Project Vision 21

I recently read an article (on Phys.org) stating that archaeologists found evidence that Australian Aboriginal communities transmitted the same ritual from one generation to the next for 50 generations, that is, from 12,000 years ago (the end of the Ice Age) to the present. I wonder if we have the ability to leave a message to our distant descendants.

My first reaction was to think that we can't do it. Despite all our advanced technology, rapid technological obsolescence, constant social disruptions (whether natural or human-caused), and cultural changes have made knowledge and the pursuit of wisdom irrelevant. What will we leave to our descendants, memes, and videos?

Furthermore, we are so locked into the short term (indeed, immediate gratification) that we cannot think beyond a misunderstood “now” as this ephemeral moment is impossible to catch, much less retain. We don't think about the future, much less about the future 12,000 years from now. We don't think about universal narratives, adaptability, or resilience, except superficially.

It is true that the cultural and geographical isolation of Australia's Aboriginal communities contributed to the fact that a ritual (that is, an intergenerational practice of accessing wisdom) has been maintained for so long. But that is not enough to explain the continuity of the ritual. Other elements, such as social cohesion, respect for elders, attachment to the land, and oral traditions, must be taken into consideration.

We could say that, from a galactic perspective, Earth is a place as culturally and geographically isolated as the land inhabited by the Australian Aborigines compared to the entire planet. If so, we have a lot to learn from the Australian Aborigines about how to create a planetary community that does not rely only on technology and does not cause its own extinction.

The simple fact of seeing that it is possible to think long-term and transmit knowledge and wisdom relevant to a generation 50 generations after ours should be considered an invitation to our society to rethink the way we preserve and transmit our knowledge and wisdom to other generations from all over the planet and from all cultures.

Considering whether there is something in us so valuable that it will still be so in 12,000 years could begin with rethinking the way we cultivate wisdom, the way we connect with the Earth, the way we create shared experiences and collective memories, the way we are present in the present and also in the future, and the way that collective wisdom will reach distant generations.

Perhaps it’s still possible to leave a wise message for future generations. By focusing on universal knowledge, ethical frameworks, community engagement, and global collaboration, we can enhance the likelihood of transmitting meaningful and relevant wisdom across millennia.

Perhaps, for the benefit of our descendants, it is time to think about space libraries and quantum information portals for non-Earth-based human generations. Be that as it may, leaving a meaningful message to our distant descendants requires a deep study of the essence of human wisdom.