soil lecture 1

Hypernovelty

a situation in which cultural and technological changes happen so rapidly that human biology, minds, and social systems struggle to keep up.

Hypernovelty is about the…

speed of change and the mismatch between rapid innovation and slower human adaptation.

hypernovelty - genes trying to keep up

biological evolution is developing across generations but technology and cultures are developing rapidly

hypernovelty - bottlenecks

constraints or barriers that may limit adaptation - development requires break throughs

hypernovelty - Existential risks

process that accelerates or becomes difficult to control

Diminishing returns

Lower reward relative to investment - complex system intersects with a single objective and “utopian dream.”

Zero-sum opportunity

interference and competition at others' expense

Non-zero-sum opportunity

competition does not negatively affect others.

Exploration

high returns relative to investment

Curiosity

Ask questions instead of assuming you already know the answer.

Humility and self-doubt

Recognize that your understanding may be incomplete.

Listening before judgment

Consider other perspectives before deciding what you believe.

Comfort with uncertainty

Accept that some questions do not have immediate or simple answers.

Embrace error

Treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and revise your thinking.

Think in systems

Look at relationships and interactions among different parts of a system.

Patience

Allow time for evidence and understanding to develop.

Intellectual honesty

Represent evidence fairly and admit what you do not know.

Empathy

Try to understand other people's experiences and perspectives.

Adaptive

Adjust your thinking or actions when circumstances change.

Environmental problems are complicated…

have flexible thinking, curiosity, and a willingness to reconsider assumptions.

Threats can interfere with curiosity

confirmation bias

AIM

mechanism of perception, emotion, and thought.

STORY

description or structure through which you see the world.

your ___ is built through ___.

AIM, A STORY