Dreamers and Escape Artists
How Global Warming Will Destroy Us as the Quantum Era Re-Builds Us.
I’m a bit of an outlandish guy. Perhaps it’s because I’m completely out of my mind. Or maybe, I’m just a guy who thinks a little differently. After all I am a writer, but I’m also a futurist and as such I need to see what lies ahead. It’s an infatuation and a way for me to develop cool stories.
I’m a sci-fi screenplay writer/filmmaker who creates transcendental films that allow people to better understand themselves so that they can more easily self-actualize. I do this because I believe that self-actualization is the only way we’ll be able to face the challenges that lie ahead. Sure, we need to do a lot more if we’re going to make it to a, “Type III Civilization”, but at its lowest common denominator it starts with each of us and how we view ourselves in relation to the natural environment.
This has turned me into a very strange character, indeed, but I’m okay with that because it’s my highest passion as it is for many. And because of this, I’ve managed to learn a great deal about what we may experience in the future.
But let’s start with a framework before we delve into the details.
Before I started writing stories I studied and taught History. And whenever I gave a lesson I always reminded my students that if you really want to be good at History all you have to do is examine the physical changes that were happening at the time and the general ways, in which we responded to those events and circumstances. In every pivotal moment of History there was almost always some sort of new technological development or environmental change brought on my humans and nature alike, which pushed societies into new directions and inspired us to think differently.
This is a framework that I used to help others understand History and it’s something Futurists and Scifi writers alike can use to better predict what’s going to happen next.
So let’s apply this to some of the trends we’re experiencing, today, and see if we can make some interesting predictions.
The two primary physical changes that are taking place right now are global warming and exponential growth in technology, which is leading us further into the, “Quantum Era”. And how we respond to these changes can give us a lot of insight as to what’s in store for us. It’s scary, exhilarating, dangerous, and perhaps the best thing to ever happen to humanity.
Global Warming
They say within a hundred years or more sea levels will rise so much that all of our coastal regions will be consumed by the ocean. Literally, just about every major city in the World will be inhospitable unless we do something radical, like construct enormous levies across the globe. But can you imagine the amount of money and resources involved in such a project? We can’t even agree that Global Warming is real! So how on Earth could we ever coordinate our efforts for that project?
But rising sea levels is just one of the many issues. There are also temperature fluctuations, which could seriously increase the severity of storms and produce large droughts in many regions. This could then cause mass displacement across the globe, creating larger immigration issues that could easily lead societies further down the slippery slope of mass unrest. And then of course with temperature changes comes new and re-emerging diseases that are sure to kill many of us.
We’re going to see a world challenged by tragedy and millions will undergo PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a whole slew of other mental disorders. It’s arguable that it’s happening already as many who are fully aware of this future are struggling to come to terms with this reality.
And the government knows this will happen. That’s why they built FEMA camps. They’re expecting a large number of people to be displaced in the future, so they built these facilities. Just yesterday I saw a rather comedic commercial about a family doing the exact opposite of what you would do if there was an emergency. And guess who sponsored it? FEMA. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DigA90vMf4Y
We’re certainly heading into trouble, but none of this will happen overnight. It’ll be a slow digression that will span over the course of several hundred years. And there really isn’t any way to stop it. Even if we ceased using fossil fuels right now and went completely, “Green”, we would still be hit. So the question isn’t how do we stop Global Warming, but rather how do we adapt as we try to slow the process down?
There isn’t a single answer, but new emergent technology that is exponential in growth will play a huge role in the way we adapt, and that can give us a lot of insight as to what the future might look like.
The Quantum Era
Exponential growth in technology, which is leading us into the Quantum Era, is something that’s perhaps less apparent than Global Warming, but we see it every day despite the fact that a good many of us are unable to fully grasp its effects. Even experts have a hard time fully predicting what the end game will look like.
