Gigayear Problems

Gigayear: one billion years

My father coined the term gigayear to characterize problems that, if solved, win humanity one billion years of additional life.

As a first filter for deciding what long-term problems to commit myself to, I always consider whether the best possible outcome would return a gigayear.

Gigayear Impacts in History

1. Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin
2. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution
3. Edward Jenner, pioneer of the smallpox vaccine
4. John Jumper, creator of AlphaFold