Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.

"Shelter in place" is a term that none of us had even heard of a month ago.  Now's it's part of our lexicon, and may remain that way for some time.  (Remember it was just barely over a month ago that the stock market was at its all-time high with no end in sight, everything was rosy, and the biggest concern on all our minds was who the Democrat nominee might be.)  So as we all "shelter in place," this morning Barry Ritholtz posted this article from Politico on his Weekend Reading list on The Big Picture blog.  They brought together 30 brainiacs from all areas of society to tap their meters on where we're heading.  The big surprise is that their prognostications on how coronavirus is going to change our world are mostly quite positive.  Since there are 30 brief interviews here, it's quite lengthy so I have included only the intro paragraphs below.  But the link will take you to the full article.  Enjoy the sunny if chilly weekend.  Stay safe, stay well, and stay "in place." 

 Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.

A crisis on this scale can reorder society in dramatic ways, for better or worse. Here are 34 big thinkers’ predictions for what’s to come.

By POLITICO MAGAZINE

03/19/2020 07:30 PM EDT

For many Americans right now, the scale of the coronavirus crisis calls to mind 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis—events that reshaped society in lasting ways, from how we travel and buy homes, to the level of security and surveillance we’re accustomed to, and even to the language we use.  

Politico Magazine surveyed more than 30 smart, macro thinkers this week, and they have some news for you: Buckle in. This could be bigger.  

A global, novel virus that keeps us contained in our homes—maybe for months—is already reorienting our relationship to government, to the outside world, even to each other. Some changes these experts expect to see in the coming months or years might feel unfamiliar or unsettling: Will nations stay closed? Will touch become taboo? What will become of restaurants?  

But crisis moments also present opportunity: more sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarization, a revived appreciation for the outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures. No one knows exactly what will come, but here is our best stab at a guide to the unknown ways that society—government, healthcare, the economy, our lifestyles and more—will change.  

3-21-20 Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. - POLITICO