Utopia 101 Possible Solutions

What would a Utopian community look like?

In great moments of human civilization we have already achieved advancements that have greatly improved lives. We have sanitation, vaccines to prevent disabling conditions,  toilets and showers. We have saved species from extinction, created the internet and 3d printers and discovered planets that may one day be habitable. The list is of what we managed to create is long. If we could keep that type of momentum going and do not keep reverting to old habits, we could create the same for the majority of the population and deal with climate change, poverty, hunger etc.

If I had any power to move us forward the list might look something like this:

1. Support the younger generation again by rewarding those with novel and creative ideas with access to free education and retreats to communicate their ideas.

2. After the current building boom of "quick , dirty and unliveable", we need to start building better again. Deeper structures and better insulation that can withstand climate change.

3. Companies that do great work should be fostered and rewarded. Autonomy of their employees will likely see a return.

4. Better city planning would see a return to accessible shopping and self-reliance in case of emergency. The loss of electricity is likely in our future, we should have alternatives in place.

5. More individuality. Greater tolerance toward those who may be a little different, but just as valuable.

6. Taxes are important. So is governance. But for too long our earnings have been disappearing without reaching anyone, but those who need it the least. Completely new systems will have to be created. How this will be accomplished,  I have no idea. A start might be coalition governments without career politicians at the table.

7. Transportation to deal with climate change and fuel economy. The combustion engine is almost as inefficient as it was 40 years ago. Magnets may provide one solution. Amphibian vehicles to deal with any flooding. (I am actually serious about this one). We are going to need them. Prototypes of flying cars are out there somewhere, but may create 3 dimensional traffic jams.

8. While we need to respect cultural differences, we also need to realize that we are one species, not "races" and that the basic wants and needs are almost universally the same.

Utopia 101

What would a utopian global community look like?

That is a question I have been asking myself my entire life.  The complexity of such an answer would require a book length discourse and a planet size computer.  Potentially, if the internet continues to evolve, we might have the latter.

One of the benefits of watching animals is to realize that we have been behaving as no more than "just another animal", despite our remarkable ability to envision, build and create.

As a species we are stuck in an endless continuum of immaturity-we build, we acquire, we destroy and abandon those around us. Money continues to be poured into wars and their expensive toys, greed rules many of us and we fight for territories, wealth and status. It is irrelevant whether those social structures are ruled by oligarchs or feudalists or whatever new name we apply to them, the outcome is the same; the majority suffers. In one form or another this has been the case throughout human history.

But. We could evolve. Create new systems, avail ourselves of technology to make our lives less complicated, prevent illness rather than treat it for decades, improve both the quality and quantity of our lives and so on.

One option would be to have a Google like approach to science and innovation.   Private or public companies that would take care of the mundanities of life and allow the thinkers and creators to come up with solutions in a playful think tank type of environment on their own schedule.

This is the type of wishful thinking that has always existed, but it is in many ways the internet and social media that may be used to move us dreamers forward.

I Blame Coffee For My Impertinence

I was walking, enjoying the crisp winter air and a sinfully good latte, when a woman approached me eager to hand me a flyer.  Usually, I shake my head politely and silently regret the waste of paper; but this time I was under the influence of COFFEE, so I stopped to listen.

In a very self assured tone she declared: "The final judgement is coming, the signs are here, the world is coming to an end."

*sip* I had finally met one of those nice folks on the Internet. 

"When exactly is that going to happen," I asked.

"The date cannot be known, but  very soon", she claimed.

"Within the next 60 years?"

"It is not known."

"Shouldn't we do something about it other than wait to be saved? End violence, poverty, greed and war..."

"We have been ruled by the devil for 6000 years. He is very powerful. He was put in charge of this world."

Hmmh. "If the devil is in charge then that would mean that this is actually HELL. How the frack did I end up here???!?"

I left while she deeply contemplated this novel concept. They do make great coffee in hell though.

The End Of Privacy. The Beginning Of Transparency.

It is becoming abundantly clear that our personal privacy has come to an end. Not through the information we willingly share in social media,  but in the information that is gathered about us. From our Web history to the GPS in our cars, targeted advertising, or searches; the list of our digital footprints is vast.

Nor is there any way to avoid using digital technology or do anything about the information gathered without our knowledge or consent. Big companies are simply too powerful to engage in privacy lawsuits.  Applicable digital privacy laws are not in place and are unlikely to catch up to the development of digital technology,  which surpasses our understanding of it.

