39/365 – ” How do Hyperobjects affect you? ”

In 2012, Philosopher Timothy Morton came out with a book called “The Ecological Thought,” in which he coined the term “hyperobject” to describe an object or phenomenon that was so vast across both space and time that it transcended the ability of the human mind to comprehend it.

As three-dimensional beings trying to make sense of an n-th dimension environment, our brains have a finite ability to understand precisely how the variations and complexity of our world lead to specific outcomes.

Although we might design tools and algorithms that can help us decode complexity, truly embodying and understanding vast concepts is (so far) impossible.

It’s what makes existential challenges like climate change, nuclear proliferation, or the total amount of plastic on the planet today so hard to comprehend – let alone figure out how to affect meaningful change.

Identifying that a situation or thing is a hyperobject means accepting its infinite complexity and our limited ability to manufacture a simple silver bullet solution.

It is equally an invitation for us to play and explore how we might, despite its complexity, affect its velocity, trajectory, and destination.

#365Questions