But woah, wait. Let’s back up a second. What do I mean by exponential growth? I’m talking about a really fascinating concept known as Moore’s Law. Now many of you reading this are probably already familiar with it, but for those who are not it’s basically an observation made in the 60’s by a guy named Gordon E. Moore regarding the number of transistors in an integrated circuit. He noticed that they doubled every two years and his prediction about the rate of growth in technology has proven accurate, even to this day.
Progression of technology is exponential meaning that growth is proportional to the growing total number. In other words the growing base (the number you start with) grows in relation to the rate of growth so that at a certain point growth accelerates so fast it’s incomprehensible to really understand the rate of change. Many experts call the end of this growth as the singularity, which is really just a fancy way of saying that we have no idea what will happen when it comes.
It’s unbelievable to conceive of such a thing, yet if you do a simple Google Search you’ll find plenty of evidence to suggest that this is indeed the case. We know the singularity will probably involve an increase in human life expectancy, A.I technology, and perhaps practices that were once exclusive to quantum particles. But beyond that we really don’t much else, let alone what the implications will be.
I mean what if you could live for hundreds of years instead of only 70 to 90 years? What if every job in the World could be run by A.I technology? And what if we could teleport or experience multiple dimensions all at once? What kind of World would that look like?
Well ideally it could look great. But it could end in disaster such as the case in, “Manna”, a short story written by Marshall Brian, the CEO of Howstuffworks.com. Though the story ends very positively, the first part is down-right terrifying. He talks about A.I automation outsourcing human labor to the point of making us obsolete. To combat mass poverty and displacement the government forms welfare communities for those who cannot support themselves. These people are forced into, “prisons”, that provide barely decent living conditions.
Although we may never live in this kind of dystopia the point of the story is that if we let our pre-conceptions of reality, which are still rooted in 20th Century beliefs, take control of our future, then indeed a scenario similar to, “Manna”, could unfold.
So What Will the Future Look Like?
We’re very intelligent so we’ll more likely to see a mix of good and bad things come from exponential growth. Global Warming will make life harsher, which will push us to invent technology that can increase our chances for survival. Indoor habitats and farms will be the norm, and we’ll definitely convert to greener energy. We’ll even make bolder steps towards colonizing other planets as it is impossible for us to stop dreaming. But it’s also possible that because our environment will be more hostile the vast majority of us will turn to technology as a way to escape reality.
If we reach the singularity that many of us believe we will the likely outcome will be merging our minds to technology and even separating ourselves from our own mortal bodies. This means that many of us will live within simulations that can provide us with better environments, or at least that’s how we’ll perceive it.
Why wouldn’t we want to try and escape reality if it’s as bad as many climatologists say it will be? If and when we develop fully immersive 3d environments there won’t be a need to face Global Warming…On Earth in this Universe, right now; something we believe to be absolutely true but something that could just as well be a simulation itself!
It’s possible that we’ll forget about the, “real”, world altogether. Sounds impossible, right? Maybe, but just think about how much closer we are to technology than we were years ago? We’re already so glued to our screens why wouldn’t we want to upload the whole damn thing in our minds particularly if it was realistic like, “The Matrix”?
I’d be awesome to live in a simulated World because the possibilities would be endless. We could live within simulations within simulations of simulations and so on; forever and ever and get so lost in an endless sea of alien Worlds we’d forget where it ever began. I think when we can master the, “Matrix”, most of us will inevitably transcend beyond our bodies and into a cascade of advanced technology that will bring us beyond the infinite. And maybe that’s the singularity.
Everything that will make up the Quantum Era and Global Warming will have serious implications to our physical and psychological states. And we’re right on the cusp of it all. Nowhere in the history of mankind has this ever happened, so we don’t even have a playbook for this. It is the monumental feat that mankind must reconcile in order to move on. It’s staring at us right in the face, yet it seems like no one’s even talking about it.
We’re just dancing around in our 20th Century leisure...And, that’s what scares me the most because if we don’t evolve into this carefully, we may miss a great opportunity for ourselves and for our future.
