The Future of Health
What role will personal technology play in redefining the health care system? Can the potential power of a digital device in every pocket help us to feel better on the inside? And how will the medical establishment adapt to the potential for patients to take more of the process into their own hands?
These questions have been probed by the Metaviews think tank for the last few months as part of an ongoing research project, "The Future of Health" — which will now be the focus of a recurring series at the Academy of the Impossible.
Speakers at the inaugural event will include Dr. John Semple, surgeon in chief at Women's College Hospital, who helped create an app to monitor the recovery process through photos submitted by the patients themselves.
Campaign School: Allan Gregg
Polling, punditry and political advising will be on the agenda for a weeknight edition of Campaign School featuring longtime TVO host Allan Gregg. The session will include insights he has gleaned throughout his career, from Tory pollster, to founder of Decima Research, to fixture on the CBC "At Issue" panel.
With our series having played host to federal and municipal politicians, along with a look at the role of a press secretary, Gregg will share the experiences of how to play an influential role in the process without necessarily having your name on the ballot. New and returning students are invited to participate in this session of Campaign School — which takes place on Thursday night for the first time.
PLEASE NOTE: This session starts promptly at 7 p.m. and lasts for around 90 minutes.
Programming the Impossible
This past week our programming committee met for the first time and it was a joyous occasion to reflect on how far we’ve come in such a short time. A number of great programs have been submitted. Expect to see them appear on the calendar in the near future.
Lily Ames produced a segment on the Academy for CBC Radio. In the piece Emily describes achieving the impossible as involving a lot of small steps.
The Rise of Maker Culture
The emergence of the Academy of the Impossible is not an isolated event, but rather part of the larger rise of “maker culture”.
For example there are already similar spaces in Toronto, in Ontario, in Canada, and around the world.
Off To a Great Start
We're still in the process of getting the Academy up and running, yet we're thrilled with the response we've had from friends and the public. For example Joshua Errett wrote a great article in NOW magazine emphasizing our desire to adapt education for the internet age.
We also had a wonderful first event to kick off our Impossible Ideas series, with Rick Salutin joining us to discuss popular uprisings and protests around the world. Video from that event is now available via YouTube.
There are currently two programs active at the Academy, the Street Writers who meet on Tuesday evenings, and the Hacking Reality program presented by Metaviews, which meets Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. There are four other programs currently in development, and we have received several other applications for programs that we hope will start in the weeks and months to come. Keep an eye on this site and our events page for updates.