Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing

Today we carry around an almost infinite amount of information in our pockets, allowing us to instantaneously search for answers to almost any question. We hardly ever feel in the dark anymore, and we naturally tend to think that is a good thing. But is it always?

In his provocative new book, Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, Future Tense Fellow Jamie Holmes argues that our informational instant gratification isn't necessarily making us wiser. He explores the positive role of ambiguity and uncertainty in forcing us to see the world from a fresh perspective, and to think more deeply about the questions before us.

Join Future Tense for the launch of Nonsense with a conversation between Jamie Holmes and Maria Konnikova, contributing writer for The New Yorker, on the downside of having the answer to every question at our fingertips.

Copies of Jamie Holmes's Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing will be available for purchase. Follow the discussion online using #NANYC and by following @NewAmericaNYC.

PARTICIPANTS

Jamie Holmes
Future Tense Fellow, New America
Author, Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing

Maria Konnikova
Contributing writer, The New Yorker
Author, The Confidence Game (forthcoming)
@mkonnikova

Future Tense is a partnership between New America, Arizona State University, and Slate to explore emerging technologies and their transformative effects on society and public policy.