WHAT'S INTERESTING ME LATELY:
Amidst the upheaval of the last decade and pandemic years, I'm captivated by the most pressing issues that challenge our collective future as a species. In a nod to my history degree, I like learning about the systems, processes, and phenomena that keep experts up at night in thought spirals.
As Bowie said, the future belongs to those who can hear it coming; right now, humankind faces unprecedented challenges in the coming century that will demand new ways of thinking, working, and collaborating. I recognize this interest is far from light-hearted but I feel compelled to learn about important issues while maintaining my sense of playfulness, humor, and hope in the future.
I feel most attuned to the sound of tomorrow when I keep a pulse on trends and advancements across global society. Expert dilemmas are important to understand because the past can offer vital context for thinking about tomorrow. I like to learn about global advancement in technology, political upheaval in countries, economic reform and surveillance capitalism, challenges of climate change, moral quandaries of artificial intelligence, methods of reducing social inequities, and so forth.
I relish in the curiosity and findings of cultural anthropologists, social psychologists, journalists (Gonzo and beatnik alike), musicians and artists, evolutionary biologists, computer scientists, and those who uncover progress and meaning for modern society. Through books, articles, journals, documentaries, podcasts, and lectures, I attempt to drink from the firehose of endless information available to better understand the world in which I live. Tapping into a variety of sources and mediums provides insight into the broader themes that humanity faces. How might we adapt to the uncertainty of current global + national conditions? I'm not sure, but I know that ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power.
Here are some public intellectuals, academics, and writers who've informed my thinking on these subjects and earned my trust in their intellectual honesty: Sam Harris, Andrew Yang, Jonathan Haidt, Eric Weinstein, Caitlin Flanagan, Cornel West, Michael Bess (Chancellor's Professor of History at Vanderbilt), Tim Dillon, Chris Hedges, and Scott Galloway.