World Changing Projects from Singularity University

It has literally been nearly a month and I am still experiencing some fractions of the Post SU stress syndrome on a good day like today. I miss them so here is my attempt to capture and relive these memories. Being able to unite around the same goal of changing the world through our ideas and actions is truly what makes our friendship so special. I am creating that kind of friendship locally here at MIT and I hope to be able to inspire others through my own actions for peace and prosperity of all living beings. 

Let's together change a billion lives! Let's live out the drama of our lives and enjoy the most fulfilling existence! 

This is my team! Matternet: Lifting the Rising Billion. We have a plan to revolutionize transportation in places without usable roads. Using a network of autonomous aerial vehicles to transport medical supplies in places without roads in developing countries and creating economic opportunities for people living under extreme poverty to lift themselves out of poverty! 

During our early morning break (5am), we dance. 

Ignisolar: emPOWERing people. It aims to create affordable energy harnessing from the sun for people in developing countries. 

Our Global Story: learning about life across culture and languages. It aims to redefine conventional education through global documentaries. 

There are many more projects that are world-changing. For example, the Corruption Tracker project. Using the Ushahidi platform to tackle de-centralized corruption leveraging exponentially growing trends of information crowdsourcing. 

Or Project Instance that helps you encrypt your data when they are up in the cloud! Or PlayEnergy that allows you to redistribute the abundance of energy and resources in developed countries to developing countries via gamification and social networks! 

One Day of Peace. Peace One Day

One Day of Peace: Jeremy Gilley

What if we have one day of peace..what would it be like? What would you do? What would the world look like?

How timely. At the SGI meeting last night, we were talking about peace and violence. What happened when everything is destroyed in an instant? What is the point of living? or even creating anything at all?

Is there a starting day of peace? Is there one? Maybe. But what if we begin now, what if we do it for a day...just one day of peace.

an effort of one single individual who is stubborn enough. no matter what people say. can change the world. even just for one day. one day. is enough. isn't it? if we all take charge of one day. to create a day of peace. we don't need many people. right?

A letter from Taliban was received, saying that they would observe the day of peace. Humanitarian works wouldn't be kidnapped. 1.6 Million children was vaccinated against polio as a consequence of everyone stopping. 70% of violence was reduced in Afghanistan in one day. can you imagine? Future isn't something you can fathom. You have to dream the future. Invent the future. Then do everything, give up everything to realize that dream. It is the only way to live the most meaningful and fulfilling existence.

It's all about individuals. The power of one individual empowering people to unite.

Dialogue and Individuals. Determination and Consistency.

"By working together, we can create peace one day." -- Jeremy Gilley

An exciting day at SU

Guess what? It's not surprising. But yesterday was another exciting day at SU.

Obama's Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, gave a talk here about the government's efforts to innovate. One of the biggest trend is data liberation. I love how they use the word, liberation...very fitting.

They put out 3 challenges related to energy, open healthcare, and education. The government is seeing collaboration and crowd sourcing as a new trend, which is very in rhythm of what we are doing here. I like this guy a lot. So I asked him, how the government can ensure that these wonderful initiatives will continue after this election term. And he didn't answer but said he would look into that. I was expecting that he would talk about engaging private sector to help take these initiatives beyond the election term.

Another talk was by Stewart Brand about leveraging technology to benefit humanity and environment. I asked him a very hard question with respect to the risk of a country (i.e. Pakistan and India) developing nuclear weapons after it adopted Atoms for Peace project purported by Eisenhower.

Read more here.

Oh and we went to Intuitive Surgical. I couldn't believe that almost everything was assembled by hands.....It's so outdated. Anyways, it was not impressive for me. And they use pigs for testing their devices. I hate it. What can I do now? unethical. How can we justify taking away a life that's not even our own? hurr....I hate how we are using animals in our research and education.

The half-way point

So a few days ago, I had to give my very first ignite presentation. 20 slides in 5 mins. I presented my PhD research. It went really well.

It's been about 5 weeks since I came here. 5 more weeks to go. Again, being the kind of person who is extremely attached to people as I am, I can foresee myself missing these people so much. I am continuing to learn from those around me. They complete me. Somehow, I feel that way.

Team project is going quite well. We have a very good team packed with many passionate people. I think because of this, many more people would love to join our team. I have to chant for everyone's victories and happiness. No matter how different our personalities may be, we will all have to be able to work well together and enjoy ourselves in the process. I take it as my mission to create an environment where people can enjoy themselves at ease and feel equally precious.

We are looking at the problem of transportation in places where there is no road infrastructure. We are thinking of using the flying drones to deliver medicine, supplies, etc. to places like Africa. Isn't it a radical idea? Well, it has to be. Otherwise, why are we even doing this.

Talking about being a radical. Yesterday was such an amazing day! We had a call regarding Our New Clear Future campaign for nuclear abolition. I realized the profundity of my role in the organization.

