It's not just a lame John Mayer song. It's what so many of us have been doing for far too long. We pour over the newest science and technology magazines. We visit tons of future-oriented sites (or better yet, subscribe to their RSS feeds). We keep an ear to the wind, straining to hear any mention of advances in nanotechnology, AI, VR, renewable energy, healthy life extension research, or the latest hint of a cure for cancer.

But too many of us have been complacent for too long.

"I'm just a student"
"I don't have enough money to make a real difference."
"What can one person do?"

Wrong, wrong, and so damn wrong. There's plenty of stuff you can do.
Just on this site alone, there are 3 avenues you can take. (shameless plugs coming)

1.) Join the staff and improve the site. This site has so much potential, to gather in people from all walks of life, to share knowledge and plans for the future, and to act on that knowledge. The better the site becomes will lead to more people getting involved, to more knowledge shared, to more power you are given to make a difference. Knowledge is power, more so than muscle, money, fame or beauty.

2.) Donate some loot to the Betterhumans' 300 seat on the Methuselah Foundation's MPrize. The purpose of the group seat was to let people who didn't have tons and tons of money to make a difference and achieve something grand. Funding research for healthy life extension is one of the grandest goals man has ever had. Doesn't take more than a couple of $20s to step up and make a difference. Every bit helps.

3.) Donate some computer power to the Betterhumans Rosetta team. Rosetta@home is a distributed computing project, run by the Baker Laboratory at the University of Washington, aiming to solve the protein structure prediction problem. Its goal is to develop methods that accurately predict and design protein structure and complexes, an endeavor that may ultimately help researchers develop cures for human diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Malaria, viruses and other pathogens. The BH team is led by Hoelder1in, feel free to ask him for more information if you want to join.

What else can you do if you get frisky and decide to leave this site? (shame on you.)

How about help out the Lifeboat Foundation?
How about volunteering at a food bank, for a hospital, or for a politician who doesn't make you physically ill when you think about them running the country, state, or your city?
How about writing your elected officials and letting them know you support stem cell research, alternative energy projects like Cape Wind, or whatever goal you think will make a positive difference, and let them know you expect them to do the same? Why let some special interests or hyper-conservative, uber-religious groups be the only ones talking to your representatives? Or the far left wasting time and demanding the politicians change the Easter Bunny to the Spring Bunny, or taking "God" out of the pledge of allegiance? I'm as athiest as they come, but give me a break. There are far greater issues to deal with...

I believe people that come to sites like this one are a little special. We are looking at the future, and not just the banal extremes of today's modern life. If we don't step up, who will? Are you really comfortable letting Pat Robertson run your life? Do you think the kids from Laguna Beach will have any answers? Angelina can't adopt all of us. ; )

Take a chance and make a difference. Sitting back and waiting is nothing to be proud of. Strive to do something more. Strive to BE something more.