Many are not aware that digital information is transmitted at 1/3 of the speed of light or that the stock market for example,  is virtually out of the hands of humans; many trades occur through computer algorithms, also known as microtrading or high frequency trading.

Another significant problem is that much of our most sensitive information (medical, financial) entered about us is handled far beyond the comprehension and training of those put in charge to store and protect it. Especially problematic is when the information entered relies on verbal communication or is entered incorrectly,  whether through human error or for unethical personal gain.

The revelation about the NSA should not have come as a surprise to anyone.  Technology is only as good or evil as the intent of those who use it. As it develops and we become increasingly globally connected, the speed of new technology advances faster than anyone can keep up with.

I do not foresee a Borg-like totalitarian system of control that so many are frightened of, but a more transparent future in the digital age. Ideally,  NSA like watchdogs will develop that will actually benefit the majority and monitor verbal and digital communication to help prevent crimes against humanity.

"Meteor Strikes Earth"

The apocalyptics are worried about large asteroids striking the earth, which currently we cannot do a thing about.

Bunkers will be absolutely useless. The only difference between those on the surface and those in bunkers if something very large were to impact earth?

None.

Impact. Extreme heat. Vaporized. In less time than we can imagine.

Hope this satisfactorily answers any search terms.

For more information:
www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch

Escape Velocity

I have chosen to take some time off to travel and to research and discuss potential solutions for what we are facing. Within a decade we are entering a global crisis, which if not immediately addressed will lead to a situation that humanity is unlikely to recover from. Unpredictable weather patterns and weather fluctuations will affect even major modern cities, which have no technology in place to deal with climate change.

Lack of transportation, unhygienic conditions and resulting illness will make all of us suffer. Even the very wealthy will not be immune to pandemics; viruses and bacteria do not discriminate. In fact, if mankind turns itself into a self-created endangered species, the very poor are the most likely to survive. While this may sound harsh, their immune systems are better equipped to deal with a potential post-civilized world and are already used to using grocery carts as an environmentally friendly mode of transporting their belongings.

Scientists are desperate to talk to each other, come up with new ideas and research for science and humanity´s sake, but are prevented from doing so by international patent and non-disclosure agreements. The primary and immediate solution is to start funding research into new technology without an immediate financial benefit. Like bankers and investors, scientists themselves need to create networks to freely exchange thoughts and ideas across geographic and disciplinary boundaries.

If there was any colonized or terraformed planet available I would move, but I am stuck on this beloved pale blue dot and cannot climb into a comfy spaceship to reach the escape velocity required to overcome the gravitational pull of mankind´s irresponsibility and self-destruction.

We are facing a sisyphean struggle, but at least I hope to count myself among those who tried to make this world a more livable place.

Notes From The Outback

Rednecks are really nice people. With fewer teeth.

Rural stores are stocked with unhealthy carbs. Somehow counter-intuitive.

One diner, one road and one street sign = small town.
One diner, one road and one traffic light = technologically advanced small town

Discovered new dragonfly species. Has painted wings. Sketched it. Very excited.

Amazing Libella Pulchella

 

 

 

 

Nope. Not new species. 12 spotted skimmer dragonfly. Very common.

Mosquitoes are the size of helicopters. Everything bites. Even the shiny iridescent beetle I found. All Fauna is carnivorous, rude and undomesticated. Itchy. Best way to sketch is to pin them. What?! They started it.

Soybeans. Corn. Something edible. Manure. Manure for miles. How do people live on farms with this smell all day?

"Yaoall farm the cidah?"
"What?"
"Yaoall foam da ciiiidah?"
"Uum, yes? That is an interesting accent, where are you from?"
"Local, born and raised."

"Do you have the paper?"
"I don't read much."

Home: 20 brands of sunscreen. Organic fruit. Massaging shower. Soap. Non-abrasive TP. Air conditioner. Restaurants. The things we take for granted or hopelessly urbanized.

Retire in cozy wood cabin in the woods with vegetable garden no longer on bucket list.

Science: 400 ppm And I Blame Star Trek

By Justin Bilicki

"Could you kindly rephrase that in equivocal, inaccurate, vague, self-serving and roundabout terms that we can all understand?"

Certainly.

