Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
If today nostalgia and alienation are among the main forces that keep the status quo intact, thus permeating the desolation of our world by the dominant system, then it is the recreation of the civic community and the genuine public that can help the 99% to self-empower themselves and enact crucial changes.
We must accept that some things can only be experienced and accepted. That they cannot be measured in a ‘hard’ way, and that our attempt to do so will kill the very thing we are trying to save.
The way I see it, demanding an explanation that fits in brains not adapted for that purpose is tempting but not justified: again putting humans first. We possess neither the right nor the hardware to know Ultimate Truth. But the allure of that trap is very difficult to resist or escape.
This is an original book only in the sense that it weaves together other people’s ideas and perspectives in novel ways. I believe the result is something new, but more importantly, I think it offers a necessary counter-narrative to the disenchanted materialism that defines modernity.
The pathway that will be followed and the future that will emerge are of course inherently unknowable, being subject to the chaotic dynamics of complex systems. Put another way, for some possible pathways, there be dragons of the type that Sankofa part one described, whilst down other pathways much more hopeful visions beckon.
The question isn’t “is a river alive?” It is why do we not recognize that a river is alive?
We continue that epic struggle across centuries and continents—from the upheavals of the Russian Revolution, to the rise of fascism, the global crucible of World War II, the tense Cold War standoff, the youth protests of 1968, and the ongoing battle for power, equality, and freedom.
Life is made of extraordinarily complex arrangements that exceed our design capacity by such a tremendous gulf as to be ridiculous—triggering many to engage in dubious “god-of-the-gaps” style speculation to paper-over the scary gulf.
These scholars are fighting the rampant exploitation and high article processing charges in traditional academic publishing.
Social movements are powerful engines for change, and they coalesce around a vast range of issues, causes, and communities. But they fall into two basic categories: inclusionary and exclusionary.
In this episode, Nate is joined by Rod Schoonover, an expert at the intersection of Earth systems stress and national security, where they discuss the need for the evolution of national defense to address the systemic (and diffuse) threats of the 21st century.
The goal, here, is deep humility, a form of awe, and a sense of universal connectedness. As stupendously breathtaking as Life is, everything uses the same stuff and the same rules. We share a deep kinship with all matter, then. We are as dirt, and if that’s not grounding, I’m not sure what would be.
