Think: In case you missed it, last week I had a post on meditating about the future. The gist of the piece is this: Before we think, we should strive “not to think” and, instead, clear our minds. It is my contention that the art, skill and practice of meditation will become an increasingly important skill in navigating our uncertain future.
Think Harder: It is a cliche to say that critical thinking skills will become more important in the future. Alas, it is true! One important component of thinking better is to spot when our thinking is flawed. This BBC article, Logical Fallacies: 7 Ways to Spot a Bad Argument is outstanding. I especially enjoyed the concept of a “steelman.” A “Steelman” is the opposite of creating a “straw man” and the basic premise is that before you form an opinion on a topic you must first present your opponent’s argument in the best possible way (perhaps even better than your opponents have done).
Think Different: Three years ago, I wrote an article for Forbes about how companies can prepare for the upcoming legal rights of nature. In a first for biodiversity, the European Union recently passed a new Nature Restoration Law. In simple terms, the law seeks to restore at least 20 percent of land and sea areas by 2050. It is entirely possible that similar laws will begin being introduced–and passed into law–in the United States.
Think Faster: If you’re in the supply chain or logistics industry, I recommend this article: AI is Poised to Automate Today’s Most Mundane Warehouse Task. The key take-a-way is this: A job that previously took months to orchestrate may soon be done in a day.
Think Bigger: I am not one to typically rely on government projections but the idea that geothermal power could grow by a factor of 20X by 2050 sounds plausible to me. Why? Because of recent news such as: Geothermal Fracking Plant Scores Record Energy Contract in Utah.
Afterthought: “I faced the issues early, but it will happen for others. It may not be a happy ending.” –Lee Saedol (The legendary Go player who lost to Deepmind’s AI program in 2016.)
