This is an image from the 1950’s of how they envisioned the future. It looks pretty awesome to me. I would also love a flying car. I think this image also is quite telling. How would a future vision look today? My first guess is doom and gloom. The trajectory is so different. This old picture can only be created with a positive mindset and hope. Without hope there can be no meaning. Society is so weird nowadays. When riding a motorcycle, the very first and most important lesson is that you go where you look. You control the bike with your eyes first and foremost. The same goes for civilisation. If our society is unable to come up with an equally nice picture of the future, where do you think we’re going to end up?

Family, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistAugust 23, 2024future, hope, meaning, children, familyComment

Pre-internet memories

When I was a kid, I had a Lego semi-trailer truck that must have been one of my very first sets (I was too young to remember). It was released in 1984 when I was two years old. I cannot ever remember this set ever being built. It had some special pieces with stickers, so I knew it was there. Here’s the catch: The instruction manual was shredded (probably by yours truly), and I only had some fragments but not enough to build the set. This has frustrated me sub-consciously for about 37 years. Until now.

Philosophy, EngineeringRikard ÖqvistSeptember 13, 2021lego, memory lane, progress, grotwth, ai, futureComment

Beneath the three pillars of sustainability

Sustainability is often said to rest on three pillars: 1) Ecological, 2) Economical and 3) Social sustainability. When supporting a structure with pillars, we also need a solid foundation, or the pillars might sink into the ground. In today’s post, I explore what this foundation might look like. The foundation should consist of eternal values. Two such values instantly come to my mind: Beauty and Education. The primary difference between these two eternal values and the three pillars, is that the three pillars need to be optimally balanced against each other over time as the facts on the ground varies, whereas beauty and education unconditionally strengthens all three pillars at once.