Editor,

All my life, people have told me I am too verbose. It is human nature, when trying to correct one’s own faults, to inflict one’s corrections on all innocent people in the vicinity. In that tradition, I am suggesting that our entire species (Homo sapiens), grossly overpopulated at approximately 7,500,000,000 (7 billion, 500 million) observe 24 hours of global silence. As I think most of us realize, we tend to talk more than we listen. I propose that we work up to this goal in the year 2018. As this will not be easy, I suggest that we begin on Jan. 1, 2018 by observing one second of silence. Everyone of us can be quiet for one second. Then we gradually work up through 2018. Each day invite two friends (or unfriends — why not?) and increase to two seconds, then four seconds, then eight seconds, with the number of participants increasing exponentially as a global meme.

Imagine the silence on Dec. 31, 2018. Twenty-four hours of silence heard all over planet earth. We now as a species have the capability to commit suicide, not only as individuals but as a species. If I am still alive at the age of 74 on Dec. 31, 2018 I look forward to hearing nothing but the birds singing, the squirrels chattering, and the fish swimming.

STEPHEN KAHN

Freeland