Maybe the only method to “upgrade” the human civilization is to implement mandatory annual reasoning, understanding and culture tests… worldwide?
Each year, your understanding of the standard physics model, basic math, logic, chemistry, biology, psychology and economics are tested.
With terrible, terrible consequences if you get a low grade. Like, not authorised to work for anything more than UBI. And no children. Oh! That’d be terrifying for most! (what? no DNA propagation?!)
Think Earth is flat? Sorry, not allowed to work and have children.
Don’t know the difference between Titanium and Tritium? Sorry, you don’t pass.
Think a woman or a child has no rights for self-determination? Oh…
Believe in one of the many written books about gods and fairies? Well…
With free education at any age, for any level. Just finance it with current budgets for worldwide military spending, war on drugs and border control. :D
Is it feasible democratically? Nah… Not really. Why? Because humans are ignorant, biased and lazy by default. Like any other animal on the planet.
Till then, it’ll always be a system of extremes (rich vs poor, smart vs stupid, rational vs emotional) trying to survive at the expense of the other.
* * *
You may say “But how can we teach that which we don’t know for sure? And what is the referenced “good” reasoning anyway?”
This is not a problem. The scientific method is robust and proven by a 350-years track record. And we should absolutely teach that we don’t know a lot of things, like how paracetamol or gravity work.
We do know that isolationism in a globalised world is a bad, bad idea. Or that alcohol and CO2 emissions kill. Or how previous generations dealt with and failed at the problems we face.
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