(Editor’s note: Due to a technical glitch, last week’s newsletter did not post. The full text is below. I have added two additional articles from this past week at the bottom of the post.)
Think: I have written before about fellow futurist Simon Anderson’s idea of a counterpoint file. This is the idea that if we want to understand the future better, we must actively track information which runs counter to our ideas or opinions. To this point, another futurist for whom I have deep respect, Azzem Azhar, recently posted on why he changed his mind on the future of self-driving cars. (He is now bullish). Regardless of whether you accept Azhar’s opinion or not, I respect people who publicly acknowledge changing their minds and then also provide the rationale for why they did so. (FYI: If you are pessimistic about the future of autonomous cars, did you know they are now picking up passengers at the Phoenix airport? They are also now offering 100,000 rides a week. The number is expected to grow higher.)
Think Different: I don’t get into politics in this newsletter but, obviously, it is an election year and the topic is on many people’s minds. I found this article both informative and provocative: People are often consistently and confidently wrong about those with opposing ideas. I share this because our foreign enemies–Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea–are engaged in a systematic campaign directed at getting Americans to hate their fellow Americans. My point is two-fold: First, there is a great deal of misinformation and disinformation out there. Two, your fellow citizens are not your enemy. In fact, you may share more in common with them than you suspect.
Think Faster: A new weather predicting system is now 5000 times faster than the existing system. One thing this might enable is better estimates of when and where tornadoes will strike. With an additional warning of 45 minutes, many farmers will be better able to safeguard their employees, animals, and equipment.
Think Cheaper: A new breakthrough in Israel could lead to cheaper artificial meat. In a counterpoint, the state of Nebraska is looking to ban artificial meats. If successful, it will join Alabama and Florida.
Heart-Centered Thinking: This past Labor Day, I had an article in the Minneapolis StarTribune praising the unacknowledged competence of many workers. You can read the article here. There was, however, a letter to the editor with a counter opinion. (The letter is the sixth one so you will have to scroll through a few other letters to reach the one offering a critique of my article). The writer’s points were sharp but fair–except for the fact that my wife and I do tip our trash collectors every Holiday season. I share this counter-opinion because the writer helped me see the issue from a different perspective.
Afterthought: “Poets are the mirrors of the gigantic shadows which futurity casts upon the future.” — Percy Bussey Shelley
P.S. Here are two bonus posts: As a writer who has no shortage of ideas for new books and/or keynote speeches, I still struggle with finishing certain projects. If you suffer a similar affliction, you may enjoy this article on The Art of Finishing. I found it to be most informative.
And, under the category of “Think Historically,” I offer you this excellent article: What Does it Mean to Think Historically?
