If French futurist and science fiction writer Jules (1828-1905, `20,000 Leagues Under the Sea`) Verne could attend Rio Innovation Week 2025 at Pier Maua, downtown Rio de Janeiro, he would feel right at home.

Billed as `the biggest conference on technology and innovation, ` even a superficial visit to the annual convention– which ends this Friday evening –is an eye opener which led at least this aging observer to conclude today`s products are already outdated in our cyber, informatic age.

Sitting through three educative panel discussions or lectures in the press room-auditorium we learned that the future will have attire not made from polyester derived from petroleum to pollute the atmosphere but seaweed threads.

And young Brazilian stylist and researcher Thamires Pontes from Joao Pessoa, Paraiba state, who was onstage, told us about Phycolabs, which she created in 2022.

The `Startup` Phycolabs noble mission is to create regenerative fashion from seaweed threads in order to reduce Carbon Omission on our threatened planet.

For her efforts the Brazilian has already earned the Nobel Prize of Fashion. Fashion. Merquior (Founder of Brifw), Andrea Santo Nelson (Unfi analyst) and Newton Coelho, held a lively discussion which revealed the surprising fact that –despite Mr. Trump`s insistence that our planet is not deteriorating —beginning 2030 the European Union has ordered attire producers to exhibit transparent signs that they are not violating sustainability standards.

Not having to depart my first-row seat, the next treat of Wednesday was a lecture on a subject I and other Oldtimers are trying –without success—to avoid :Artificial Intelligence.

We were told that sometimes the best ideas come `on the 57th try` and that IA will get there quicker than the human brain to this solution.

`All ideas are bad ideas until we reach the best solution…. anyone can create anything …nothing is impossible …no longer can we say [we can’t but how can we…`create with consistency, personalized …

My query was `Will future scripts, news reports and books be written by AI?` received the intelligent answer that `the structure and help for these reports and creations will come from AI.

Thank you, Fabio Nugde (WhatsApp 11-93407-2566),

The third and perhaps most surprising lecture of Wednesday was called `Cyberfunk. `

The illustrations of what young and extremely artists-creators from Rio de Janeiro`s `Communities` (Read `Favelas`) are creating reinforced this observers’ impression that very creative artists reside in Rio’ s Communities( Read Favelas).

Congrats Pedro Pessanha and your fantastic Cyberfunk…can you use an oboe player???