But after all, what is Prospenomy and Post Scarcity?

University notebooks by Luiz Pagano in which he conceptualizes (and draws) the ideas of Prospenomics.

Prospenomics is the study of prosperous, harmonious, and equitable societies, often depicted in fiction. These societies imagined in fiction can represent ideal or aspirational models of social, economic, and environmental organization, where resources are used sustainably and equitably, and where there is a positive interconnection between humans and the environment. Prospenomics may involve analyzing these fictional models to extract insights and inspiration for building a real society that is fairer and more prosperous.

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On the other hand, the concept of Post-Scarcity refers to a future stage where the scarcity of material resources is no longer a predominant concern. In this stage, advanced technology, production efficiency, and sustainable resource use would allow for abundance of goods and services for all, without compromising the environment or depleting natural resources. Post-scarcity implies a fundamental shift in how society organizes and utilizes its resources, seeking to achieve a sustainable balance between human needs and planetary preservation.

In 1986, I had the unusual classes of "Brazilian Problem Studies" that my mentor, Antonio Sérgio Pacheco Mercier, taught. Even though they were on Saturdays, I loved attending his classes. Professor Mercier had the gift of captivating students with his engaging narratives, especially when discussing subjects like international trade.

His classes were rich; he talked about a convention in Luang Prapang, which inspired my friend Gilberto Lacerda to adopt a new dream tourist destination, or the international maritime law agreement signed in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1982 - he took us on a journey to these incredible locations.

The professor showed us the importance of these events, as well as the pleasures of practicing a profession that best suits one's spirit, reconciling the joy of travel with improving human relations on the planet.

But it was during a conversation about possible topics for my thesis that Professor Mercier truly inspired me.

I shared with him my supposedly "revolutionary" idea of applying science fiction concepts to economics and public administration, an approach I called #prospenomics.

I believed (and still believe) that just as the science fiction of Jules Verne inspired Santos-Dumont in multiple inventions, we could also use Gene Roddenberry's post-scarcity society from Star Trek as inspiration for new approaches in economics and public administration.

At first, Professor Mercier was interested in the argument, but after listening carefully to my explanations, he said that my ideas were "still in their infancy" and that there was "little applicability to reality." :( However, he encouraged me to study more about the subject and to explore these ideas further.

Even though I felt a little frustrated for being so far from a viable argument, with his careful guidance and constructive criticism, I embarked on a journey of research and reflection that broadened my academic and professional horizons, achieving feats that I had never dreamed of achieving.

The End of Working for a Living and the Beginning of Working for Your Talents

As we move towards a future where traditional notions of scarcity and work are being questioned, there is a need to explore new approaches to societal and economic organization. In this context, digital tools like LinkedIn have played a significant role in facilitating connections between people and job opportunities, aiming to enable individuals to work based on their talents and passions, rather than just to sustain their basic needs.

LinkedIn, a widely used professional networking platform, has the primary purpose of connecting professionals from various fields, allowing them to share experiences, skills, and job opportunities. By providing a space where users can highlight their skills and experiences, LinkedIn fosters an environment where individual talents can be recognized and valued, regardless of their academic background or previous experience.

The underlying idea behind the use of LinkedIn and other similar tools is that by creating opportunities for people to work based on their talents and interests, rather than just to earn a living, it is possible to promote a more creative, productive, and fulfilling society for all its members. This approach, known as "working for talent," aims to maximize the potential of each individual, encouraging creative expression, innovation, and personal and professional growth.

Based on the assumption that each person is the world’s best in a particular subject, worldwide-business-oriented social networking site such as Linkedin will be the perfect tool to locate and to employ the best professionals possible at the best position.

More than just allow registered users to maintain a list of contact with details of people they know and trust in business, replacement software will analyze candidate’s skills to create a GRePS (Graphic Representation of Professional Skills). As fingerprints those GRePS are unique and allows the candidate to experience professional plenitude.

Lets see how it will work:

Mr. Miyamoto Shintaro lives in Tokyo and is currently looking for a job. His experiences encompasses managing Human Resources department, recruiting, training and supervising the F&B teams, as well as creating supporting material. Systems update (Micros, websites) is also part of the routine. He speaks Japanese, English and Italian.
He keeps his profile in Linkedin perfectly updated. The GRePS program generates an specific key that matches perfectly to an open position at an Italian Company.Mr. Miyamoto was very excited with the prospects of working in Rome, but he lacks the Erasmus Exchange Program, course required by the contractor. He immediately inscribed ate the course and after 6 months he will be “perfectly” qualified to the position.Thanks to the GRePS Software Mr. Miyamoto and many others around the world would find the perfect workplace, helping Earth’s society to reach post-scarcity Era.

Post Scarcity Society – Prosperous Civilization

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The problem of watching science fiction movies is that once the film ends you have to get back to your own bad reality. I never get tired to hear the memorable movie quotes and lines of dialogue, from Star Trek for example, when they say, “we live in a society free from poverty”.

