[extropy-chat] Maximising Human Potential : Education : Toys

[Adrian Tymes]

--- Daniel Matthews <dan at 3-e.net> wrote:
> Given a limited budget and a third world location
> what forms of patent free 
> "Edutoys" would offer the greatest benefit to the
> largest number of children 
> in terms of fostering intellectual development?
> 
> The toys need to be manufactured on site, they need
> to be robust and suitable 
> for children from 3 up to 7 years old.

Paraphrasing from another source...

Solar-rechargable, long-range (satellite, preferably)
PDA terminals that can connect to the Internet, with
recorded instructions in all the local languages
(especially ones that are not official, but widely
spoken in the countryside and thus the target children
might already understand) about how to activate and
use the device, and a set of bookmarks pointing to
literacy development sites (not Web sites of people
who promote literacy development, but online computer
programs) to help the children learn to read (and
eventually to browse the 'net themselves).

Of course, this would be incredibly subversive to many
third world governments, and therefore likely
confiscated on sight along with food.  It has been
theorized that this would be the greatest weapon the
industrialized world could deploy if it really wanted
to destroy an uppity dictatorship (like North Korea)
from within over several years.  This is an inherent
consequence of educating the children in these
countries in ways not strictly under their
governments' control, so it doesn't look like many
effective alternatives could get around this problem.