Concrescence

When the waves of the new come together, they can form a new wave - something unexpected. That's the meaning of the word concrescence, and that's the situation we're facing at the start of the 21st century. When put together, the revolutions in "grown" artificial intelligence, our growing command of the physical world, and our ability to share our thoughts across the Web mean that something new is brewing, something unexpected. Something our children already understand.

Already artists like Char Davies use virtual reality to create experiences that feel as sacred as any Medieval cathedral. And scientists at the University of North Carolina are using virtual reality to explore the real world of the infinitesimally small. These kinds of experiences will be commonplace for our children - and they will learn a new tongue, the language of a playful world.

On the left side of the page, you'll see links - paralleling the ideas as they're discussed in the text. When you click on a link, you'll see information about that link on this side of the page, along with a link to another website, which will open in its own window. All you need to do is click on the link, and you'll be looking at whatever article or document crossed my path as I wrote the book.

You can add your own comments. If you've found something of interest to the readers of THE PLAYFUL WORLD, you can add a note, and even include your own links. This way the website can continue to grow well beyond my own abilities to keep it up-to-date. So please feel free to share what you've learned with the rest of us.