Quantum Wilder

Yesterday with schools closed, neighborhood evacuated, and smoky skies we took the family to the Salton Sea. Here we stand 240 feet below sea level, 12 feet below nominal lake level, on a muddy salty crust. Despite the fires and the lack of water, there was beauty in the desolation, the blue lapping water (bereft of fish, too salty) and the clear blue sky. Much of California was terraformed a century ago. Here, the frontier still exists. It calls us to flex our technical and capital might to build a paradise in the desert, another global city, built on power, water, and minerals so abundant we give them away for free. 110 miles of stunning coastline. Regulated level and salinity, a global marine sanctuary, dolphins and coral - why not?