I Went Viral Dunking on Science

Saving the world doesn’t require new scientific ideas.

So last week I tweeted this and it blew up.

In a good way. The thought I expressed here really seemed to resonate with people. It’s by far my most widely read, quoted, and liked tweet I’ve ever had. So that’s cute I guess.

But in this week’s newsletter, I want to expand a little bit on what I’m getting at in this tweet, and maybe address some of the responses that have either disagreed or hedged on what I mean.

So, first things first, I’m not saying science isn’t necessary for solving problems and that we should get rid of it. We clearly can’t get rid of this form of knowledge because it is one of the most important ways humanity makes sense of the world and solves problems.

What I am saying is that for most of the acute problems humanity faces, especially the ones that threaten the sustainability of our species (e.g. climate change, species extinction, hunger), the collective body of human knowledge is sufficient to, at the very least, stem the tide of harm.

For example, one important solution to slowing human induced climate change so that we don’t have a runaway situation is to stop burning fossil fuels. The way to save more California condors is to stop using lead ammunition in firearms. The way to more effectively combat world hunger - we already grow enough food to feed all of humanity - is to not put food under lock and key.

Simple and easy, right?

Not so fast Jonathan! It’s not that easy! We can’t just stop burning fossil fuel. How would people keep their homes warm or get anywhere? Lead is cheap. You like to hunt. If there were no more lead bullets, think how expensive hunting would be?! If food is free, then who would work for it? Our economy would collapse!

But that rebuttal is my point.

Saving the world is a subjective concept. Stopping fossil fuels would no doubt have a positive impact on ecosystems, but removing fossil fuels from the dominant culture of humanity would effectively end said culture. Imagine a so called modern world without fossil fuels. Scary.

What frustrates me about mainstream culture, however, is the dishonesty so many scientists take up when talking about saving the world. Let me explain.

Very early on in my graduate education, it seemed clear to me that species diversity and ecological stability were incompatible with - and I didn’t have the language for this at the time - what I’ve now come to call, ANTI-INDIGENOUS CIVILIZATIONS (don’t start using this term without citing me please). These civilizations are born out of a culture built on removing the of sovereignty of other beings in service of the production of material wealth for a an exclusive minority. To put it succinctly, the concentration of power to domesticate of life.

And so I began to see my work as a baby conservation professional in service of the domestication of life; saving condors while implicitly NOT calling for the dismantling of the settler colonial culture that is keeping these relatives I claim to love at the brink of extinction.

Hi, my name is Dr. Jonathan C. Hall, and I’m hear to tell you about our latest product, Anti-Indigenous Civilization Lite? Now with 26% less ecocide!

Indigenous people, despite accounting for less than 25% of the global human population, protect 80% of the earth’s biodiversity. And for most Indigenous peoples, they are living through the ongoing apocalypse Anti-Indigeneous Civilizations (AICs) always precipitate. Their worlds have been forever changed for the worse, and many have completely ended, because the culture that comes from AICs is like that of the borg.

Assimilate or die.

Clear cut these forests or burn with them.

Adopt our concept of private property or become private property.

Pray to white Jesus or meet your maker.

Give up the land of your ancestors or we’ll poison and kill your relatives.

Are we so by the mythology of this dominant culture - how it was built, how it’s maintained - that we can be honest about or critical of it? Are the conveniences and technological marvels of AICs worth the suffering and inequality that was and still is necessary to create such?

What is the pursuit of new knowledge for? Solving problems of course, but let’s not explore the roots of those problems. Besides, you’ve got worry about tenure, and health care, and affording college for your kids, and your retirement, and your mortgage, and earning tenure, and and and…

Given all the suffering created by AICs, can we continue to afford to accept them as a given, an inevitably, a necessary progression of human societal development, a force too powerful to even imagine alternatives?

What’s more scary prospect, life without the internet or life without stable growing seasons?

I would argue that the insistence that we don’t yet know enough science to solve our problems and save our world from the imminent collapse that comes into clearer focus with each generation is a self-delusion that only benefits those with the most power.

People like me, conservation scientists, and everyone really, cannot continue to be agnostic about the root cause of the suffering we are professionally committed to opposing. We “been done known” what the deal is and our pursuit of new knowledge to solve “complex problems” is more about justifying our fear of facing what AICs really are, than about actually saving the world.

That’s what my tweet was about. That’s what I was trying to say in 280 characters.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m still of this AIC culture, and can’t just extricate myself without it almost certainly ending badly. AICs have cornered the market on just about every hill I could run to, so living beyond this culture is a trans-generational project I hope my grandchildren’s grandchildren will be prepared enough to make manifest. I hope we have that long.

My life now (and always) is about being a good ancestor.

This ship is sinking, so learning how to swim seems like a good use of my time.

What’s in my pocket

My brother (from another mother) Morgan recommended this device that, since I bought it, has come in handy so many times I’ve lost count. But particularly for someone who does field work with equipment that are hard on battery life, this power bank by Anker is something I cannot imagine my professional life without.

• Anker 87W Power Bank

This thing keeps all my devices (even my laptop) topped off with juice and lasts for literally days. Power banks come in all different sizes, so if size/weight is a concern, then you can go with a smaller version. I would suggest buying the largest size power bank that fits in your gear without cause too many issues.

AND! Make sure it has USB-C connecters. USB-C charges faster and will be around longer than the outdated USB-A connection ports.

What’s in my ear-hole

Been spending more time in the car with the kids lately and thus I’ve been putting more kid friendly content in my ear-hole lately. One of my favorites is The Story Pirates Podcast, a show where a group of truly hilarious adults take stories written by kids and turn them into sketch comedy and songs. It’s brilliant!

They have whole albums too! The production quality is incredible. You and the kiddos in your life will laugh, sing, and enjoy, I promise!

What’s on my brain

I got sick this weekend at my brother-in-law’s wedding (an absolutely amazing event) and I’ve been thinking a lot about aging lately. For a long time that Saturday evening, when I started to feel bad, I couldn’t quite identify why. I ended up spending most of the night on the toilet and eventually threw up…a lot. It was scary.

I eventually figure out that it was likely the fact that I had a of different alcohols that day. I wasn’t drunk, I had 5 over the course of 9hrs, but no two were the same. Raikia, then congac, then bourbon, then wine, then rum. Started at 10AM, ended at 7PM. And then they all came back up at 4AM.

When I was ill, my mind kind of spiraled trying to figure out why my body was failing and that always triggers thoughts of mortality and what it means to get older.

I’m only 40, but 40 isn’t exactly young. I’ve got some miles on these tires and as I’ve gotten older my body and I seem to be drifting apart. We don’t seem to understand each other as intuitively as we used to.

There are certainly things I can do to forstall our eventual break up, but it’s hella unnerving to not know what’s going on, when, for the most part, as an adult I’ve always had a pretty good idea about what’s going on in there.

Growing older isn’t for the light hearted I guess. Consequently, my days of mixing alcohols is over.

Stay thirsty my friends!

Announcements

This week’s YouTube video is about making Pho! I had a lot of fun making this film and even more fun eating. Check it out!

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I’ll talk to y’all Sunday.

Cheers,

Jonathan