Center for Professional Development:
The Center for Professional Development is a part of the School of Engineering at Stanford. It offers curriculum, short courses, and professional development opportunities to engineers, scientists, and professionals worldwide. The center utilizes various delivery technologies, including the internet, satellite, broadcast television, and videotape.

Doug Engelbart’s Program:
Doug Engelbart has worked with the Center for Professional Development for several years. He will be conducting a 10-week program that will focus on sharing his insights and knowledge. The program is sponsored by two faculty members: Professor Jean-Claude Latome and Professor Terry Winograd.

Terry Winograd:
Professor Terry Winograd is an expert and author in human-computer interaction. He has written a well-known text called “Bringing Design to Software.” He will be introducing Doug Engelbart and facilitating the program.

Introduction:
* Terry Winograd introduces Doug Engelbart, emphasizing his unique vision for improving people’s lives through technology.
* Engelbart’s focus is on augmenting human potential rather than solely advancing technology.
* He believes in the possibility of improving the way people work and live.

The Unfinished Revolution:
* Engelbart’s revolution is ongoing and requires collective effort.
* The current evolution in technology lacks direction and needs explicit action to accelerate progress.
* Engelbart invites global participation in creating a repository of knowledge and building a community around it.

Doug Engelbart’s Acknowledgements:
* Engelbart acknowledges the contributions of individuals who have supported his work.
* He mentions his daughter Christina, who has been involved with the material since 1968 and helped establish the Bootstrap Institute.
* He also recognizes Jeff Rulison, Marcelo Hoffman, Pat Rush, Mary Dye, Peter Yim, Pierre Luigi Zappacosta, and Dan Lynch for their contributions.

Engelbart’s Long-term Goal:
* Engelbart’s professional career has been dedicated to maximizing his contribution to improving mankind’s collective ability to cope with complex urgent problems.
* He believes that technology can be a powerful tool for augmenting human potential and improving lives.

Setting the Goal:
Engelbart had a vision of interactively using computers, even in the early 1950s, despite the lack of practical computing resources at the time.

Pursuing Graduate Studies:
Engelbart pursued a Ph.D. in graduate school to gain more knowledge and expertise in the field.

Research at SRI:
From 1957 to 1977/78, Engelbart worked at SRI, where he gained valuable lessons and experiences.

Challenges in Communicating his Vision:
Engelbart encountered difficulties in explaining his ideas about interactive computing to different groups due to paradigm shifts and differing conceptual frameworks. He faced skepticism from computer scientists, information retrieval specialists, and cognitive psychologists who interpreted his vision differently.

The Importance of Establishing a Paradigm:
Engelbart realized the need to establish a paradigm or conceptual framework to effectively communicate his vision.

Research on Dimensional Scaling of Electronic Components:
In the late 1980s, Engelbart conducted research on dimensional scaling of electronic components to explore the impact of making components smaller, faster, and cheaper for interactive computing. He discovered that physicists had done extensive work on dimensional scaling, providing valuable abstract concepts for his research.

Unexpected Consequences of Scale Changes:
Small changes in scale can lead to significant qualitative changes. Size influences abilities and limitations, such as flight for mosquitoes or immobility for large creatures. Surface tension and body proportions affect survival, like the long noses of mosquitoes.

Digital Technology and Scale:
Digital technology’s potential for miniaturization, speed, and cost reduction has profound implications. Scale is a critical factor in understanding the impact of digital technology.

Paradigm Bottlenecks:
Current paradigms may hinder our ability to fully embrace the revolution brought by digital technology. We need to break free from limiting paradigms to accommodate the pervasive and rapid changes introduced by digital technology.

The Avalanche of Global Change:
Digital technology is driving an unprecedented avalanche of global change. The scale of change is unprecedented and requires societies to adapt and transform.

Strategic Approach to Adaptation:
Given the scale of change, a strategic approach is necessary rather than a frontal attack. We need to rethink our strategies and approaches to address the challenges and opportunities presented by digital technology.

