tags: Africa, agriculture, AI, apes, artificial, artificial intelligens, ASPM, atoms, biological diversity, biology, biosphere, biotechnology, birds, bloom, botany, bottom-up, brain, breeding, carbon dioxide, Carl Linnaeus, cells, cell division, chemical vapour deposition, children, chimpanzee, classification, climate, cloning, computers, computer chips, consciousness, cross-fertilisation, Darwin, death, development, DNA, domestic animals, Earth, ecology, economics, ecosystems, egg cell, egoism, electronic devices, elevator, embryo, embryonic stem cells, emotions, energy forests, environment, ethics, evolution, flooding, florigen, flowering, forestry, FOXP2, fullerenes, GDP, genemanipulation, genes, genetics, genetic code, gene manipulation, global change, God, heridity, human being, invisibility, kieselguhr, language, learning, life, materials, medicine, Mendel, molecular biology, molecular electronics, molecules, mutations, MYH16, nano, nanometres, nanotechnology, nanotubes, nano clocks, Nobel, nobel prize, oceans, organs, ozone hole, parkinson, pharmaceuticals, plants, play, poplar, proteins, quantum effects, rain forests, religion, resilience, robots, scanning tunnel microscope, self-awareness, self-consciousness, sex, space, speech, stem cells, top-down, trees, urbanisation, wetlands, Ångström,

carl folke

"Myself, I'm most interested in the Earth's ability to deal with change and continue to develop, what we call resilience."  Read more

question 11: who cares about the swamps?

Wetlands are much more important than we used to think. They deserve a much better reputation! In the west, more than half of some kinds of wetland were destroyed in the 20th century, and countless species have died out. Who really cares about the swamps?  Read more

question 17: what issue is the most crucial for our survival on earth?

It's easy to be overwhelmed by a feeling of impotence. But even when we see that many important graphs are pointing in horribly wrong directions, there are still some bright spots. What must we do to help the Earth take a turn for the better?  Read more

question 20: when will we start treating mother earth better?

Were our planet a doctor's patient, the diagnosis wouldn't be comforting: change your lifestyle or else! We've been mistreating the Earth for centuries now − how can we make amends? Maybe by strengthening her resilience? One thing's for certain: only we humans can help our planet.  Read more

question 24: can we put a price tag on natural resources?

If a well-functioning wetland is important for a region, can you calculate its value? If a virgin forest is insurance for the future, how does it appear in the country's GDP? If our planet is to survive, economists and biologists will have to collaborate in developing a whole new kind of balance sheet.  Read more

question 35: when will we get an Earth in balance?

"Life is a flame as long as the oil lasts" said Carl Linnaeus. The quotation seems more relevant than ever today, especially if you read life as 'all life on Earth'. We are living beyond our means and oil isn't the only thing that's running out...  Read more

question 39: what's the price of your lifestyle?

If everyone lived the way the author of this text does, 3.5 Earths would be needed to support the planet's population. Unsettling facts like this spread a sense of guilt... Have you ever really stopped to consider how your lifestyle is affecting the global ecosystem?  Read more

question 49: how do you make use of new ideas?

The 18th century was characterised by its utility approach to scientific research, with Linnaeus himself in the vanguard. Botany yielded benefits in medicine and for public health, new underground machinery was designed to streamline the mining industry... How do things look today? How acceptable is it to adopt a user perspective in research?  Read more