I remember specially this line of Star Trek The Next Generation when Counselor Deanna Troi explain to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain):

Counselor Troi: “Poverty was eliminated on Earth, a long time ago. And a lot of other things disappeared with it - hopelessness, despair, cruelty...”

Mark Twain: “Young lady, I come from a time when men achieve power and wealth by standing on the backs of the poor, where prejudice and intolerance are commonplace and power is an end unto itself. And you're telling me that isn't how it is anymore?”

Counselor Troi: That's right.

Will we be able to say that in the future?

May be Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens (born 18 January 1938) would help us. Giddens is a British sociologist who is renowned for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29 languages. Baron Giddens, uses "post-scarcity" to refer to a set of trends he sees in modern industrialized nations, such as an increased focus on "life politics" and a decreased focus on productivity and economic growth. Giddens acknowledges that the term has also been used historically to mean a literal end of scarcity.

Post scarcity or post-scarcity describes a hypothetical form of economy or society, in which things such as goods, services and information are free, or practically free. This would be due to an abundance of fundamental resources (matter, energy and intelligence), in conjunction with sophisticated automated systems capable of converting raw materials into finished goods, allowing manufacturing to be as easy as duplicating software.

Even without postulating new technologies, it might be true that today there is already enough energy, raw materials and biological resources on Earth to provide a comfortable lifestyle for every person on earth, but even a hypothetical political or economic system that was able to achieve an egalitarian distribution of goods would generally not be termed a "post-scarcity society" unless the production of goods was sufficiently automated that virtually no labor was required by anyone (although it is usually assumed there would still be plenty of voluntary creative labor, like a writer creating a novel or a software engineer working on open-source software). This is a key difference between the most common post-scarcity vision and other utopian visions.

When we reach the status of a Post Scarcity Society the human race will eventually realize the insane extravagance of throwing away a single item. (read also my article http://blemya.blogspot.com/2007/09/globalizao-e-conscincia-coletiva.html ) . The way we treat our trash says much of how evolved we are.

If we want to take the next step towards a Non-Waste Society here goes some good ideas to consider:

Trash Powered Car - Gasification Plasma – as in Back to the future “Mr Fusion”

As Deanna Troy, Doc Emmett Brown impressed me in Back to The Futre. He’d modded the Delorean to run on garbage.

Nowadays, Jim Mason did the same.

The technology? - gasification - and is running his '89 Honda Accord on garbage ... or biomass, if you prefer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XPH3fV1Fd4&feature=related

Plasma, often referred to as the “fourth state of matter”, is the term given to a gas that has become ionized. An ionized gas is one where the atoms of the gas have lost one or more electrons and have become electrically charged. The sun and lightning are examples of plasma in nature. Man made Plasma is formed by passing an electrical discharge though a gas such as air or oxygen. The interaction of the electric discharge and the process gas causes the temperature of the gas to increase significantly often exceeding 5,500°C (10,000°F), nearly as hot as the sun’s surface.

What is Plasma Gasification?

Gasification is a process that converts carbon-containing materials, such as coal, petroleum coke, municipal solid waste, or biomass, into a synthesis gas, (syngas), composed primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.Gasification occurs when a carbon-containing feedstock is exposed to elevated temperatures and/or pressures in the presence of controlled amounts of oxygen.

St. Lucie County, Florida (GeoPlasma)

The first plasma-based waste disposal system in the USA was announced in 2006 in St. Lucie County, Florida. The county stated that it hopes to not only avoid further landfill, but completely empty its existing landfill — 4,300,000 short tons (3,900,000 t) of waste collected since 1978 — within 18 years. The plant was scheduled to come into operation in 2009. However, no permits as yet have been submitted for construction. Backers have announced that the facility would produce 600 short tons (540,000 kg) of solid rubble from around 3,000 short tons (2,700,000 kg) of waste per day at 5,500 °C (9,900 °F). Uncertainties have arisen however regarding the safety of such a facility. The public and environmental threats from incinerators coupled with the uncertainty of the community's ability to produce such large quantities of waste consistently have led GeoPlasma to submit a new proposal for a much smaller facility that would convert 200 short tons (180 t) of waste per day.

Out of the trash with art

As old alchemists, we could obtain gold from trash. One man is doing more than that. Edouard Martinet (1963) is capable of turning mounds of disgusting garbage into beautiful peaces of art. Martinet was born in Le Mans, France in he studied art at ESAG, Paris and graduated in 1988. From 1992 to 1995 he lived in Charente before moving to his current location in Rennes where he teaches art at L'Institut des Arts Appliques. He uses a series of common metallic objects that could be considered trash, such as old typewriters, car lights, rusted kitchen pans, etc, to create intricate and outstanding sculptures.

Challenge your creativity

Based on Edouard Martinet art try to create a frog out of an umbrella.

I did mine with peaces of an umbrella and two spoons. Take a look.

Good Luck