Noteworthy
 

Summer break for STC is almost here. Yes, we'll post our January – June 2025 Retrospective next Monday and then its Summer Vacation for STC! As we end our first semester of "Noteworthy" posts we're straying off topic. We're drawing your attention to a film, and it is not a film about microbes. It is Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio's classic non-narrative documentary film from 1982.

Koyaanisqatsi, the word from the language of the Hopi people of northeastern Arizona, means "life out of balance." The striking cinematography and amazing sound track by Philip Glass, yielded an astonishing adumbration of the consequences of our present-day continuously accelerating pace of life. Given that it was released over forty years ago, Reggio's production was visionary. He sent the world a warning of things to come, urging us to slow down, to change course. Had we heard his message, the world would be a different place today. Yet, his advice is still very much worth heeding. If you have not seen the film, you should. If you've already seen it, please see it again.

There's homework here, the reason for recommending this film. As we head off to summer break, we urge you to watch it. (The film is not open access but you can easily rent it from many platforms, just google "Stream Koyaanisqatsi.") It is mind-boggling and thought-provoking and provides the perfect setting to ponder some deep questions about our future. What will Earth look like in a century (or two)? What should we do today to prepare the way to meet the challenges and, more importantly to take advantage of the opportunities, that humanity will encounter over the next century? Such far-forward thinking is very much needed as a guide in our lives today.

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