Future Tech, Climate Change and Ethical Investing
TRIBEathlon Podcast
Episode 39: Claire Cashmore has competed in 4 Paralympic games as a swimmer and, after switching sports, became ITU Triathlon World and British Champion in 2019, with Tokyo 2021 to look forward to.
Claire is also the author of the book ‘Splash’ and has achieved a huge amount in her time in sport, so Sid and I wanted to explore with her how perceptions towards the Paralympics have changed over time, how she herself overcame the physical and mental challenges of being born with a disability and also the reasons and strategies behind switching from swimming to triathlon.
Future Tech I’m Curious About
A friend of mine, Peter Hamilton, is a sci-fi author that writes about times several hundred years from now. As he is someone that has to write about tech way beyond our current capabilities, I once asked him over a pint what the coolest tech he’d written about that he would like to come true. His answer was inserting a microchip into the brain to upload new skills and download memories. Elon Musk’s Neuralink is not far away from making that a reality. Not only has he got chimps playing computer games with their mind, but he will soon have us controlling our phones with our mind, and also enabling, paraplegics to walk again using in body motor/sensory neuron clusters. Welcome to The Matrix!
TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting
Continuing with an unintentional trend of posting about the climate, I recently watched Greta Thunberg’s TED talk The disarming case to act right now on climate change. In this passionate call to action, the 16-year-old climate activist explains why, in August 2018, she walked out of school and organized a strike to raise awareness of global warming, protesting outside the Swedish parliament and grabbing the world's attention. "The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions," Thunberg says. "All we have to do is to wake up and change." Regardless of your thoughts on Greta, you cannot help but be compelled by her message, determination and ability to communicate.
What I’ve Been Reading
Lately whilst running I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. I’m not sure I’ve learned much from it, other than perhaps a better understanding of the way my brain meanders while I move, but it is certainly a compelling reflection on the power of running and a fascinating insight into the life of this internationally bestselling writer that has only enhanced my enjoyment of running with its company.
Quote of the Week
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
- Haruki Murakami
Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering
In recent weeks I have felt more compelled than ever to talk about the climate. It is our responsibility to look after this planet that we inhabit and share, and I’m not convinced we are doing a job our children will be proud of. Stopping the use of plastic straws and turning the lights off will only help a tiny amount, but one way we can have a greater impact if through our investments and pensions.
At Efficient Portfolio we often talk about ethical investing; by doing so you can diversify your investments more and potentially get better returns if the trend towards investing ethically continues, all whilst making the world a better place by supporting business that are leading the change. If you want to know more about ethical investing, we are happy to explain how to do it without putting your financial future at risk.