Science, Technology, Creation and Innovation are our future. I learned that watching Star Trek. Science will let us live longer and eventually better. Science will help us cope with inevitable climate chaos ("change" is for wimps).

If those in power and of influence fund it. Power. I have spent too much time with those that suffer from the illusion of power. I knew that when I joined a global cause a few years ago that we were fighting a losing battle. Groups of us have formed across fields and continents, desperate to share our knowledge with each other.

Fellow geeks who share with child-like abandon. Look what I found! Cool, it's a rock. I found a tadpole. Hey, look at this everyone, the sun is doing something neat right now. Whooooaaa.

Oligopolies do not share with the other children.

We presented. Talked. TED talked. Presentations. Travel. Meetings. Talking. With people who do not understand a single concept and believe that accelerating graphs of over 300 ppm mean that the economy is doing well. During one particularly bored meeting and chronic interruptions by mobile technology, I walked out in the middle of my own presentation. Futile.

I went on hikes, cleared my head and decided that this was not worth my time. It felt right. There was no point explaining to anyone that the earth will be fine, new species will replace us. Nature reclaims.

I watched movies with HQ and the kittehs. Tried to read or paint. Tuned out the floods and the suffering that will follow. Tried to play video games. Thought about video games.

Then 400 ppm came. Still there. Faster than anyone calculated.

Thought about Homo Sapiens and Star Trek and Inception.

We have been treading water, time to learn how to swim again.
 

 

What Defines A Great Book?

This is a question that thankfully arises frequently, particularly when I am asked or ask for recommendations. A question that I suppose is as unanswerable as "What is Art?"

At a precocious age I took it upon myself to read the great classics. The canon of (mostly English) literature, followed by the best of world literature. In hindsight, I would have to agree with Churchill that some books are read too young.  Some require life experience to be understood, others remain as unrelatable then as they are now and many hold up to a reread years later.  I loved The Fountainhead, Moby Dick, Huck Finn, Notes from the Underground, To Kill a Mockingbird, 100 Years of Solitude and 1984. They are among the great books that were formative and that inspired me. I appreciated Jane Austin as a great writer, even though I could not relate to the social issues of her time.

Two books, however, that I despised as a teen and gleefully continue to despise as an adult are Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby. In the unlikely event that a self-important literary critic stumbles upon this blog; there are better books to teach teens about alienation and rebellion. Holden is a whiny brat and should pick a fight with Howard Roark. 

As to The Great Gatsby, here is the book review that I never got to write: The pursuit of materialism is a futile endeavor. *Yawn* It is lonely at the top. Never pursue anyone named Daisy. Rosebud. Look what happened to Smeagol.

Rant over.

To those readers who enjoyed two great classics of American literature that I passionately dislike, I am glad that you enjoyed them.

Where was I?

Individual taste and personal choice. It is important to read books that should be part of our collective consciousness, but what I consider to be a great book is a book that is memorable and thought-provoking. It inspires, reveals, introduces new ideas and changes world views.

Since I am always looking for recommendations, which books are on your great book list?

The Blind Leading The Blind

The Blind Leading the Blind by Peter Bruegel the Elder

I had a stimulating conversation with a friend, which left me feeling energized and contemplative.

We talked about the world economy, war, the rise and fall of empires, the cyclical nature of civilization, climate change and corporate globalization. We also discussed how our leaders seem to be spending a lot of time arguing and running in circles, apparently waiting for problems to fix themselves.  "The world has gone mad," I exclaimed at one point.

My friend remembered a book he had read some time ago. He could not recall the author, who had proposed the following theory. That the evolution of consciousness, self-awareness and so-called sentience of our ancient ancestors had driven the human species into insanity. As evidence, my friend explained, the author had included several sections on human sacrifice committed by a number of civilizations in the past.

The Aztecs, in particular, believed that in order to appease the gods, such horrific and delusional acts could improve their circumstances and control their future.  Looking at current world events we seem less barbaric than those civilizations, but only because we have a veneer of perceived civility, long-range weapons and a history of justified wars (for the victorious) to cover it up.

Pause. Think.

Me: Basically, this author claims that the entire human species is and has always been rip-roaring mad?

Friend: Yes.

Me: I think, therefore I am...crazy?!?

Friend: Yep.

Me: You and I. Every human being. Is completely nuts?

Friend: You got it.

Somehow, I feel better already.