In 1814, the polymath Pierre Simon Laplace posited that “We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future”. This presentation will examine this core idea – the fact that what will happen next is determined by what happened before – from different vantage points: neuroscience (Hebbian plasticity, Canalization), economic theory (Bayes’s Theorem) and organizational theory. How and how much does legacy narrow down what is possible next? How can we, at the individual and collective levels, carve out the space for alternative, unexpected futures?
Cyril is a seasoned strategy and innovation practitioner, whose expertise centres on helping tech companies understand their users to develop better products. Having lived in Latin America, the Middle East and Europe, he particularly enjoys untangling the operational, organisational and cultural complexities inherent in adapting tech products to emerging markets. Cyril is a Science Po and HEC Paris graduate.