Program III
Planetary Futures
Energy · climate · infrastructure · biosphere · space
Active research questions
Questions in development, with the current stage and intended publication format. Dates remain unannounced unless stated.
How should governments coordinate around orbital infrastructure, space-based computing, and other dual-use space systems?
What energy and grid strategies can support accelerating computational demand without closing off climate and resilience goals?
When does long-horizon ownership produce genuine environmental stewardship rather than better reporting?
Which present-day decisions preserve optionality around fusion, climate adaptation, and off-world infrastructure?
How do institutions plan against compound transitions where technology, climate, and social systems interact non-linearly?
What is the institutional logic for long-horizon investment under deep uncertainty?
Where do planetary, technological, and governance transitions create cascade risks that current frameworks underweight?
Broader lines of inquiry
- How should governments coordinate around orbital infrastructure, space-based computing, and other dual-use space systems?
- What energy and grid strategies can support accelerating computational demand without closing off climate and resilience goals?
- When does long-horizon ownership produce genuine environmental stewardship rather than better reporting?
- Which present-day decisions preserve optionality around fusion, climate adaptation, and off-world infrastructure?
- Where do planetary, technological, and governance transitions create cascade risks that current frameworks underweight?
Image credits
- Planetary Futures
- Landsat 9 image of the Colorado River Delta and Gulf of California, March 30, 2025. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.