There is a strong chance that cinemagoers in the New Year are on their way to watch the well-reviewed Dune, an almost biblical tale — partly filmed in Abu Dhabi — about how the race to technology and modernity ends up plunging good people into a quest for desperate, basic survival and freedom. It is a sci-fi classic, so hard to encapsulate that it inspired an award-winning documentary about the impossibility of turning the original book into a film. But, ultimately, the ideas are very simple: in the rush for technological progress, people should be careful about the damage they are doing to the physical, political and moral world.
The potential, serious threat posed by technology, AI and digital security is also highlighted in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) "Global Risks Report 2022", a document grounded not in sci-fi and drama, but the most likely scenarios of future threats that society faces. For the past 17 years, the report has used its “Global Risks Perception Survey” involving nearly 1,000 experts and leaders, to gather insights on these threats. They are alarmingly downbeat this year; only 16 per cent feel optimistic about the future.
For now, the report’s primary warnings are far more basic than a high-tech future gone awry. The real driver of the most likely future crises is Covid-19 and its fallout, particularly its creation of a “divergent economic recovery”.
The trend is already underway. Developing countries are being robbed of pre-pandemic expected levels of GDP growth. By 2024, rates will have fallen by 5.5 per cent, apart from in China. Richer countries, however, will see an average growth of 1 per cent. Looming debt crises are another concern.
On a practical level, this spells disaster for dealing with other threats the world faces in 2022 and beyond, all of which require a response based on global solidarity, a sentiment that has been dashed by, among others, ongoing vaccine inequality.
By far the most threatening issue in this regard is the climate crisis. The survey ranks risks by the period in which they are thought to become a “critical threat to the world”, in periods of 0-2 years, 2-5 years and 5-10 years. In all three categories, either extreme weather, climate action failure or biodiversity loss take at least two of the top three slots. In 5-10 years, the top five threats will all be environmental.
A particularly important angle that the report is tackling, one which is only recently being used as an important measure of global stability and prosperity, is the role of mental health, which is listed as the fourth biggest risk that worsened most since the start of the pandemic. This ties into the fastest growing threat over the past two years, “social cohesion erosion”, something that WEF fears will lead to ineffective policymaking and growing international rivalries when solidarity is most needed.
Where to find solutions among these depressing projections? Longstanding moral ideals of partnership, charity, tolerance and dialogue of course should play their part. After the pandemic, the world has another weapon: resilience through technology. Thanks to huge advances, vaccine science will never be the same again, nor will the world of work, education and medicine.
The world must acknowledge the rapidly deteriorating situation outlined by WEF. It must also not lose hope, and countries must collaborate on solutions. Matching the huge promise of technological and scientific progress with old standards of morality can confine the bleak world of Dune to the sci-fi genre. Let’s just hope that advances are distributed equitably. So far, that endeavour has faltered.
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
