Limits of Knowledge

 

Maura returned home last night with a guest who will be helping us on our current project. Meanwhile, WICO reacted to widespread skepticism over the value of using subregions, similar what I shared in yesterday’s post about yesterday with Al.

In a written statement, Ambassador Lazlo emphasized that all of WICO’s education efforts include guidance for a variety of ecosystem types (biomes), specifically in the general introduction to guidance for each region. She added, “People moving to a new subregion will be furnished with the specific guidance they need from local extinction response units, which also have training available. Real-time observation of conditions is being used to update all guidance where appropriate, and can be shared with anyone in the world.”

Maura had her own reaction. “For now. That will be a luxury half-way through the transition, maybe sooner.” I asked her if she thought Al had a point. “Al always has a point,” she said approvingly. “He also has the benefit of lots more training and experience than most people, which is a big source of bias.”

“Do you think it’s sufficient?” She’d seen most of the training, and directly tested a lot more than me.

“They did a thorough job,” she said, not quite answering the question. “Though Al’s right to worry that changes can happen too fast for useful updates, even now. It will be even more problematic as technology quality and access degrades, even with significant improvement to conditions.”

“People will be learning in the process, though,” I suggested, “especially those who move a lot. They can share what they learn more effectively anyway, right?”

She thought about it. “That will work locally, more so over time, and any necessary global coordination will suffer. I’m sure Sally’s already factored that into her models. I’ve seen hints of it in the strategy.”

“What about Sally?” I asked. “She’ll be degrading too.” I wondered if she had taken any action on her plan to inhabit a mobile shell, which I imagined would look and act human.

“You’ll have to ask her,” Maura replied, “not that it’s anyone’s business but hers.” I had to agree. 

“So, one lesson is to make print books wherever we can.”

“Without killing too many trees,” she added.

Reality Check

The issues discussed are basic ones that would affect any strategy like that adopted here. “Will” knows that they were built into the strategy, but is revisiting them anyway just in case he missed something - or someone else did.

For background on Maura’s project, see today’s entry in Will Jackson’s Personal Log.

Viewpoints

TIME TO STRATEGY EXECUTION: 81 DAYS

I spent another day in Region 35 and tried to imagine how a typical person would be able to apply the global strategy without access to information or guidance like I had with Sally and WICO’s experts. The rules came to mind, but even I wasn’t convinced I could remember enough to use them in real life.

Having spent time in a variety of places, I have a fairly reliable base of knowledge and rules of thumb that work in most situations. I’m usually not even aware I’m using them unless a new situation forces improvisation that involves mixing what I know with what can be learned on the fly (asking questions and testing the answers), coupled with good old-fashioned trial and error in the application. It occurred to me that with we would be asking most people to become like children again, questioning or outright discarding previous knowledge and viewing every experience as if it was a totally new one, because that’s what we are all going to be literally creating. Creation of a new world, I thought. We’ve been looking at the goal all wrong.

As I walked the streets of the city, that insight translated into a dynamic mental vision of an alternate world that occupied the same space. In the place of tall buildings made of concrete and steel, my mind’s eye saw a mix of forest and open areas that functioned as connections between habitats and were interspersed with simple yet secure dwellings made of natural materials. Homeless people I found camped out around buildings and under bridges would occupy dwellings like those, along with everyone else who could count on safe spaces and access to basic needs within walking distance of wherever they were. 

That was my view, but it was just a start. The vision triggered thoughts about how to make it a reality that began with what was present in its place and what could be learned from the others who would share the space. 

At one point after realizing this, I took out my phone and called Sally. This time, I didn’t ask for guidance. “We need to have a conversation about the end state,” I said.

Reality Check

My father was my ideal of a teacher because he was always learning, and learning how to learn. When I was in my teens and twenties, in an effort to find a better way to teach, he tried learning math purely by observation, imagining himself on a deserted island and using just what was around him to discover all the math he would ever need to know. In many ways he succeeded. Decades later, he is gone but I continue to follow his example and share it where I can. This post is a direct testament to that experience as I seek a different goal aligned with the same basic desire to help make the world a better place.