Lifeworld and Science

To say that we—and with “we” I mean humanity as a whole—have big challenges ahead of us would be a massive understatement. The earth’s climate crossed several crucial tipping points this year. Our lives are still overshadowed by a pandemic whose societal repercussions we do not even begin to fathom. And we are at the brink of a new era in which our biggest evolutionary advantage so far—our intellect—will be outrivaled massively by machines. I take it for granted that the only realistic chance to deal with these challenges is science and the technology we build on the basis of scientifc insight. Of course, I am not saying that science alone will be able to save the day. But just like it took a scientifcally engineered vaccine to turn things around with COVID-19, we will need more than thoughts and prayers to preserve a su¡ciently stable biosphere for our children and grandchildren...