Perhaps I'm a fatalist. Maybe I lack faith in the basic goodness of humanity. It could be I'm more influenced by dark-future sci fi than I realize.
A dystopian future isn't an uncommon idea in science fiction. With films like Elysium, Demolition Man, and Minority Report contrasting the gritty versus glossy tomorrow, I can't help but imagine a twisted underbelly to the literal green-peace of Venus City.
I'm not exactly a Luddite. I run a few blogs, relish wiki pages, and mostly because I have never smashed an automated stocking machine. However, I also swear against iphones, kindles, and Google glasses. It's not that I believe them to be bad ideas or products, I simply can't work anything with a touch screen. That, and I believe that herds of people could use much fewer shiny objects to distract them. Nothing irks me more than the thought a pedestrian with their head down over their tablet and white ear-buds dangling as they shuffle into oncoming traffic because they simply couldn't be bothered to pay fucking attention!
Also, think of how much we share, completely oblivious to the fact that we are sharing entirely too much. What isn't plugged into something else these days? Google knows which adds to show you based on your browser history and preferences before you even turn on your computer. And that assumes you ever turn it off. From the moment you open your eyes, you're bombarded with products you don't really need to live a life you don't actually live. Is fulfillment really about purchasing stuff? Shopping online to get the exact same thing (well perhaps in a different color, or a newer, better model) that everyone else got from the same virtual big box store.
Personally I find it terrifying to think of this as the City of 2050. Sure, farmtowers and smart buildings sound like a great idea. White-washed smartscrapers standing next to eco-dome parks carve a sparkling, sterile skyline. Bioluminescent trees act as organic streetlights and everyone lives every day to the fullest because machines to all the work. The power can't go out. Crimes are stopped before they occur. Diseases are cured. The air and water as as pure as Eden. All because everything from public utilities to government facilities, schools, hospitals, and transportation hum smoothly on one intertwining, nanotube nerve center. Nothing ever goes wrong because everything is alright...until it's not. Saskia Sassen asks the well-stated question "When does sensored become censored?" in this article.
Have books and movies not shown us over and over what happens when you take control away from us and give it to "them"? I, Robot for example. Terminator for another. Gamer.
If people are free to do as they !@#$%^&* well digitally please, what's to keep them from stirring up mischief? If we live longer and pursue intellectual education instead of material accumulation, who pays the bills? Who raises the children? Is breeding even a physical connection between people, or is Gattaca-esque where optimal genes are selected and children are grown in test tubes? Maybe gladiatorial humans like Jango Fett are bred because they fulfill some sick, entertaining purpose. Or perhaps only a limited number of the most desirable population are allowed to reproduce.
What if resources aren't as sustainable and space so abundant? Are whole families, neighborhoods, populations deemed expendable and systematically exterminated? Of course no one is aware of it because it's not that overt. The throw-aways are offered "something better" elsewhere. They board a glimmering train to nowhere, smile and wave to their used-to-neighbors and friends, and then lean back in plush seats as they're whisked away...never to be seen again. This could happen every 5-7 years as new data is correlated and tabulated and the herd must be thinned for the continuation of the future. This all takes place openly under the grinning guise of "betterment for all." I can see the holographic billboards now. "Board a train to a brighter life. Bring the whole family. The light at the end of the tunnel."
*Character ideas: Heaven Gates, I.M. "Mac" MacCool (from immaculate), June (mom) and daughters April, May, and Summer Ward, (sisters) Hope and Faith Cross, Warden White.
Ultimately, are we truly in control of our own destiny and well being? Or are we gladly handing over the reins/reigns of responsibility to Rosie the Robot because we're eager to be clean, "happy", healthy, spoiled children frolicking in the sterile sunshine? If government, corporations, we are not in control of our lives...who or what is?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Mission to Mars
100,000 colonists flock to Mars - well, ok, so not really. But just think of what this could mean for humanity. Let us suppose it is a solid "go." What follows is a loose use of history, numbers, and supposition.
Thousands of years ago, stargazers of the ancient world looked up to a "wandering" red star. Later scholars devised it was in fact a planet. Later still, through use of the telescope, it was determined that their were mountains and canals on this now barren world. And what began as pulp fiction in 1912 with Edgar Rice Burroughs is now a reality.
After nearly a decade of isolated, rigorous training, the first in a long line of humans from Earth will launch for the Red Planet in September 2022. ETA roughly 200 days later. Spring 2023 marks a momentous achievement of mankind...extraterranial (yes I know it's not a word) colonization. Another, not-so-small step for man, and a gigantic leap for mankind. Not too shabby for a species that first walked on the moon only a half century earlier.
The first colonists, 2 men and 2 women, will be "alone" on Mars with 5,500 lbs of supplies for approximately 2 years. Trained in everything from farming and medicine to engineering and exploration, these brave souls are the first of what will be countless others to abandon Earth for a one way trip to an alien world. Within the decade that follows another 40 will make the trek with a total load of near 25 tons of everything needed to pave the way for another 30,000 neighbors. The exodus numbers continue to swell to 100,000 and beyond.
