The Story

Fellow Human,

The biggest story of our time will not be the events of 9 -11. Nor will it be the first steps on the moon, the pace of technology, or the death of another of our popularized icons. No, the biggest story of our time - and probably that of our children's, too -- will be either the breakdown or the breakthrough of the species - our own species, humanity -- on planet Earth.

As a species, we need to choose a future for humanity that ensures it's a breakthrough. But how exactly do we go about doing that? Do we have any hope at all of surviving on planet Earth? It seems violence, poverty, uncontrolled growth, disease, limited resources, and environmental catastrophe have become essential components of our daily diet. We choke them down without seriously considering what they're doing to our species' life, and future.

My Story                                                      

More than 10 years ago, I began to research these issues. I wanted to know what I could do as an individual to understand my origins and my place in the world, to contribute positively to the lives of others, and even, to the lives of those yet to be born. In short, to make the world a slightly better place for our species, my species; to give back a bit in appreciation for my own good fortune.

I pored through the works of social scientists and historians (such as Manuel Castells, Norbert Elias, Alan Page Fiske and Bruno Latour), biologists and psychologists (EO Wilson, Jane Goodall, Steven Pinker) and of course, Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud.

It seemed to me they were all dancing to the same tune, but in different rooms - rooms that weren't connected to one another. The more widely I read - political science, even economics - the more I was convinced these people were all in different rooms of the same building, unhearing, unaware of each other. I wondered how to get them together to listen to one another - even to find one another, first.

And then, on my serendipitous journey, the manuscript for a remarkable little report, Are They Human Yet? landed on my desk. The report, allegedly by The Homo sapiens Project, was written as a consultation draft. It seeks feedback from "anyone interested in the future of humanity".

The apparent strength, and robustness, of the report's central hypothesis convinced me that I needed to share this information. So then, I proceeded with its publication.

Next: What's it all About?