Deep Time Thinking: Becoming Good Ancestors in a Fast-Moving World
What Is Deep Time?
When we talk about the future, we usually think in days, weeks, maybe a few years. But Earth’s true story is measured in deep time—the eons over which mountains form, species evolve, and civilizations rise and fall. To think in deep time means to consider decisions on scales of thousands or even millions of years.
It’s a shift from instant gratification to long-term stewardship—from “What do I need today?” to “What will my great-great-grandchildren inherit?”
Why It Matters Now
In the U.S., fast-paced culture dominates everything from politics to media to tech. But this mindset is increasingly dangerous in an era of:
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Climate change that will unfold over centuries
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Nuclear waste that remains hazardous for 100,000 years
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AI and biotechnology with irreversible effects on future generations
As author Roman Krznaric argues, we must become "good ancestors"—people who design, build, and legislate for futures we will never live to see.
Real-World Applications
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The Long Now Foundation in San Francisco is building a clock designed to last 10,000 years inside a mountain in Texas—a metaphor and a mechanism for long-term thinking.
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In Finland, the Onkalo nuclear waste repository is designed to safely contain radioactive waste until the year 102024.
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The Future Library Project in Norway is collecting one unpublished book per year until 2114, when they will all be released at once.
These projects remind us: deep time isn’t science fiction—it’s a responsibility.
What Can Americans Do Now?
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Urban planners can design cities for 100-year floods, not 10-year plans.
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Policymakers can legislate with the 7th generation in mind—a concept borrowed from Indigenous governance.
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Investors and philanthropists can support long-term institutions over short-term gains.
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Everyday citizens can build legacies rooted in resilience, not convenience.
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