Newsletter the Thirtieth

It’s my favorite reoccurring dream: I discover a door in a house that I've been living in for years, and I open it to find a new wing, or subbasement, or set of rooms that I never knew were there. Exploring the rooms is fun, but mysterious and even a bit scary.

I thought about this dream recently as I started reading through my dad’s articles on his website. I set up a blog for him years ago and I knew that he had been writing there, but I didn’t realize how much: turns out he posted over 1,500 articles! And that’s on top of hundreds of pages of art, doodles, geometric mandalas, and cartoons.?

I want to ask him about these, and to understand them — and him — better. But after several years of battling dementia, he died last week. His last word, waking my stepmom, who held him in her arms, was: "Now."

I say he "battled" his illness because that’s the commonly accepted and expected language. But nothing could be farther from the truth. He accepted and even embraced his illness, with a rare equanimity and grace.?

A few years ago he told me, referring to Dylan Thomas' famous poem, "I'm okay with going gentle into that good night." Then, a year or so ago — after he stopped writing and drawing, before he stopped talking, then eating — he exclaimed proudly, "I'm floating to the finish!" And so he did, still full of curiosity and wonder, still aware, still him.

So now I'm left with his papers and blog posts and drawings. I walk through open doors to new rooms and new ideas that he left behind. How to make sense of this man, my father? How to make sense at all, of this house?

Any Day Now

My dad was fascinated by "disruptive technology" — new ideas that radically changed the world. So in honor of him, and in the spirit of looking forward rather than back, I offer…

Five breakthroughs that will dramatically change the world in the next 25 years:

1. Diamond Processors: Computers based on silicon chips have significant limitations, especially due to heat. There are far better elements, such as diamond. Fortunately, manufacturing perfect sheets of diamond has become much easier, and in 10 years your computer will run on diamond.

2. Manufactured Life: Yes, there are ethical concerns about building artificial living cells, but it's happening anyway. The meat of the future will be grown, not slaughtered. It won't be long before someone will manufacture a fully living animal, beginning with nothing but chemicals and some DNA.

3. Industrial Hemp: While THC and CBD are all the rage these days, the cannabis product I find most interesting has always been the industrial use of hemp. Want to save the planet? Stop cutting down trees and use hemp for paper and building materials instead. Hemp can be used for textiles, biofuels, and even a replacement for plastic. It's the future.

4. Autonomous Vehicles: Everyone knows self-driving cars are coming soon. But the ramifications are radical: Sure, you can have that extra drink at the bar, knowing your car will get you home safely. But think about the 25 million people who drive trucks, taxis, ride shares, buses… If I had to pick my biggest realistic fear for the future, it would be mass unemployment due to automation.

5. Nuclear Fusion: Imagine literally unlimited amounts of energy, costing hardly anything, and with zero environmental downside. Nuclear fission is the horror story we've all heard for years; but nuclear fusion is the holy grail. In 25 years, oil will be nearly worthless, wind turbines will be obsolete, and even solar panels will be prohibitively expensive compared to fusion.

Oh yes, the next 25 years will be exciting (and a bit scary!)

Thank You!

I enjoy sharing my musings… and I enjoy hearing yours! Feel free to follow this newsletter, share it with a friend,?follow me on LinkedIn , and send me feedback. You can always reach me at [email protected]