change

The agricultural revolution gave us abundant food. The industrial revolution gave us abundant stuff. But it was not until the techno-scientific revolution that we truly became the rulers of the world. 

The God species

It’s now commonly accepted that we live in a new geological age called the Anthropocene: a time where human activity is the dominant force on the Earth’s systems. Indeed, we have superseded nature. 

The techno-scientific revolution has given us the power to destroy life on Earth or to turn our planet into a truly sustainable oasis of abundance and diversity. 

It’s still unclear what we’ll do with all this power.

Indeed, given that our primitive instincts remain unchanged after our incredibly rapid rise from common animal to God species, there’s real reason for concern. 

Rapid change

Science and technology are built in layers. Each step of progress is built upon dozens of previous innovations. And each new innovation opens up new possibilities for further progress. 

Over recent decades, this self sustaining spiral of technological innovation was best seen in the rise of several gigantic tech companies. 

The larger these companies become, the more they can spend on research and development (R&D). And the more they spend on R&D, the greater the rate of technological change.  

Time to evolve 

Responsible application of the power of the techno-scientific revolution will require substantial upgrades to our collective mindset. 

Billions will need to learn to not only think of themselves, but of their entire planet. And this evolved mindset needs to be strong enough to really impact consumer and voter choices. 

There are positive signs, but we certainly have a long way to go. We’ll get back to this journey next week.