Much of the time futures work is about foreseeing, and avoiding, the worst possible outcomes. Rising seas lap at the toes of our communities (and sometimes our front steps), technology spawns ever more sophisticated ways to invade our privacy, the economic premise of nonprofit status seems increasingly shaky.
Sometimes dark (and depressingly plausible) scenarios of the future are just too much.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that futuring is about seeing the best possibilities, and working to make them true. This week’s inspiration was yesterday’s successful completion of a cargo run to the International Space Station by the SpaceX Dragon–a commercial spacecraft that SpaceX founder Elon Musk sees as one step in the road to a human Mars colony.
So, your Futurist Friday assignment: watch–full screen–3 min and 50 seconds of awesome.
And if you think this film envisions the impossible, remember that Musk named the SpaceX craft after Puff the Magic Dragon–because sometimes fairy tales can come true, especially if we use them to inspire children.
(BTW, I will award points to anyone who identifies the film narrator before the credits roll. 🙂
Have you got a go-to shot of optimistic inspiration about the future (video clip, quote, film, short story, pic)? Please share.
I've always loved the quote from Don Quixote that goes something like this:
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!"
CARL SAGAN! Love this so much.