Serious games, sustainable civilizations and trading zones

What does it take to sustain a civilization in an environment where emerging technologies can have a progressive or disruptive effect-or both at the same time? One way of approaching this question from a social-psychological standpoint is to use games or simulations that allow participants to experiment, making decisions about sustaining or transforming civilizations. this presentation will discuss two examples: 1. Nanosim, a simulation of the National Nanotechnology initiative in which participants play different roles (a) Congress (b) Regulatory agencies (c) Funding agencies like DARPA and NSF and NIH (d) Companies like IBM and entrepreneurial start-ups (e) University laboratories (f) NGOs like the Project on Emerging Technologies and ETC (g) A newspaper that reports to all the other groups. Laboratories and companies make choices about what nanotechnologies to create, and collaborate or compete. Congress supplies funding, depending on how the research is justified, and can supply rules to the regulators for ensuring fairness, societal goals, etc. NGOs can use a variety of strategies to encourage or block technologies. In order to create new technologies, participants will have to trade resources, intellectual property and time, Outside events can be introduced to alter the simulation. Nanosim has been used with students, but could also be used with policymakers in a way similar to how war gaming is used to anticipate military responses to global events. 2. An ESEM version of the popular Civ IV game, in which civilizations can run out of resources, can develop new technologies that have unanticipated consequences, can even leave the planet if they want to give up. Participants will have the option to form trade, form alliances or go to war, and will gradually see that their local decisions affect the global environment, in terms of climate change and resources. Religion and culture will play major roles, simulating ideological conflicts. These serious games will be used to frame a discussion of emerging technologies, civilizations and trading zones Serious games, technology, education, collaboration.