What if Everything You Know is Wrong: Bob McDonald at TEDxVictoria 2013

satellite in space, where you can place it where the sun shines 24/7. Collect it up there and transmit it to the ground in a microwave. Do you

know

that one of those satellites, and this has been designed and thought out, one of those satellites could power all of Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle? A satellite could do that. But we won't do it. We're too busy getting bogged down by the fact that we can make a lot of money in the short term by burning things we dig out of the ground. So, this is just technology, it is

know

ledge.

In terms of our own numbers, that's a little more difficult because it's not just a scientific question, it's a political and social question. But we can start with that, perhaps giving women equal rights around the world. That might help. So there are many things we can do. (Applause) But... along the way, as we find answers to these questions, we have to keep the big picture. We have to take those 6 million years into account. We have to keep in mind the idea of ​​a single planet. If we don't do it, if we only think about ourselves, if we only think about the economy, if we only think about our own country, our own family, we are narrow-minded and, in fact, we are as narrow-minded as when we looked at the terrain. .

We have to have an open mind. Which means keeping science alive, having a scientifically literate society. We don't have to become scientists, but we do have to know the science and know that

what

we don't know exceeds

what

we know, so that we can make intelligent and wise decisions. We can do this, and we need to do it because... this is it. That's all. Well? That's all! There are probably many other nice planets that we will find, but they will be very far away and out of reach. We can't even go to the moon, for God's sake. (Laughs) This is it.

So let's address this first, before we start thinking we can go somewhere else. We can do it, but we still have a long way to go. You know, we can't even predict the weather beyond a week. We don't know when the next hurricane, typhoon or cyclone will arrive. We don't know when the next volcano or earthquake will occur. We still have a lot to learn. But we are smart; I think we can do it. See you in 6 million years! Thank you so much! (Applause) (Greetings)