Do we live in a world of scarcity and limits? Or do we live in a world of creative potential? Is humanity a closed system or an open system?

These questions have animated the thinking of scientists and philosophers for thousands of years and strikes at the very heart of the nature of humanity and the essential character of the Universe our species was born into. Today’s clash between the new paradigm of a multi-polar world model of “win-win cooperation” under the Russia-China alliance VS the unipolar model of one world government and de-population can only be properly understood when these fundamental questions are tackled.

During the symposium held on August 3rd at in Montreal Canada sponsored by the Rising Tide Foundation, several presentations were given to provide thought provoking information designed to kindle the flames of philosophical thought, and scientific wonder for all ages.

Rising Tide Foundation co-founder Matthew Ehret presents the opening remarks on the theme of a seminar held at Montreal’s Concordia University on August 3, 2019 titled “The Universe, Creativity and You”.

In this first presentation, Rising Tide director Cynthia Chung posed the question “is there a necessity- both moral, creative and physical for humanity’s search for meaning and causality in the stars?” Cynthia guided the viewers through an investigation of the incredible advances of Chinese astronomy which recorded the appearance of the Crab Nebula in the 12th century, whose light photons finally made their appearance on Earth after a 6000 year journey and forever changed our conception of space and time. The role of Chinese space science today is guiding the world into a new paradigm and this appreciation of the deeper currents of it’s history are very much worth discovering.

In this 2nd presentation, Matthew Ehret discusses the importance of cultural optimism which can best be inspired by the exploration of space as initiated by John F. Kennedy’s Apollo program. We review the collapse of that pro-science paradigm with the death of JFK and his space program and the conversion of society into a consumer society now sitting atop a global derivatives bubble. We also explore the revival of that lost paradigm led by China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the new embrace of a long term space strategy with NASA’s Artemis project, as well as initiatives driven by Russia, India and China.

In this 3rd presentation Cuautemoc Reale-Hernandez discusses the magic of the atom. If human activity moves into planetary bodies, the distances are daunting and challenges manifold. What type of energy sources will be needed to support a species capable of making journeys to Mars or beyond? What sort of energy sources would open up new avenues of creativity on earth at the same time? Chemical fuel and gas/oil won’t cut it for the long haul, but what about the atom? Why are people so afraid of atomic power (fission and fusion)? Lecturer: Cuautemoc Reale-Hernandez is a nuclear engineer working on a lead-cooled SMR (small modular reactor) that is intended to be deployed in the Canadian arctic (https://www.leadcold.com/sealer.html).