It was a decade of surpassing scientific achievement.
We mapped the human genome and the cosmic microwave background. We confirmed the existence of dark energy and the age of the universe, and know that it is expanding. We sequenced the rice genome. We found evidence of ancient oceans on Mars and landed for the first time on another planet’s (Saturn) moon. We know that we have more in common with Earth’s other biota than we once thought. We built a machine capable of approximating the big bang, used the Internet to study human behavior, and produced more data than in all prior human history. We awarded scientists the Nobel Peace Prize.
Science has given us the technologies and understandings to improve the state of the world. As we emerge from crisis and begin to notice complexity and interdependence all around us, we will invest in science’s unique potential and we will look to adopt its methodology, culture, and philosophy more universally.
In this second decade, we will think scientifically about health and the environment to be sure, but also about poverty, peace, and markets. We will start to see and map systems all around us, and we will have the capacity to better anticipate change. We will rearchitect science itself to meet the needs of these times.
In the months to follow, as this decade draws to a close and the next begins, Seed’s Global Reset Series will present essays from scientists, designers, policymakers, and other thought-leaders on how scientifically informed planning will shape the world in years to come.
Originally published November 22, 2010
