Think: The final sentence of this article should give everyone something to think about. It reads, “This heatwave is testing the limits of human survivability.” Earlier this year, I read Kim Stanley Robinson’s brilliant book, “The Ministry of the Future.” It is a work of fiction but the book begins with a heatwave in India which kills 20 million individuals. The sad reality is that this scenario is no longer relegated to the realm of fiction, it is a real possibility. Last month, New Delhi saw seven consecutive days over 104 Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius.) The worst of it is that India has not yet even reached its hottest time of the year. If a human catastrophe occurs on the scale of Robinson’s book, it will change a great many people’s thinking and actions. The time to begin thinking about the small role all of us can play in reducing climate change is NOW … so that such a reality never comes to fruition.
Think Big: Not all in the world is going “to hell in a hand basket.” (Although sometimes it feels this way). Scientists at the University of Texas have created a new enzyme capable of breaking down PET plastic in days, instead of centuries. It is still too soon to know whether the technology will scale at the commercial level but, if it does, the scourge of plastics may be one less problem we leave future generations.
Think in Questions: Let me ask you a question: If someone was willing to pay you $1 million to stop using the Internet forever would you do it? The answer is likely “No,” and it speaks to just how transformative the Internet has been to our lives–and the world. This article, The Internet is a Miracle We All Take for Granted, is now three years old but it is worth reading and thinking about. (Here’s some additional food for thought: Blockchain technology is still a relatively new technology but it could be as transformational as the Internet.)
Think Long-Term: This article, The Future Will Have to Wait, discusses the Clock of the Long Now and the importance of thinking about the deep future–the future of 500, 1000, and even 10,000 years. In today’s world this can seem like a pointless or even trivial exercise but, if we are to survive as a species, it is important we all spend a little time thinking about our deep, deep future. After all, this is where all of our future descendants will live.
Think Faster: If Alzheimers and dementia can be detected earlier, it is possible that innovative and more effective treatments can begin at an earlier stage. For this reason, the recent news that researchers at UCSD have developed an affordable app capable for screening for these diseases is big deal.
Heart-Centered Thinking: After the human heart has a heart attack, it has no ability to repair itself–until now! A new mRNA breakthrough developed by King’s College in London is being used to deliver genetic instructions for specific proteins that could, in the near future, be used to repair damaged hearts. If this technology works, it will make the dream of repairing a damaged heart a reality.
Afterthought: “It all comes down to the last person you think of at night. That’s where your heart is.”–Unknown