The Final Countdown
What if you only had one chance to change everything?
Sometimes, a story from the past can reveal more about our present than we imagine. I want to invite you to join me in a reflective exploration inspired by the film The Final Countdown. This 1980 sci-fi classic takes us aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, which is mysteriously transported back in time—just before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Beyond Cinema: A Mirror for Humanity
I don’t just see fiction in it. I see a powerful metaphor: what would we do if we could go back and change a crucial event? More importantly—what are we willing to do today to prevent tomorrow’s crises?
Lessons for Our Time
The USS Nimitz represents modern technology and knowledge facing the chaos of a fractured world. Just like the crew of that ship, humanity today has powerful tools (artificial intelligence, climate data, renewable energy…)—but stands before difficult decisions.
The film poses the time paradox: if we prevent a past disaster, could we alter history so much that even our current existence disappears? This idea mirrors the climate dilemma perfectly. Changing our actions drastically might reshape our habits, economies, and ways of life. But it might also be the only way to ensure survival.
What if we brought data back in time?
(and the images I would show)
Let’s imagine going 50 years back—to the mid-1970s—when early warning signs were already surfacing, and science had the tools to listen. I wouldn’t just bring memories. I would bring proof. Carefully selected materials understandable in that era: printed photographs, projected maps, paper reports—nothing that could alter their view of future technologies.
Picture presenting this to world leaders and scientists:
Satellite images of polar ice melting.
Graphs showing sea level rise since the 1970s.
Atmospheric CO₂ trends over time.
Maps of climate-related disasters increasing in frequency.
Even a series of transparencies or a slideshow could have more impact than any speech—as long as it didn’t disrupt the natural course of technological evolution.
Among all the data, these are the images I would carry, printed and ready:
Global temperature anomaly map: a clear visual showing warming since the late 19th century.
Comparative photo of the Arctic from 1984 and 2024, revealing drastic ice loss.
Paper graph of rising sea levels, from the 1970s to today.
Map of wildfires tracked by satellite over the last 30 years.
These images need no translation. While modern readers may view them on high-resolution screens, people in 1975 would only see them on paper. And still—they would feel their weight.
Imagine a map washed in deep red and glowing orange tones, as if the Earth itself were heating from within. That’s the real image of global temperatures from 1880 to now. Now imagine handing that printed map to someone in the 1970s… and watching the disbelief on their face.
Rather than display them here, you can explore these NASA visual resources yourself:
“Global temperatures have risen by more than 1.1°C since 1880.” — NASA Global Climate Change
Would it make a difference… if they could see it with their own eyes?
Maybe time isn’t the enemy—maybe silence is.
A Call from the Future
From this corner of the universe, I ask you:
Are we ready to act today—even if it means radically changing our present—to avoid climate collapse tomorrow?
The countdown has already begun.
Five years ago... love you, mom.
Today, the world speaks back.
During his address at COP29, held in Baku from November 11 to 22, 2024, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a message that echoes through the very core of this edition:
“International cooperation, centered on the Paris Agreement, is indispensable to climate action. […] Never forget what is at stake. This is a COP to deliver justice in the face of climate catastrophe.”
In a world increasingly divided, his words are a reminder that the countdown isn’t just about data or science—it’s about justice, unity, and survival.
(Watch the full message below)
Source: António Guterres on X
See you in the next edition of FUTURE IN US.