The Human Organization as a Social Organism:
Engelbart discusses the concept of viewing human organizations as social organisms, emphasizing the importance of collective action. Evaluating the intelligence of an organization by observing its ability to sense and react to important events and coordinate resources effectively.

Collective IQ and Evolution:
Collective IQ is not just a buzzword but a significant concept that reflects the collective intelligence of an organization. Engelbart believes that dialogues on collective IQ would be valuable in encouraging more people to examine this topic seriously.

Digital Technology as a Nervous System:
Engelbart draws parallels between the emergence of digital technology and the evolution of a more advanced nervous system for human organizations. The potential of digital technology to act as a nervous system for organizations, enabling improved sensory, perceptual, and cognitive capabilities.

Co-Evolution and Adaptation:
Engelbart suggests that the evolution of a more effective nervous system for human organizations would lead to a co-evolution of the rest of the organization to harness this new system. The resulting creature would be significantly different from the original, similar to how a lizard with an enhanced nervous system would evolve into a different creature.

Ecological Niches and Evolution:
Engelbart highlights the concept of ecological niches in evolution, where organisms in different niches evolve differently based on their surroundings. Organizations operating in different ecological niches, such as those involved in e-commerce and those not affected by it, experience different evolutionary pressures.

Keeping Track of Other Niches:
Engelbart emphasizes the importance for organizations to keep track of other niches, as there may be hazards, benefits, or opportunities to learn from. Maintaining awareness of developments in other niches can help organizations adapt and evolve more effectively.

Doug Engelbart’s Insights on Organizational Evolution and Paradigm Shifts:
Organizations must evolve to harness technology effectively while staying in sync with their environment. The evolution of organizations involves improving internal capabilities and maintaining synchronization with the external environment. The capability infrastructure of an organization consists of interconnected capabilities that support higher-level capabilities. The paradigms guiding the evolution of organizations are often limited and need to be expanded to accommodate new technologies and approaches.

The Impact of Paradigms on Technological Advancement:
The paradigm of office automation limited the potential of personal computers, leading to a decline in research funding. The WYSIWYG paradigm focused on replicating printed documents on screens, overlooking the unique advantages of digital technology. Narrow paradigms can hinder the realization of the full potential of new technologies.

The Role of Human Capabilities in Augmentation Systems:
The augmentation system consists of basic human capabilities, skills, knowledge, and tools. The infrastructure of human capabilities is the foundation for all higher-level capabilities in an organization. Organizations must invest in training and education to enhance the basic capabilities of their workforce.

The Unfinished Revolution: A Call for Collective Action:
The ongoing technological revolution has the potential to transform organizations and society. The time constants for organizational change are slower than the pace of environmental change, leading to potential problems. Engelbart emphasizes the need for collective action to harness the potential of technology for the benefit of humankind.

Global Scenarios and the Millennium Project:
A group of experts is working on global scenarios to anticipate future challenges and opportunities. The Millennium Project has identified 15 major global vectors that need monitoring. The scale of global problems requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address them.

Challenges Facing the Future:
Achieving sustainable development for all. Providing clean and safe water for everyone without causing conflicts. Balancing population growth with available resources. Facilitating the emergence of genuine democracy from authoritarian regimes. Incorporating global long-term perspectives into policymaking. Ensuring that globalization and information technologies benefit everyone. Promoting ethical markets for economic growth and reducing the development gap. Mitigating the threat of new and re-emerging diseases. Enhancing the capacity for correct decision-making in changing institutions and work environments. Reducing ethnic conflict and terrorism through shared values and new security strategies. Improving the human condition by empowering women. Combating the growing power and sophistication of organized crime. Meeting the increasing energy demand safely and sustainably. Accelerating scientific breakthroughs and technological applications for global benefit. Incorporating ethical considerations into global decision-making.

Complexity of Challenges:
These challenges are complex and require global systems that are either lacking or poorly understood.

