Letter to number 8

The 8 billionth citizen of the world will probably be born within a few months. Never before have we been on the planet with so many people at once. Of the 110 billion people who have lived since the dawn of humanity, 8/110 = 7.3% are present at the same time. Yet we are short of hands to do all the work that is already being done. Or is that perhaps a sign that we are more focused on doing the work right than on doing the right work? This column is a welcome letter to the 8 billionth citizen of the world, discussing the fundamental unpredictability of the future and the many challenges we now face.