Choosing Awareness

Everyone experiences some form of self-sabotage. The truth is that, often, the only limit we have is the one we impose on ourselves. It might seem like an obvious statement, something you’d find in a fortune cookie, but it’s not.

Too regularly, we don’t realize the conversations happening within us — those inner voices through which we harshly criticize ourselves. Not to mention the people around us who, like a reflex, repeat to us what they tell themselves.

Phrases like: “There’s no point in doing it,” “I’m not good enough,” “I have no talent,” “It’s too late,” “I’m too old,” “It’s too difficult,” “Only a few succeed,” “It’s stupid,” “Why should I bother?” “It’s a waste of time,” “I’ll never be able to do it,” “What’s the use?” “I’m not capable,” and “It’s too late now” — are the classic thoughts that inhabit our minds, feeding the ego, insecurities, and the deep fear of feeling inadequate or wrong. And so, rather than facing this terrifying 'monster' within us, we lock it up in a cage that exists only in our heads.

We imprison ourselves and, along with us, our inner child, their dreams, aspirations, and desires. We confine everything within that perimeter because we are afraid. But the only real risk is closing ourselves off and getting lost without even realizing it—becoming unhappy, disconnecting from our emotions, and distancing ourselves from the creative aspirations of our souls.

© João Incerti

Maybe it all started with a teacher who scolded us one day at school, or a parent who criticized us without helping us improve, or someone who projected their fears onto us, making us believe they were our own. It doesn’t matter. What truly matters is understanding that once we become aware of it, we can change. Through self-observation, we can realize that our perspective is nothing more than the sum of all the experiences we have lived.

Becoming aware of this gives us a wonderful form of freedom: choice.

We can choose what to keep and what to let go of — everything is changeable, always, when there is a deep willingness to do so. It’s never too late to start something, and it’s never foolish to try. There is no such thing as someone without creativity.

Creativity is part of being human, and it is like a muscle — the more you stimulate it, the stronger it becomes. Draw, paint, write, sew — experiment and persist without necessarily having a goal in mind, except to discover who you are.

We are all creative and unique beings. We just need to create the right conditions to express ourselves freely.

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📝 Thank you for reading! I originally wrote this article in Italian for the newspaper “Laici” on July 12, 2024. You can also find it on the following platforms, with links to the English and Spanish versions on my website:

Medium in English

Website in Spanish

Website in Italian

Laici in Italian

Plants and the Energy of Tomorrow

How can plants change our future? Producing electricity by harnessing the interaction between bacteria and plant photosynthesis is possible, and here’s how.

The source that sustains all living beings on Earth is carbon, more specifically, carbon dioxide (CO2) found in our atmosphere.

Photosynthesis in Plants

The production of biomolecules begins with processes driven by the Sun, the largest generator of renewable energy on the planet. The bright star radiates electromagnetic waves across the atmosphere, and a small portion of this energy reaches photoautotrophic organisms, which, through photosynthesis, produce substances for their sustenance and for heterotrophs.

In the photosynthetic process, the first light phase allows the plant to intercept, with the help of the chlorophyll pigment, a specific wavelength of sunlight called PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), which activates the production of energy by "exciting" electrons, which then move and return to their original place. This electron movement causes the release of energy, which the plant transforms into chemical energy (ATP and NADPH molecules) for use in the second, dark phase.

During the dark phase, CO2 enters the plant through openings in the leaves called stomata, and it is transformed through a series of chemical reactions into oxygen and simple sugars, like glucose, using the high-energy molecules created during the first phase.

The following formula summarizes the process:

CO2 (Carbon dioxide) + 6 H2O (Water) + Light → C6H12O6 (Glucose) + 6 O2 (Oxygen)

Once the reaction is complete, the plant distributes the resources (carbon), directing them to cellular respiration and the production of the various organs that make up the plant (leaves, stem, and roots) according to the needs it has in its environment. The remaining excess is released into the soil to nourish heterotrophic organisms living in the soil.

Generating Electricity with Photosynthesis

Bacteria in the soil carry out a series of essential activities to maintain the soil’s characteristics, which are crucial for plant growth alongside other physical factors. Therefore, they play a very important role—not only in the ecosystem of the plant's microenvironment but also in the development of a revolutionary idea that could change our energy supply forever, if applied correctly: generating electricity through photosynthesis.

This hypothesis might sound like it comes from a science fiction book by Asimov, who, by the way, imagined many events that later came to pass. However, deriving energy from photosynthesis is no longer a product of imagination, as research, experimentation, and prototype development have turned it into reality.

All sources are based on the same principle. The plant performs photosynthesis, and the excess glucose is absorbed by the bacteria. This step generates an electrochemical potential in the microbial metabolism, where electrons move, producing energy. This energy can then be captured by structures embedded in the soil that function as electrodes.