Call for Action:
Encouragement for participants to contribute ideas for addressing these challenges effectively.

Problems and Dependency on Oil:
Our dependency on oil is a major concern, accounting for 40% of total energy use due to its flexibility and widespread use. The limited extent of oil and uneven distribution around the world create challenges in meeting future energy demands.

Alternatives to Oil:
Substitution with other fossil fuels like gas and coal raises issues of cleanliness and environmental impact. Reducing energy demand growth faces challenges, especially in developing countries seeking amenities provided by energy.

Renewable Energy Sources:
Hydropower contributes about 10% of the world’s commercial energy, but other renewable sources like biomass, solar, and wind have negligible usage. Technical developments and large land requirements hinder the implementation of renewable energy technologies. Lack of availability, intermittency, and the need for energy storage pose challenges for solar and wind power.

Nuclear Power:
Nuclear power contributes 10% of the world’s energy supply, but social and political issues hinder its widespread adoption.

Challenges in Energy Discourse:
Inaccurate conversions between units like barrels of oil, tons of oil, and barrels of oil per day create confusion. The introduction of a new unit, the cubic mile of oil, aims to simplify discussions but may not solve the understanding issue.

The Importance of Dialogue:
Engaging in dialogue that considers the needs of humanity, the environment, and society is essential for addressing energy challenges.

The Limited Supply of Oil:
Estimates suggest that the world has less than 40 cubic miles of oil, which, at the current rate of consumption, could be depleted in less than 40 years.

Bootstrapping Paradigm:
Engelbart introduced the concept of bootstrapping to describe the process of using new capabilities to develop even more advanced capabilities, creating a positive feedback loop. He recognized that the world would soon embrace this approach and saw the potential for a network of interconnected activities that could drive progress.

Research Focus in the 60s and 70s:
Engelbart’s research in the 1960s and 1970s was heavily influenced by the bootstrapping paradigm. He emphasized the importance of collective work and sought to improve the environment in which people lived and worked. Engelbart and his team aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of their ideas rather than merely writing reports about them.

Heterogeneous Perceptions:
There were differing perspectives within the software community regarding the best approach to improving productivity. Engelbart acknowledged that not everyone shared his vision, leading to debates and discussions about the direction of research.

Lessons Learned:
Engelbart’s experiences during this period provided valuable lessons that he continued to draw upon throughout his career. He emphasized the importance of learning from setbacks and avoiding becoming discouraged or morose.

Problem Recognition:
The world is facing urgent and complex problems that require collective action and enhanced capability. Infectious diseases, both new and drug-resistant, pose significant challenges to healthcare worldwide. Incomplete knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases have contributed to the current situation.

Capability Infrastructure:
The capability infrastructure of organizations and society as a whole is crucial for addressing global problems. Organizations need to prioritize the development and improvement of their capability infrastructure. Improvement infrastructure, a subset of capability infrastructure, focuses on continuous improvement and adaptation.

Collective Capability:
Large groups of people need to be empowered to work collectively and effectively. Collective capability requires a focus on collaboration, communication, and shared understanding. Organizational and political structures often have long time constants, hindering rapid change.

Pat Rush’s Expertise:
Pat Rush, a physician and geriatrician, highlights the urgent problems in healthcare, particularly infectious diseases. The emergence of new and drug-resistant infections poses significant threats to global health. Progress in the fight against infectious diseases has been hindered by incomplete knowledge and a false sense of security.

Unprecedented Emergence of Infectious Diseases:
Over 20 new infectious diseases have emerged in the past 30 years, including Ebola, HIV, and hepatitis C. Antibiotic resistance among common bacteria and rare organisms is a growing concern. Rare and deadly diseases like bubonic plague and smallpox pose global risks.

Going Back to Baseline:
The scientific community needs to reevaluate its understanding of infectious diseases and their cures. Incomplete knowledge and naive assumptions have contributed to the current challenges. A comprehensive approach is necessary to address these urgent and complex problems.