How Global Warming Will Destroy Us as the Quantum Era Re-Builds Us.
I’m a bit of an outlandish guy. Perhaps it’s because I’m completely out of my mind. Or maybe, I’m just a guy who thinks a little differently. After all I am a writer, but I’m also a futurist and as such I need to see what lies ahead. It’s an infatuation and a way for me to develop cool stories.
I’m a sci-fi screenplay writer/filmmaker who creates transcendental films that allow people to better understand themselves so that they can more easily self-actualize. I do this because I believe that self-actualization is the only way we’ll be able to face the challenges that lie ahead. Sure, we need to do a lot more if we’re going to make it to a, “Type III Civilization”, but at its lowest common denominator it starts with each of us and how we view ourselves in relation to the natural environment.
This has turned me into a very strange character, indeed, but I’m okay with that because it’s my highest passion as it is for many. And because of this, I’ve managed to learn a great deal about what we may experience in the future.
But let’s start with a framework before we delve into the details.
Before I started writing stories I studied and taught History. And whenever I gave a lesson I always reminded my students that if you really want to be good at History all you have to do is examine the physical changes that were happening at the time and the general ways, in which we responded to those events and circumstances. In every pivotal moment of History there was almost always some sort of new technological development or environmental change brought on my humans and nature alike, which pushed societies into new directions and inspired us to think differently.
This is a framework that I used to help others understand History and it’s something Futurists and Scifi writers alike can use to better predict what’s going to happen next.
So let’s apply this to some of the trends we’re experiencing, today, and see if we can make some interesting predictions.
The two primary physical changes that are taking place right now are global warming and exponential growth in technology, which is leading us further into the, “Quantum Era”. And how we respond to these changes can give us a lot of insight as to what’s in store for us. It’s scary, exhilarating, dangerous, and perhaps the best thing to ever happen to humanity.
Global Warming
They say within a hundred years or more sea levels will rise so much that all of our coastal regions will be consumed by the ocean. Literally, just about every major city in the World will be inhospitable unless we do something radical, like construct enormous levies across the globe. But can you imagine the amount of money and resources involved in such a project? We can’t even agree that Global Warming is real! So how on Earth could we ever coordinate our efforts for that project?
But rising sea levels is just one of the many issues. There are also temperature fluctuations, which could seriously increase the severity of storms and produce large droughts in many regions. This could then cause mass displacement across the globe, creating larger immigration issues that could easily lead societies further down the slippery slope of mass unrest. And then of course with temperature changes comes new and re-emerging diseases that are sure to kill many of us.
We’re going to see a world challenged by tragedy and millions will undergo PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a whole slew of other mental disorders. It’s arguable that it’s happening already as many who are fully aware of this future are struggling to come to terms with this reality.
And the government knows this will happen. That’s why they built FEMA camps. They’re expecting a large number of people to be displaced in the future, so they built these facilities. Just yesterday I saw a rather comedic commercial about a family doing the exact opposite of what you would do if there was an emergency. And guess who sponsored it? FEMA. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DigA90vMf4Y
We’re certainly heading into trouble, but none of this will happen overnight. It’ll be a slow digression that will span over the course of several hundred years. And there really isn’t any way to stop it. Even if we ceased using fossil fuels right now and went completely, “Green”, we would still be hit. So the question isn’t how do we stop Global Warming, but rather how do we adapt as we try to slow the process down?
There isn’t a single answer, but new emergent technology that is exponential in growth will play a huge role in the way we adapt, and that can give us a lot of insight as to what the future might look like.
The Quantum Era
Exponential growth in technology, which is leading us into the Quantum Era, is something that’s perhaps less apparent than Global Warming, but we see it every day despite the fact that a good many of us are unable to fully grasp its effects. Even experts have a hard time fully predicting what the end game will look like.