Just as John Rolfe is remembered as a hero of the New World, and Neil Armstrong is remembered as a hero of the Space Race, these intrepid explorers will share the mantle of heroship (yeah, another not-a-real-word) for whole of humanity. Who's to say what will be said of them 100, 200, 500 years from their first bouncing step into the red dust? What is to say that, even with the technology of tomorrow "lighting the dark", that these settlers will fair better than the dismal 12% survival rate of the Jamestown Colony? Let us hope the have sense enough to name the colony something like Neoterra instead of Roanoke II.
Taking a much more optimistic view of life on Mars is the Generation One: Children of Mars Kickstarter.
Yes, the goal has already been met. But with 25 days left to go, there's still time to give - every little bit helps. As much as I'd like to see myself in comicbook form, I can't afford the $500 to be drawn in.
Thousands of years ago, stargazers of the ancient world looked up to a "wandering" red star. Later scholars devised it was in fact a planet. Later still, through use of the telescope, it was determined that their were mountains and canals on this now barren world. And what began as pulp fiction in 1912 with Edgar Rice Burroughs is now a reality.
After nearly a decade of isolated, rigorous training, the first in a long line of humans from Earth will launch for the Red Planet in September 2022. ETA roughly 200 days later. Spring 2023 marks a momentous achievement of mankind...extraterranial (yes I know it's not a word) colonization. Another, not-so-small step for man, and a gigantic leap for mankind. Not too shabby for a species that first walked on the moon only a half century earlier.
The first colonists, 2 men and 2 women, will be "alone" on Mars with 5,500 lbs of supplies for approximately 2 years. Trained in everything from farming and medicine to engineering and exploration, these brave souls are the first of what will be countless others to abandon Earth for a one way trip to an alien world. Within the decade that follows another 40 will make the trek with a total load of near 25 tons of everything needed to pave the way for another 30,000 neighbors. The exodus numbers continue to swell to 100,000 and beyond.
Just as John Rolfe is remembered as a hero of the New World, and Neil Armstrong is remembered as a hero of the Space Race, these intrepid explorers will share the mantle of heroship (yeah, another not-a-real-word) for whole of humanity. Who's to say what will be said of them 100, 200, 500 years from their first bouncing step into the red dust? What is to say that, even with the technology of tomorrow "lighting the dark", that these settlers will fair better than the dismal 12% survival rate of the Jamestown Colony? Let us hope the have sense enough to name the colony something like Neoterra instead of Roanoke II.
Taking a much more optimistic view of life on Mars is the Generation One: Children of Mars Kickstarter.
Yes, the goal has already been met. But with 25 days left to go, there's still time to give - every little bit helps. As much as I'd like to see myself in comicbook form, I can't afford the $500 to be drawn in.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Looking Back
You must study the past to understand the future.
Whether you're doing a lot of "soft science" hand-waving, or you're obsessed with consistent "hard science" numbers, you need to know what you're doing. You need to have a plan in mind for what lies ahead. A good way to begin is to look backward. Where did you come from? How? Why?
These are incredibly daunting questions. Whether you hold multiple degrees in biophysics, engineering, and predictive political science, or if you're just a kid with a keyboard and a big imagination, you can't possible keep everything straight in your head. That's where I find this site very helpful.
http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/ and detailed timeline.
I know it covers a lot of ground, so take it a bit at a time. Read one chapter every few days and mull it over between readings. I promise, you won't get bored.
Let's say you don't want to build in the aspect of creationism versus evolution. Fine, skip that. If it's not essential to the story you want to tell, don't stress about it. Maybe the clash of science versus religion is your bread and butter, the cornerstone of what drives your tale. Or maybe science and religion live in complete harmony. Either way, you need to know what you're talking about. Study up.
But if you're not so concerned with what came before and you just want a basic breakdown of where we are now, well then, the last few chapters are enough to get you going.
Whether you're doing a lot of "soft science" hand-waving, or you're obsessed with consistent "hard science" numbers, you need to know what you're doing. You need to have a plan in mind for what lies ahead. A good way to begin is to look backward. Where did you come from? How? Why?
These are incredibly daunting questions. Whether you hold multiple degrees in biophysics, engineering, and predictive political science, or if you're just a kid with a keyboard and a big imagination, you can't possible keep everything straight in your head. That's where I find this site very helpful.
http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/ and detailed timeline.
I know it covers a lot of ground, so take it a bit at a time. Read one chapter every few days and mull it over between readings. I promise, you won't get bored.
Let's say you don't want to build in the aspect of creationism versus evolution. Fine, skip that. If it's not essential to the story you want to tell, don't stress about it. Maybe the clash of science versus religion is your bread and butter, the cornerstone of what drives your tale. Or maybe science and religion live in complete harmony. Either way, you need to know what you're talking about. Study up.
But if you're not so concerned with what came before and you just want a basic breakdown of where we are now, well then, the last few chapters are enough to get you going.
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