse global population will benefit in different ways from these advances, so Lasse simply picked the three emerging technologies nearest and dearest to him:

• An online currency like BitCoin can turn into a widely-accepted store of value, with lower transaction costs than government-issued currency.
• The seasteading movement can enable affordable, modular apartments that use energy more efficiently, process waste without garbage trucks, and can attach and reattach to the communities offering their inhabitants the most attractive governmental services at the lowest cost.
• 3D printing can “democratize” production of goods and rid the world of industrial policy that selects winners and losers.

This offers just a taste of Lasse’s full message, which is worth reading in its entirety. If you are interested in becoming an ambassador and representing the Institute in various forums, visit the information page or fill out the application. We’re always looking to add motivated new members to the team!