It amazes me when I chant how much impact I can create through my determinations. It takes a lot of courage to even dream of what kind of causes we are creating. There are so many governmental institutes, United Nations, many prestigious schools in the east coast. If just one person stands up, just one, what kind of impact can he/she make? Imagine there is another Pres. Ikeda in the east coast and he/she is then awakened to her mission. What kind of world he/she can create? It gives me so much joy to even attempt to fathom that. What a great mission I have!!

Towards the 55th founding of the Student Division in 2012, let's create Sensei's Student Division.

Win battles of speech through invincible bravery, faith and wisdom!!! "A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith." -- Nichiren Daishonin

Reflection

Waiting in San Francisco International Airport,  I am contemplating what it'd be like leaving SU. It's not easy I'd have to admit. Why is SU so special? When will I find myself among these many crazy people ever again in my life? The chance is highly unlikely.

I have never met so many people who share the same life philosophies that are not practicing Nichiren Buddhism with the SGI. No wonder that's what got us all here. We all want to help people. We are constantly asking ourselves if this is something that will feed those who are hungry around the world. How wonderful it is to be among these people! I only have 6 weeks left and I have to make the best out of it. My plan is to really immerse myself in learning and talking to these people as much as I can building a long lasting relationship through our shared vow throughout eternity.

I was particularly moved today when a friend of mine in the program showed me what he has written on his wall, literally on countless sheets of paper that he put up on the wall. It tells the story of how wonderful this person is. How fortunate I am to be able to encounter this wonderful person! I will not forget you, no matter what. Our hearts are always together when we walk the same path.

He turns his frustration into creation of something much greater than himself. I am amazed by the level of creativity and sincerity.  What a blessing for me to come across this kind of people! Anyways, it deeply touches my heart. It inspires me to dig even deeper than what I believe to be myself. He teaches me through his own actions how to be creative, to be oneself, and to explore the infinite possibilities of creation.

Many people have touched my life in the most profound way.  I have so many great girlfriends there that I am going to truly miss when I am gone. Olga, Miyeon, Justine, Monica, and many more. I remember how Olga asked me to do my nails for me just because I was going away. Or how Monica and I redetermined together while walking back from learning that bodies of soldiers just landed in NASA Ames, 3 mins walk away from our classroom. I would remember how respectful and loving my friend, Mi Yeon, is. She is my life. Justine, my little koala bear. How cute and sweet, and most of all truly humble person she is! She has taught me how to live with great respect and humility for every person. I love her! How lucky I am as a person who can encounter so many wonderful people! I am going to cry!

OK! Determination! I will come back and make sure we create wonderful memories that will last more than this single lifetime! I love you all! GSP11!!!

History of nuclear energy

It's truly shocking for me to learn about this. How the project Atom for Peace came about was not an extreme surprise for me. Here is an excerpt from the article from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

After the two bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there is an aggressive movement to push forth the peaceful use of atomic energy through the Atomic Energy Commission, which was controlled by the military. How interesting. Anyways, the number of US nuclear stockpile increased from 1,000 to 22,000 by the end of Eisenhower's administration. If you think it is because of nuclear race, see the graph below. And to the nuclear deterrence argument, the US has always had more nuclear stockpile during the cold war.

And the nuclear weapons capability of India and Pakistan from their nuclear energy technology is truly worrisome. There is no justification to use nuclear energy over the renewable energy such as wind, water and solar considering how much CO2 emission was produced and the waste from nuclear energy.

Source: http://stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/susenergy2030.html

Declaration Calling for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

By Josei Toda, second president of the Soka Gakkai
September 8, 1957

I would now like to share with you what I hope you will regard as the foremost of my instructions for the future.
As I have long said, the responsibility for the coming era must be shouldered by the youth. ... Today I would like to state clearly my feelings and attitude regarding the testing of nuclear weapons, a topic that is currently being debated heatedly throughout society. I hope that, as my disciples, you will inherit the declaration I am about to make today and, to the best of your ability, spread its intent throughout the world.
Although a movement calling for a ban on the testing of atomic or nuclear weapons has arisen around the world, it is my wish to go further, to attack the problem at its root. I want to expose and rip out the claws that lie hidden in the very depths of such weapons. I wish to declare that anyone who ventures to use nuclear weapons, irrespective of their nationality or whether their country is victorious or defeated, should be sentenced to death without exception.

Why do I say this? Because we, the citizens of the world, have an inviolable right to live. Anyone who jeopardizes that right is a devil incarnate, a fiend, a monster. I propose that humankind applies, in every case, the death penalty to anyone responsible for using nuclear weapons, even if that person is on the winning side.
Even if a country should conquer the world through the use of nuclear weapons, the conquerors must be viewed as devils, as evil incarnate. I believe that it is the mission of every member of the youth division in Japan to disseminate this idea throughout the globe.

I'd give my life to pursue the dream of my mentor. To abolish all nuclear weapons from the face of this earth by 2030!!!!!!