Repost in two parts due to removal:
Effective Technology to Combat Unwanted Sound
Contrary to popular opinion, I feel that the biggest problem we face is a deficit of widespread wisdom.
Most of the big problems people highlight can be reduced to one question, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?" One only has to look at the success of bottled water to understand that our lack of wisdom and attention to the results of our actions that keep us in a cycle of harm. At the same time, humans are moving to cities en masse where they act more but are denied an environment conducive to deep, prolonged contemplation of their own lives, the lives of their peers, and the world. Instead they become competitive and over stimulated. In short, too many are distracted from the things that matter. Sure, if you asked them what matters, they might know the right answer, but it’s doubtful they’ve ever felt that answer let alone changed their actions based on such a feeling.
If I had to come up with an obtainable world changing challenge it would be this: Give everyone the option of silence. Create an effective barrier to noise in our public and private lives. Currently, the most effective technology for this is eighteen inches of wood, vinyl, fiberglass and drywall. It’s expensive, bulky, immobile, inflexible solution and it’s not good enough. Research is being done but not at the pace it should be.
Noise effects everyone negatively, it's on the rise, and I believe it's becoming a barrier to a citizenry that is not only healthy but wise enough to face the massive challenges of tomorrow. For every innovator, there are thousands of couch potatoes that we can’t give up on. We need everyone. Right now, too many are wrapped up in meaningless versions of their lives.
Even in urban environments, everyone needs to relax, meditate, decompress, and actively remember their clearer head. If they are ever going to have agency over their decisions, their values, and how they create meaning for themselves, they need to stop and cultivate their wisdom without distraction.