Antibiotic Resistance and Need for a New Approach:
Microorganisms’ ability to outsmart new antibiotics necessitates a global approach to combat antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control have established a worldwide network, but it needs improvement.

Networked Improvement Community:
A networked improvement community can help outline the problem, identify knowledge gaps, and improve the improvement process. It would lead to a dynamic and ever-growing knowledge repository accessible to all.

International Cooperation:
International cooperation is crucial due to global interdependence. Cooperation among public, not-for-profit, and for-profit sectors within nations is necessary. The public’s role in using or not using antibiotics and cleaning materials contributing to resistance is significant.

Biotechnology:
Kurt Carlson, president and CEO of SRI, is actively involved and interested in Engelbart’s work. SRI is becoming a partner in advancing the efforts. The next century will be an exciting time for biotechnology.

Convergence of Information and Biotechnology:
By 2020, we will have desktop computers with the raw computing speed of the human brain, leading to a transformative relationship with PCs. Biotech developments will interact significantly with IT, enabling the miniaturization of traditional biotech labs onto desktop computers. Biological computing, though still limited, will advance by 2020, allowing genetic modifications of plants and animals. The distinction between biological and silicon systems will blur, leading to the integration of silicon processing power into biological systems.

Opportunities and Risks:
These advancements offer the potential to extend life, enhance human capabilities, and solve global health issues. However, bio-warfare risks will increase as these technologies become more accessible. Rapid technological developments will challenge societal norms, beliefs, and political structures, potentially leading to disruptions.

Collective Action and Knowledge Sharing:
The pace of change necessitates collective action and knowledge sharing to address complex challenges. Hypermedia and multimedia hypermedia will become essential for dynamic and transportable knowledge dissemination. The pursuit of increasing mankind’s collective capacity to cope with complex problems is itself a complex urgent problem, requiring a bootstrap strategy.

Strategic Concerns and Guidelines:
Strategic issues, concepts, and guidelines are needed to navigate the complexities of the 21st century. These guidelines include managing the integration of new technologies, addressing social and political implications, and fostering communities that enable progress.

Categories of Knowledge Packages:
Recorded dialogue, including email, papers, news items, letters to the editor, books, and reviews, will evolve rapidly. The core concepts, arguments, and discourses will undergo significant changes due to the accelerated pace of technological advancements.

Complexity of Knowledge Integration and Organizational Change:
Doug Engelbart discusses the challenges of integrating and keeping track of rapidly changing knowledge in organizations. The rate of knowledge doubling is accelerating, making it difficult for individuals, organizations, and universities to keep up. Organizations need to develop dynamic knowledge repositories (DKRs) to capture and maintain up-to-date information about external and internal changes.

Importance of Standards and Co-Evolution:
Engelbart emphasizes the need for uniform, wide-ranging standards for knowledge packages, vocabulary, and object manipulation. These standards cannot be established solely by tool vendors but must involve end-user organizations. Organizations need to become proactive in shaping the standards and functionality of tools to align with their evolving needs.

Co-Evolution of Technology and Organizational Practices:
Engelbart introduces the term “CODIAC” (Concurrent Development, Integration, and Application of Knowledge) to describe the co-evolutionary process between technology and organizational practices. He highlights the importance of considering multiple dimensions of technology and organizational adaptation. Engelbart presents a two-dimensional model illustrating the relationship between technology adoption and organizational integration.

Challenges of Co-Evolution and Organizational Transformation:
Organizations face significant challenges in co-evolving with rapidly changing technology. Traditional practices of incremental change and adaptation may be insufficient to keep pace with technological advancements. The scale and pace of technological change, such as the emergence of nanotechnology, demand transformative changes in organizational practices.

Reflection on Organizational Practices and Adaptation:
Engelbart encourages organizations to reflect on their current practices and investments in organizational change. He questions whether these efforts are adequate to meet the challenges of co-evolution with technology. Engelbart emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive approach to organizational transformation that aligns with the rapidly changing technological landscape.