What to do now to improve the human race in the long term?

fabius — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:38:30 -0800

What things could one person do now to best progress human civilization in the long term (ie, millions of years)? I recently read Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon. Written in 1930 it describes the waxing and waning of human civilizations (and evolution of the species) over hundreds of millions of years.

It gives one an extremely long-term perspective on humanity. Once it gets going the author necessarily never describes individual people, because the scale is so vast. Whole branches of human evolution can be dealt with in a single paragraph.

But despite this it left me wondering: what things could individuals do that would progress human civilization, even if only a tiny, tiny amount? What actions now, or over the lifetime of a 21st century human, would improve the lives of humans in the distant future? What would increase their chances of survival, their evolution, their culture, their technology, their politics, their... anything.

What can we do now to move the human race forward on an extremely long term basis?

How are you preparing your digital life for posterity?

pedantic — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 18:33:47 -0800

How are you preparing your digital life for posterity? I've had the the opportunity to browse my grandparents' lives in shoeboxes. My life is behind a password on my computer and various web sites.

When I kick the bucket, after all, it'd be a surprise if I didn't, I'd like my family—hopefully kids, grandkids and great grandchildren—to have an opportunity to stitch my life together through ephemera. Are you doing anything?

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What to do now to improve the human race in the long term?

How are you preparing your digital life for posterity?