21. The New Digital Wayfinders

Feb 9, 2024

Tuvalu, an island chain facing the threat of climate change, is exploring the possibility of becoming a virtual nation in the metaverse. This podcast delves into the logistics and implications of this ambitious project, from preserving culture in the digital realm to the environmental impact of storing a nation's worth of data. It raises questions about the future of nationhood and identity, and whether it is possible to 'backup' a country like a computer. The podcast also touches on the Future Now Project's efforts to maintain sovereignty in the face of climate change through digital reconstruction and the use of geophysical techniques to study ancient sites.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Future Now Project: Tuvalu's Digital Initiatives

02:36 • 12min

Maintaining Sovereignty in the Face of Climate Change and Digital Reconstruction

14:15 • 4min

Revealing Ancient Sites with Geophysical Techniques and LIDAR Technology

18:39 • 6min

Exploring the Concept of a Digital Twin for Tuvalu

24:09 • 21min

Reflections on Future Now, Acknowledgements, and Farewell

45:01 • 2min

"Aue, aue... when it's time to find home, we know the way."

⛵️ //

For the island nation of Tuvalu, the effects of climate change are more than a warning; they’re an eviction notice. Estimates vary as to when the small chain of coral islands could vanish beneath the waves, but experts agree that Tuvalu may be uninhabitable long before then, prompting its people to set sail for a new frontier… the metaverse.

Within this digital landscape, Tuvalu could potentially preserve its lands, heritage, and governance, effectively pioneering a new model for nationhood, in which a nation and its people exist in two realms—physical and virtual. But how does one go from sand to silicon while maintaining the essence of a culture? And what is the real-world environmental impact of storing a nation’s worth of data?

Whether we take Tuvalu’s proposal literally or view it as a symbolic call to action, unpacking the logistics of such an ambitious project offers a glimpse at the expertise required to bring it to life—from tech experts grappling with blockchain governance to cultural preservationists digitizing traditional art and oral histories. The work forces us to ask: Can you really backup a country the way you backup a computer? And if so, what does that mean for the future of nationhood, identity, and the planet itself?

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Credits

Traceroute is a podcast from Equinix and Stories Bureau. This episode was hosted by Grace Ewura-Esi and Amy Tobey, and was produced by Mathr de Leon with help from Lixandra Urresta. It was edited by Joshua Ramsey, with mixing and sound design by Brett Vanderlaan, and additional mixing by Jeremy Tuttle. Our fact-checker is Ena Alvarado. Our staff includes Tim Balint, Mathr de Leon, Suzie Falk, Lisa Harris, Alisa Manjarrez, Sadie Scott, Stephen Staver, John Taylor, and Rebecca Woodward. Our theme song was composed by Ty Gibbons.

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