Our Future

I finally saw a shuttle launch! It was a
great weather and a great crowd at the
launch Monday November 16th. It was
fascinating to see so many children at the
launch. It provides hope for the future
when young kids are interested in space.

At the astronaut breakfast that morning an
astronaut mentioned that after these last
shuttles are finished the real work begins.
The International Space Station will
become the learning lab to open space travel and technology
to go to Mars. He mentioned that many 10 to 12 year old's in the
room may be the astronauts that will take us to Mars. It will be a
5 year mission and everything to survive those years will have to be
on board the spacecraft. Everything will have to be self-sustaining
and recyclable. The science to take us to Mars may well be the
science to help us save our planet.

This made me realize more than ever that the journey
to the future is as important as achieving the goals.
All the technology and science learned going into space
has changed our daily lives for the better. Those things
are never found on balance sheets. I hope we do not become
so worried about the money today that we rob ourselves of
our future.

Possibly the biggest minefield facing our journey into the future is
our anchors to today and our past.

Do we learn from our mistakes?

Nearly everyone answers that question with a yes.  Unfortunately, if you really observe behavior
the answer is likely, no.  We know we should not repeat our mistakes but our habits, preferences, and avoidance of hard work usually trap us where we are at.  What I find even more discouraging is man ( as a biologic entity) also does not learn from mistakes.  If we did, surely we could have eliminated the need for war centuries ago.  Why would we still have economic depressions if we had really learned from the last ones?  I am facinated with all the economic experts on TV today.  Where were they before this downturn?  We had downturns in the 1980's.  Surely they would have learned from those and helped us avoid this one.   Alas, man seems locked into behaviors that are as old as history.

Is there hope for the future?  I would like to think so.  New ideas and new ways of living face us.  What I have learned is that man can adapt.  Usually it is based on a need to, not on the foresight and willingness to change the future.  A system thinker, Russell Ackoff, once spoke about  those expecting him to have great insights for the future.  (He was 80 at the time.)  His comment was, "Whatever we can see clearly about the future we will take steps to prevent from happening".  Isn't that what we see today?  We know health care is expensive and poorly designed, but the debate and politics seems to trap us into the thoughts and ways of today.  No one has really offered a completely new way of providing health care in the future.  Modern politicians are bought and paid for (campaign contributions) with money made in the past and today.  Those providing it want them to keep us there so they can continue to make money.  They are not looking to really change the future.