Kelp, Shrimp, and a Salty Morning

20201026, rather than raising a workforce to use decades down the line, making sure the workforce already alive can keep functioning well for longer is where a healthy population cycle actually begins. That's also where the real use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like AI and robots lies. If the lives of the elderly and of women become more fulfilling and comfortable, the birth rate will gradually start to stir. Fixing low birth rates shouldn't be the first button to button on the population problem — it should be the last. We've got it backwards. (Kwak No-pil, How Should We Face an Era of Childless Elders) According to Statistics Korea, our population is set to start declining as early as next year, 2021. But considering that globally, falling birth rates are driven by things like poverty reduction, gender equality, and digitalization — and that they're actually a plus for climate change and food security — there's no need to be entirely discouraged. If low birth rates and an aging population are simply unavoidable, let's stop clinging only to birth-rate incentives and change our perspective instead. Pan-sear the #shrimp I prepped last night and lay it over well-washed #kelp, then finish with a dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, and whole-grain mustard, plus a little dill, pepper, and lemon juice. #shrimpkelpsalad #breakfast #breakfasttable #salad #kelpsalad #myfrenchstylesalad (Aside) It's brutal. A mouthful of overly salty kelp hits me square in the face. But don't worry — a bowl of rice will cover up the saltiness.