A study of the necessary and optimal conditions for success in the most challenging human endeavors : modem day Manhattan Projects are needed for overcoming contemporary global challenges

It is possible to categorize four contemporary challenges as the greatest threats to global well-being and the persistence of humankind. These challenges are global climate and ecological change, poor human health management, violence (or the absence of peace), and poverty and hunger. If our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are to survive in a peaceful world where fruitful progress can occur, these contemporary global challenges must be addressed thoughtfully and collectively as a human species. It is the contention of this paper that there exists an optimal and necessary set of requirements and conditions (at a global and organizational level) that give us the greatest probability of success in tackling these most urgent human challenges. The goal of this thesis is to prove this hypothesis and that these conditions can be explained by causal models as well as empirically tested through historical application and validation and direct application on a real world situation. A simple model for assessment of potential success for addressing the most challenging human endeavors is delivered. Sub-goals include presenting an analysis of the current global approaches to solving the major human challenges and how they can be improved.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Chowdhury, Anando A

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Patrick Hale.

• Engineering Systems Division.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83787

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83787