#mega structures

Sometimes the results don't fit the theme but look cool.

Most of these are Midjourney 5 images with 2 MJ 6 images.

When thinking about the enourmous challenges humanity now see and sometomes even feel, how could we ever be able to meet them? This is why I think Anders Sandberg's article in BBC Future is an important read here. We can criticize the intsitutions and processes science and technology in many ways, but we can't ignore the results. And Anders's point here is that what we should neither ignore the albeit wierd, but really huge ideas that springs from the minds of visionary thinkers armed with the mental tools that science, technological development, philosophy et al:

For as long as we have had mathematics, forward-thinking scholars [...] have tried to imagine the far limits of engineering, even if the technology of the time was lacking. Over the centuries, they have dreamt of machines to lift the world, transform the surface of the Earth, or even reorganise the Universe. Such "megascale engineering"  – sometimes called macro-engineering – deals with ambitious projects that would reshape the planet or construct objects the size of worlds

If we don't acknowledge these ideas we might not even see the enormous structures we actually build and surround us with.

But the most important point might be that among these large scale ideas some of the solutions to the greatest and most important challenges of humankind might be found.

The challenge is of course if we could organize ourselves so we could build these mega structures?

In fact, we are living amid megascale structures we hardly notice. Some large-scale engineering of our environment is nearly invisible.

We can just point to the Internet, the electrical grids, the great road infrastructures and connected systems of global trade to see that it is possible and that we are actually doing it.

Experience with large projects typically show a mix of cost overruns, pathologies of planning and bad project management. If we are so bad at it, how come some do succeed?

Here the article becomes a bit fuzzy. I think the reason is that it is very seldom the people who comes with the great idea have the organizing mindset required to realize the result.

Anders correctly points out that in order to succeed mega scale projects must

consists of projects that can be implemented piecemeal, where work can cease and resume after learning experiences, and where the system is not dependent on every part functioning perfectly. They can be maintained, and it usually makes sense for the people involved to maintain their homes and servers

But I think we already can add some things to list. Some that pops to my mind right now is

the project must be captured and conveyed in shape of a greater story/vision that explains the value and connects the small individual parts with the end result

the story and the greater vision must be carried and embodied by one or a few revered individuals

there must be incentives for people to provide value on all the different levels - from every single component to the end result

It might be that it shouldn't even be formulated as one large project, but small projects that lead to a vision?