Author name: Lene R Andersen

World energy consumption is projected to grow by 50% in just 30 years. At the same time, civilization must reach net-zero carbon emissions lest tens of millions of people face displacement and impoverishment from heatwaves, drought, flooding, and pestilence. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres told the Finance in Common Summit last November, “Science is clear: if we fail to meet these goals, the disruption to economies, societies and people caused by COVID-19 will pale in comparison to what the climate crisis holds in store.” Nuclear power, with no carbon emissions, may be a solution for our rapidly industrializing world.

In 2020, wildfires scorched 45 million acres (18 million hectares) in Australia, and fifty-eight thousand wildfires burned 10.27 million acres (4.16 million hectares) in the United States. California suffered an estimated $100B total economic cost from wildfires in a single year. Beyond numbers, people who faced incinerated homes and apocalyptic orange skies endure a lasting emotional impact.

When engaging in career planning, many of us end up unintentionally focusing exclusively on optimistic scenarios: “I want to do X, so I’ll do A, B, and C to make it happen.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy optimism. But to ensure your plans are robust, you also need to identify and mitigate the potential risks that could threaten your vision for the future — and nothing has shown the importance of planning for risk more clearly than the current pandemic.

When It Doesn’t Stay in Vegas

A breakthrough stunned world-leading scientists at the close of 2020.

“This will change medicine. It will change research. It will change bioengineering. It will change everything.”

“But when I first saw these results, I nearly fell off my chair.”

“…a once in a generation advance.”

“I was beginning to think it would not get solved in my lifetime.”

“It has occurred decades before many people in the field would have predicted.”

Digital technologies change our world at a breakneck pace. They frequently leave government regulators in their dust as they race away. California is keeping pace with a technology that will dramatically impact our lives: self-driving taxis, or “robotaxis.”