"Artists are not included in our debate on how we build the economy for the future. They're excluded in our nation's emphasis on innovation which has been left to the STEM crowd. We're not thinking about designing for emergence. Innovation is about seeing the world differently. Who is better at helping us see the world differently than the artists?"

John Seely Brown makes these comments during a panel discussion on a documentary about the annual Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert. Co-chair of the CNS National Advisory Board, Brown stresses the importance of imagination - seeing things differently - in rebuilding the economy. In the 21st century, he said, we will have to design for emergence and constant change, not for fixed entities. These remarks speak to the mission of the CNS, which is to think through the ethical, legal, and societal implications of emerging technologies. Brown's participation begins at the six-minute mark in the video below.

Burning Man Conversation Selects from peter hirshberg on Vimeo.