Female citizens, experts, concerned parties, female critics and champions discuss how we want to shape our lives in the series of public events “The future is ours – Battle of the Scenarios” . More and more things are becoming feasible, our opportunities are increasing. However, the many options mean we’re spoilt for choice. Even everyday decisions suddenly appear complex: should we make our children instead of being grateful to receive them? Is test-tube hamburger more sustainable than ordinary beef? And does death still come naturally today? No self-help books or decision-making seminars are available to answer these fundamental questions. We have to find the answers ourselves.

Together with philosopher Barbara Bleisch of the “Sternstunde Philosophie” television series (SRF) and Stephan Sigrist of W.I.R.E., experts, thought leaders and decision makers from business, culture, science and politics, together with the audience, fight a Battle of the Scenarios of our everyday life in tomorrow’s world. We discuss what’s desirable and where we want to draw the line. The consequences of current developments will affect our future. The responsibility for them lies with us, we have to make decisions today.

BATTLE OF THE SCENARIOS

PAST EVENTS - BATTLE OF THE SCENARIOS

03/09/2014
19:00

THE FUTURE OF WORK/ROBOTS WILL DO THE WORK FOR US: FINALLY?!

The level of education in society is rising steadily. More and more graduates are joining the employment market, ambitious to add value in the new jobs created by the smart economy of knowledge workers, from computer science to clean nanotech and biotechnology. The reality is often different: according to US sociologist David Graeber, it is mainly the number of "bullshit jobs" that has grown instead of meaningful, productive work. That means we're spending more time on useless checking and admin tasks. In parallel, we are seeing the rise of a new generation of intelligent machines that promises to take not only manufacturing but also intellectual work off our hands.

So will the roles be reversed and we humans soon be standing at the production line while the machines give the orders? What work can and should robots take over from us, and what will we humans do with our free time? In the light of these developments, should we be demanding a right to work? I

In the second Battle of the Scenarios, industrial psychologist Theo Wehner, android researcher Wolfgang Gessner, philosopher Eduard Kaeser, robot researcher Franziska Ullrich and foresee founder Frank Sonder joined Barbara Bleisch and Stephan Sigrist to face challengers and the public in a debate.

30/04/2014
19:00

THE FUTURE OF SEX – MAKING LOVE V. MAKING CHILDREN

Gasthaus zum Bären, Bärengasse 22

THE FUTURE OF SEX was the topic chosen to launch the event series “The future is ours – Battle of the Scenarios” on 30 April 2014. The then “Magazin” columnist Michèle Roten and reproductive medicine specialist Prof. Dr Bruno Imthurn of the University Hospital Zurich conducted the debate together with Dr Barbara Bleisch and Dr Stephan Sigrist. Three challengers and the audience threw down the gauntlet.

The central issue was the progress in reproductive medicine that is opening up new possibilities for us to have children. Love and sex are no longer needed to have offspring – and some people felt that was quite in order. Thank to social freezing and egg donors, women can get pregnant at 60 and all-male couples can fulfil their wish for children with a surrogate mother. The impact of these developments was hotly discussed by the participants and the audience: does the separation of reproduction from physical contact between two people mark a retrograde step in human culture? Is it legitimate to have children when you’re more than 50 years old? And should we be allowed to select our children‘s characteristics? The first Battle of the Scenarios more than fulfilled its role as a platform for public debate on the fundamental issues of our everyday life in the future.

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