Lente Festina

Human Intervention: A Whole-Body Problem

A few weeks ago (June 28) the New York Times published a front page story entitled “Something Was Messing With Earth’s Axis. The Answer Has to Do With Us,” highlighting how the geophysics of the planet has been altered through anthropogenic activity. Certainly, the fact that excessive pumping of groundwater has changed the earth’s angle of inclination is not only of interest but of concern.  For better and for worse, human devised and deployed technology has been markedly changing the face of the planet since the industrial revolution. We have altered the length of a day, modified climate, spread synthetic chemicals throughout waterways, soil and food systems and imbued virtually every human being with little reminders of our advanced civilization in our adipose tissue. 

What is surprising is that historically, our afflictions have been viewed as isolated and dermatologic.  Only recently are we coming to understand this as a systemic whole-body problem.  Although human beings are capable of so much, from space travel to brain surgery, we seem flummoxed in fully grasping the interconnectedness of our lifestyle choices and the life support systems of this planet.  The big question ahead is whether the next major advance in technology, AI, will help guide us to our rescue or accelerate our demise. Whatever the role of AI, we cannot abdicate our personal and collective responsibility for our future.