Are We Due For A Renaissance Or A Dark Age?

The world is changing. The climate is changing. The politics are becoming more polarized. The chasm of inequality is growing. Everyday heroes now wear masks.

Any futurist worth their salt will tell you that the world we know will look starkly different in 2030. It could be radically different by 2050.

A look back through history shows us times that were similar to ours and the changes that befell civilization as it was carved into the reality we know and love. Through society’s evolution over the last 10,000 years or so, we have gone through our highs and lows. We have had times of renaissance, and we have had ages of darkness.

The question we must ask is which shall we have next? A Dark Age or a Renaissance?

Certainly, either is feasible. If you look for them, there are signs for both.

The current pandemic could certainly be construed as a sign of the coming Dark Age, as hundreds of thousands die and millions go afraid to touch or get near to one another. The loss of hugs from our lives has already taken an emotional toll on many, not to mention the loss of work and participation in the economy. For many, the coming months alone could be very dark.

Climate change could certainly contribute to a coming Dark Age as well. Whether you agree with scientists that the human activity of industrial consumerism has caused it or you think it’s merely a natural phenomenon and that humans have no responsibility…