Darwin, Einstein and Five Challenges for Florida

[Illustration: Zammarchi]

In their time, both men advanced theories that were radical. Today, however, the enduring image of Einstein is that of a beloved old grandfather, while Darwin remains a boogeyman for many; some schools, community leaders and politicians continuously try to banish his name and works from impressionable young minds.

Objectively, it should be the other way around; Einstein messed up our notions of the entire universe, space and time while birthing atomic energy and weapons. Darwin simply said all living things, including humanoids, gradually change. And in the process of change most do not survive if they do not evolve.

But consider the two men’s course through life. Einstein, an extraordinary radical in his youth, became more conservative in thought and deed as he aged. Nothing he achieved during his decades at Princeton comes close to matching even one of the three key articles he published while a patent clerk in 1905. Eventually, Einstein spent time at conferences railing, in the nicest possible way, against new theories and young scholars. When faced with quantum mechanics, with mounting evidence that on a subatomic level all remains uncertain, Einstein never wavered. He had a faith, a story, a narrative, and he stuck to it. He remains a beloved figure, one on a par with very few folks, folks like Gandhi, Mandela and John Paul II. But few of his advisees went on to become great rule breakers or great rule makers. Physics and the world, using the extraordinary foundation he built, moved on.

[Illustration: Zammarchi]

Darwin, ironically, was much more religious than Einstein. In his personal life, the Englishman was far more of a family man, a man of unwavering values and truths than Einstein. But Darwin never quit learning, questioning, evolving. A man who once thought of becoming a preacher eventually came to believe that God does play dice. And because of this he never found comfort or peace or contentment. He lived with the consequences of unflinching honesty in his observations and conclusions. As a result, instead of being universally loved and admired, Darwin often is feared and reviled.

What might this all have to do with Florida and its future? Florida can grow, Einstein-like, into a satisfied, content, comfortable old region. Or it can follow Darwin’s path, one filled with uncertainty, one that makes many uncomfortable and leaves many behind.

Most fabulously successful countries and regions eventually end up like Einstein. They bask and worship the extraordinary and radical transformations achieved in their youth. Comfort, tradition, deeply held beliefs gradually ossify even as the world gradually changes, gradually evolves. After all, there is so much already achieved, so much to protect and preserve. Homeland history, homeland security, becomes the primary raison d’etre, the primary value.

Part of Florida’s challenge stems from its spectacular success. Against all odds, a difficult, stormy, pestilent, swampy land became an extraordinary breadbasket and then morphed into a place where so many old folks found comfort. Eventually youth learned and followed; football and South Beach thrived. Other countries and cultures came to enjoy and add to the extraordinary growth and energy. Florida is the capital of so many things, of Latin American beat and businesses, of oranges, art deco, tropical cuisine, sport fishing, space launches, planned communities and tourism.

There is so much to celebrate, to preserve and to protect. So the understandable tendency is to be conservative, to stick with what has worked, to banish radical and uncomfortable ideas.

But archeology museums, as well as countless ruins of once great civilizations, provide examples of where a rejection of evolution, of where an emphasis on comfort over continuous change, leads. Various cities and regions of Europe are as beautiful and manicured as any on earth. But many of its once great universities have become mediocre, diluted examples of equality at the expense of excellence. Many former centers of innovation and growth have focused on preserving an eroding industrial and agricultural base at the expense of new businesses. Many parts of Europe have become what a friend of mine describes as a Disneyland for adults.

And while Florida does so many things well, it still has to adopt and adapt. It has to evolve. And it has to do so rapidly because over the course of the next five years we will double the amount of data generated throughout human history. This presents an extraordinary opportunity to launch new businesses, new industries, but only for those prepared and willing to embrace change. What happens to the state and to the region over the next 50 years depends on how today’s leaders deal with five challenges.

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