Billions With Zero Knowledge

Two different Microsoft employees just showcased some new research coming from Microsoft including Virtual Earth with rich 3D models with hi-res photo’s to help build richer textured models, Photosynth and their Seadragon projects.

This stuff is groundbreaking and visually stunning. They are showed a Flickr mash up that grabbed all pictures on Flickr for the Notre-Damn catherderal and automatically mapped it to a digital model with point of view references to create a collaborative photo mash-up of the building by analyzing point of view and pasting the right pictures to the proper part of the 3-D model.

Absolutely phenomonal stuff. Any pictures you share on the Internet (via Flickr) could start to be linked together and applied on a rich digital reference model of the earth.

I’m glad to see Microsoft sending out some ambassadors who are showing how some of the billions they spent on R&D is being put to good use. Both employees got a warm reception and were funny and self effacing about Microsoft presenting during the Simplicity session at TED.

It will be an interesting couple of years to see how this rolls out.

It is my firm believe that when we begin to visualize the earth as it really is, we will begin to see just how small and fragile this planet is. Perhaps we will being to see how we are all enjoying or suffering the same human condition.

Once this happens maybe the other 6 billion people on the planet will be seen more as neighbours carpooling into the future with us, rather than in the “Us vs. Them” mentality that dominates our cultural egoism in the West.

Perhaps where we are born will no longer dictate our life span or the chance for freedom and happiness.

On Thu 8 Mar 2007.