rattus rattus’ blog

Change an assumption
and save the world.

— Heinz von Foerster, 1970

Quoted after Paul Schröder who 2009-11-14 at the Heinz von Foerster Congress 09 said he found this quote several times in his notes.

[Dow Jones Industrial Average Index from 1900 until today on a logarithmic scale; chart courtesy of StockCharts.com, click the image for details.]

Now that there is so much talk about the (financial) crisis I see that the word crisis of course shares its etymology with one of my most favorite words: critique.
Come on folks, let’s have a closer look. Let’s be critical about the “crisis”.

[w]

Tomorrow will be cancelled due to lack of interest.

— *nix fortune

We featured the World Jump Day website earlier. The site now presents the incredible results caused by joint efforts of millions of people who took part in the synchronous world-wide jumping in order to stop global warming. A truly trustworthy illustration of human powers.

Can a single question make change? Ask yourself!
— dropping knowledge, 2006-09-07

On 2006-09-09, dropping knowledge shall bring together some 100 people from all over the world to “engage in the most pressing questions of our age”. Their answers shall be recorded, and they may become seeds of a new “knowledge portal and dialog platform” starting 2006-09-10.

Here are some of the questions which have been submitted and which are likely to be discussed:

• Is resistance a new form of revolution? Between non-violent resistance and armed struggle where do we go? What is effective? What is the right thing to do? Or do we need a biodiversity of resistance? Is change possible without violence?
• What is worse, death or everlasting silence and solitude?
• Is sustainability a luxury of the developed world?
• What is the most important unreported story?
• Can the world ever agree on the meaning and implementation of democracy?
• Are we ready to change anything in case we get answers to our questions?
• Do you think anything will change by donating questions here?
• Why do human beings agree to evil?
• What is God’s religion?
• Permaculture has solved sustainability, Moshé Feldenkrais has solved the physical problems of the human body, Krishnamurti has solved wisdom, what problems doesn’t the planet know how to solve?
• What does every human being on this planet agree on?
• What is the global definition of freedom?
• Why am I me and not you?
• Is there at least one basic truth, we all can agree on?
• What is consciousness and how do we observe the observer?
• Do you trust your government?
• Why don’t you do something?
• How can consciousness be increased in the world?
• How can we discuss global problems even when we are not able to solve our local ones?
• How does any of this affect me?
• Why do we believe mankind is something apart from nature, and therefore, not bound by its laws?

Hugh MacLeod provides us with a first pretty ingenious answer: The untitled pyramid.

WORLD JUMP DAY 20 JULY 2006 11:39:13 GMT
This is 20 July 2006 13:39:13 CEST in e.g. Vienna.

Join us in the attempt to drive planet Earth into a new orbit, by letting millions of people jump!

Let’s jump!

Let us trust in the power of the human community.

[R]

At the beginning of the film “United 93” it says

It’s time.

It’s time. This is what the crusaders of ecology and sustainability keep telling us, too.

It’s time that we ask what is time.
Never forget.

[G]

The film “An Inconvenient Truth” shall come to local theaters in September 2006. What will it be? The Weisslog (weblog in German by Die Zeit) pointed to a related article by Slate Magazine:

Bigger Smash: Hurricanes cause more damage because there’s more for them to wreck. By Gregg Easterbrook, posted Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Being wrong or at least being contradicted always charmingly embraces my
confidence in being right.