Plantalámparas, Plant-e & Bioo-Lite

The first experimental models were simple school projects started in some high schools in South America, with low energy efficiency. The next step was taken by UTEC — University of Engineering and Technology of Lima, Peru — where a group of students and researchers created Plantalámparas, a lamp powered by plant energy. They were able to provide light to remote populations in the Amazon, quickly improving their quality of life.

Another project is Plant-e, a spin-off that collaborates with the ‘Environmental Technology of Wageningen University’ in the Netherlands, which involves the self-assembly of modules designed to produce electricity through photosynthesis. Unfortunately, the performance is still insufficient. Meanwhile, the most advanced model at the moment is Bioo-Lite.

A collaboration between Arkyne Technologies and three Spanish university students, Rafael Rebollo, Pablo M. Vidarte, and Javier Rodríguez. Through an online crowdfunding campaign, they managed to obtain the necessary resources for the subsequent development of the project.

During this crowdfunding, the first examples of potted plants were sold, which allow for charging a cell phone with the help of a USB cable up to three times a day, with a power output of 3.5 volts, equivalent to a computer's USB port.

The future prospects are promising, as it is expected that 1x1 meter panels will be created, capable of generating between 3 and 40 watts (28 KWh – 280 KWh per year). Therefore, 100 square meters of surface area, depending on the plant species used, will be sufficient to provide the necessary energy for a hypothetical average household.

What Does the Future Hold?

A large number of students, professors, and PhD candidates are conducting similar research in Italy, Spain, India, America, China, France, Germany… All are driven by curiosity and the desire to create an economical and eco-sustainable solution for tapping into new renewable energy sources like this.

Imagine the beautiful cities of the future, full of plants that will provide us not “only” with oxygen and nourishment, but also all the electricity society needs.

© The featured image of the article is a beautiful illustration by Ziora @yin__0909

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📝 Thank you for reading! I originally wrote this article in Italian and Spanish, the first for the “Scienza Online” newspaper on November 8, 2017; and the second for “Agenzia di Stampa UE” on November 28, 2017. It was later revised and published on “Laici” on June 4, 2024. You can find it on these platforms, with links to the Italian and Spanish versions:

Medium in English

Website in Italian

Website in Spanish

Agenzia di Stampa UE in Spanish

Scienza Online in Italian

Laici in Italian

Superficial Baby Boomers

What Happened to the Parents of Millennials?

It seems to be a widespread trend among those often referred to as ‘Baby Boomers.’ A generation that, for the most part, never truly looked within, never really knew itself, and seems to have struggled to form deep connections — with themselves, their families, and their social environment. The world around them changed at an astonishing speed: from radio to cassettes, from CDs to streaming.

They lived through the economic boom of the 1990s, a time when everything seemed possible, and money for the Western middle class appeared to be in endless expansion.

This promise of infinite prosperity made many of them superficial, unprepared to handle difficulties, and unable to face both their inner crises and the larger challenges that later shook the world.

2018 Cinque Terre, Italia © Carmen Maya Posta

As individuals untrained in resilience, they often sought refuge in denial, refusing to accept a future they never expected. Many failed to recognize that everything has changed — that they, too, have made mistakes and that today’s world calls for more compassion and love, not control and competition. Of course, this is a generalization. Some of them did confront their pain, turning to psychology, holistic disciplines, or esotericism to understand themselves and cultivate self-awareness. But most seem to live on autopilot, trapped within a subjective reality they alone perceive, rejecting anything that might challenge their imperfect and often unfulfilling world.

There is much discussion about today’s younger generations — their reluctance to work, and their perceived lack of productivity. But equal attention should be given to those adults who refuse to grow, who resist working on themselves, and who lack the courage to examine their wounds. Wounds that have turned into compulsions, toxic behaviors, insurmountable emotional walls, and family conflicts that erode the stability and love within social environments.

This generation regularly complains: things didn’t turn out the way they wanted to.

Yet, at the same time, many of them are unwilling to change, to do the necessary work of self-exploration and personal growth. They hide behind justifications, emotional barriers, and an inability to act in any direction other than the one they originally chose.

We want to send a message of hope — to this and all generations — reminding them that personal growth has no age limit. Taking responsibility for one’s choices and emotions, and accepting and embracing change, are essential for the journey.

Without this awareness, the risk is to remain trapped in a nostalgic illusion while the world keeps evolving — for better or worse.

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📝 Thank you for reading me! I originally wrote this article in Italian for the newspaper Laici on February 12, 2025. You can also find it on the following platforms, with links to the Italian and Spanish versions on my website:

Medium in English

Website in Spanish

Website in Italian

Laici in Italian