But woah, wait. Let’s back up a second. What do I mean by exponential growth? I’m talking about a really fascinating concept known as Moore’s Law. Now many of you reading this are probably already familiar with it, but for those who are not it’s basically an observation made in the 60’s by a guy named Gordon E. Moore regarding the number of transistors in an integrated circuit. He noticed that they doubled every two years and his prediction about the rate of growth in technology has proven accurate, even to this day.
Progression of technology is exponential meaning that growth is proportional to the growing total number. In other words the growing base (the number you start with) grows in relation to the rate of growth so that at a certain point growth accelerates so fast it’s incomprehensible to really understand the rate of change. Many experts call the end of this growth as the singularity, which is really just a fancy way of saying that we have no idea what will happen when it comes.
It’s unbelievable to conceive of such a thing, yet if you do a simple Google Search you’ll find plenty of evidence to suggest that this is indeed the case. We know the singularity will probably involve an increase in human life expectancy, A.I technology, and perhaps practices that were once exclusive to quantum particles. But beyond that we really don’t much else, let alone what the implications will be.
I mean what if you could live for hundreds of years instead of only 70 to 90 years? What if every job in the World could be run by A.I technology? And what if we could teleport or experience multiple dimensions all at once? What kind of World would that look like?
Well ideally it could look great. But it could end in disaster such as the case in, “Manna”, a short story written by Marshall Brian, the CEO of Howstuffworks.com. Though the story ends very positively, the first part is down-right terrifying. He talks about A.I automation outsourcing human labor to the point of making us obsolete. To combat mass poverty and displacement the government forms welfare communities for those who cannot support themselves. These people are forced into, “prisons”, that provide barely decent living conditions.
Although we may never live in this kind of dystopia the point of the story is that if we let our pre-conceptions of reality, which are still rooted in 20th Century beliefs, take control of our future, then indeed a scenario similar to, “Manna”, could unfold.
So What Will the Future Look Like?
We’re very intelligent so we’ll more likely to see a mix of good and bad things come from exponential growth. Global Warming will make life harsher, which will push us to invent technology that can increase our chances for survival. Indoor habitats and farms will be the norm, and we’ll definitely convert to greener energy. We’ll even make bolder steps towards colonizing other planets as it is impossible for us to stop dreaming. But it’s also possible that because our environment will be more hostile the vast majority of us will turn to technology as a way to escape reality.
If we reach the singularity that many of us believe we will the likely outcome will be merging our minds to technology and even separating ourselves from our own mortal bodies. This means that many of us will live within simulations that can provide us with better environments, or at least that’s how we’ll perceive it.
Why wouldn’t we want to try and escape reality if it’s as bad as many climatologists say it will be? If and when we develop fully immersive 3d environments there won’t be a need to face Global Warming…On Earth in this Universe, right now; something we believe to be absolutely true but something that could just as well be a simulation itself!
It’s possible that we’ll forget about the, “real”, world altogether. Sounds impossible, right? Maybe, but just think about how much closer we are to technology than we were years ago? We’re already so glued to our screens why wouldn’t we want to upload the whole damn thing in our minds particularly if it was realistic like, “The Matrix”?
I’d be awesome to live in a simulated World because the possibilities would be endless. We could live within simulations within simulations of simulations and so on; forever and ever and get so lost in an endless sea of alien Worlds we’d forget where it ever began. I think when we can master the, “Matrix”, most of us will inevitably transcend beyond our bodies and into a cascade of advanced technology that will bring us beyond the infinite. And maybe that’s the singularity.
Everything that will make up the Quantum Era and Global Warming will have serious implications to our physical and psychological states. And we’re right on the cusp of it all. Nowhere in the history of mankind has this ever happened, so we don’t even have a playbook for this. It is the monumental feat that mankind must reconcile in order to move on. It’s staring at us right in the face, yet it seems like no one’s even talking about it.
We’re just dancing around in our 20th Century leisure...And, that’s what scares me the most because if we don’t evolve into this carefully, we may miss a great opportunity for ourselves and for our future.