Big Ideas Worried about the future? A mosquito could help you to live in the present
May 5, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Richard Fisher, author of 'The Long View' and former BBC science writer, teams up with Ande Somby, a celebrated Yoik singer and Associate Professor at The Arctic University of Norway. They explore the profound connection between time and human experience, contrasting short-term modern thinking with Indigenous perspectives. Discover how a mosquito bite can remind us of life's fleeting moments and learn the ethical implications of our relationship with nature. They advocate for a future that balances imagination, community, and moral responsibility.
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Future Visualization Diminishes Over Time
- Most people lose ability to vividly imagine their future beyond 15 years.
- This reveals how limited our long-term future vision generally is.
Chimpanzee's Rock-Throwing Planning
- A chimpanzee named Santino made and hid rock piles to throw at zoo visitors later.
- This behavior suggested a form of mental time travel and forward planning in animals.
Rethinking Time's Spatial Metaphor
- People spatially map time, imagining the future as 'far away' which detaches them psychologically.
- Reframing the future as 'long' or 'deep' can maintain connection rather than distance.