Overview
At the end of May 2020, a Coronal Mass Ejection narrowly missed the Earth's path through space. We were then coming out of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and we had the prospect of the most significant economic downturn since 1707. What if, on top of that, we experienced a solar flare that fried most contemporary electronics? This is the theme of the 2021 Emerging Fellows Programme. What disruptions ought we to worry about that currently slip our attention? In this programme we will examine a number of selected Wild Cards that have the potential to occur in the near range future. Our time horizon will be the next 5 to 10 years. Initially, the world will be very familiar to us. And then it won't be.
The five topics of enquiry will be:
1. The possibility of a digital darkness. (Fazidah bte Ithnin; Melaka, Malaysia)
(Click here for more detail).
2. The possibility of a significant breakdown in the food chain. (Marguerite Coetzee; Cape Town, South Africa)
(Click here for more detail).
3. The possible disruption after a solar flare. (Anne Kyoya; Nairobi, Kenya)
(Click here for more detail).
4. The possibility of a catastrophic breakdown in social trust. (Chris Mayer; New York, USA)
(Click here for more detail).
5. The possibility of significant biodiversity loss. (Shiela R. Castillo; Manila, Philippines)
(Click here for more detail).
More information about the structure and content of the programme can be found here.
At the end of May 2020, a Coronal Mass Ejection narrowly missed the Earth's path through space. We were then coming out of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and we had the prospect of the most significant economic downturn since 1707. What if, on top of that, we experienced a solar flare that fried most contemporary electronics? This is the theme of the 2021 Emerging Fellows Programme. What disruptions ought we to worry about that currently slip our attention? In this programme we will examine a number of selected Wild Cards that have the potential to occur in the near range future. Our time horizon will be the next 5 to 10 years. Initially, the world will be very familiar to us. And then it won't be.
The five topics of enquiry will be:
1. The possibility of a digital darkness. (Fazidah bte Ithnin; Melaka, Malaysia)
(Click here for more detail).
2. The possibility of a significant breakdown in the food chain. (Marguerite Coetzee; Cape Town, South Africa)
(Click here for more detail).
3. The possible disruption after a solar flare. (Anne Kyoya; Nairobi, Kenya)
(Click here for more detail).
4. The possibility of a catastrophic breakdown in social trust. (Chris Mayer; New York, USA)
(Click here for more detail).
5. The possibility of significant biodiversity loss. (Shiela R. Castillo; Manila, Philippines)
(Click here for more detail).
More information about the structure and content of the programme can be found here.