Intergenerational sustainability is enhanced by taking the perspective of future generations

Exploring new technologies for the future generation: exploration-exploitation trade-off in an intergenerational framework

Decision making on exploring or exploiting technology was studied by means of a laboratory experiment with a two-generation framework. In this framework, the design of a virtual tool is transmitted from the first to second generation, and hence, the former can help the latter by frequently exploring better tool designs but at the cost of reduced opportunities to exploit the existing tool to increase its own benefits. We set two experimental conditions ('repaid' and 'unrepaid') as well as a control condition (asocial), in which the second generation is absent. In the 'repaid' experimental condition, participants received an extra payment proportional to the score gained by the second generation, such that they were monetarily incentivized to help the second generation. Such an incentive was not given in the 'unrepaid' condition. An analysis of a formal model and computer simulations predicted that rational participants should increase investment in exploration only in the repaid condition when compared with the asocial control. The prediction was confirmed by the results of the experiment. These findings together suggest that humans may not have a propensity to invest in costly exploration of new technologies solely to help future generations.

Neural mechanisms underlying interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior

Intergenerational sustainability is a pressing challenge, which is exacerbated by the fact that the current generation must make sacrifices today to ensure the well-being of future generations. There are large interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these interindividual differences have remained unexplored. Here, we combined fMRI with a consequential intergenerational sustainability paradigm in a sample of 72 healthy students. Specifically, we analyzed task-dependent functional activity and connectivity during intergenerational sustainable decision-making, focusing on the state-like neurophysiological processes giving rise to behavioral heterogeneity in sustainability. We found that differences in neural communication within and between the mentalizing (TPJ/DMPFC) and cognitive control (ACC/DLPFC) network are related to interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. Specifically, the stronger the functional connectivity within and between these networks during decision-making, the more individuals behaved intergenerationally sustainably. Corroborated by mediation analyses, these findings suggest that differences in the engagement of perspective-taking and self-control processes underly interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. By answering recent calls for leveraging behavioral and neuroscience for sustainability research, we hope to contribute to interdisciplinary efforts to advance the understanding of interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainability.

A Connected World: System-Level Support Through Biosensors

The goal of protecting the health of future generations is a blueprint for future biosensor design. Systems-level decision support requires that biosensors provide meaningful service to society. In this review, we summarize recent developments in cyber physical systems and biosensors connected with decision support. We identify key processes and practices that may guide the establishment of connections between user needs and biosensor engineering using an informatics approach. We call for data science and decision science to be formally connected with sensor science for understanding system complexity and realizing the ambition of biosensors-as-a-service. This review calls for a focus on quality of service early in the design process as a means to improve the meaningful value of a given biosensor. We close by noting that technology development, including biosensors and decision support systems, is a cautionary tale. The economics of scale govern the success, or failure, of any biosensor system.

Sustainable education and youth confidence as pillars of future civil society

While sustainability is at the centre of many government agendas, there is a great risk of entrusting strategic decisions to those lacking in sustainability expertise. It is therefore necessary to ensure that universities are the green engines of sustainable communities. The present study administered a questionnaire to students enrolled in a Management Engineering programme at an Italian university, to collect their perceptions of and opinions on sustainability and energy issues. Students completed the questionnaire twice: once prior to beginning and once at the end of term. The results showed that students held more sustainable attitudes at the end of term, and perceived sustainable education and youth confidence as the building blocks of future society. They also observed that decarbonisation of the Italian energy system and national energy independence would require the significant development of renewable systems and interventions to promote energy efficiency. In addition, they recognised subsidies for green production, energy communities, differentiated waste collection and professional skills training as crucial. The sustainable university should support younger generations by encouraging student engagement in real-world projects and the development of long-term, structured teacher-student relationships.

Interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior are associated with cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Intergenerational sustainability requires people of the present generation to make sacrifices today to benefit others of future generations (e.g. mitigating climate change, reducing public debt). Individuals vary greatly in their intergenerational sustainability, and the cognitive and neural sources of these interindividual differences are not yet well understood. We here combined neuroscientific and behavioral methods by assessing interindividual differences in cortical thickness and by using a common-pool resource paradigm with intergenerational contingencies. This enabled us to look for objective, stable, and trait-like neural markers of interindividual differences in consequential intergenerational behavior. We found that individuals behaving sustainably (vs. unsustainably) were marked by greater cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Given that these brain areas are involved in perspective-taking and self-control and supported by mediation analyses, we speculate that greater cortical thickness of these brain areas better enable individuals to take the perspective of future generations and to resist temptations to maximize personal benefits that incur costs for future generations. By meeting recent calls for the contribution of neuroscience to sustainability research, it is our hope that the present study advances the transdisciplinary understanding of interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainability.