Georgina,

I have to say, from my personal perspective, that is a very tough read. I started it a few days ago and had to stop. Much of what you describe is potentially quite logical, but on an emotional level, I find myself rejecting it quite vehemently. Maybe this is due to my own fairly comfortable and usually outside life, but there is a degree of sterility I sense would be quite deadening. Not to say much of current society isn't already overly sterilized, but then I try to avoid leaving the farm.

I think if I was to take one point to argue over, it would be the emphasis on survival. Now logically it would seem survival is a natural prerequisite for life, but I would go out on a limb here and argue the opposite, that so much of living is about expression and that it is this cycle of rising and falling which is most elemental. Simple survival would be like a flatline on the heart monitor. DNA is about survival. Individual lives are about pushing the boundaries as far as possible. Like a tree, the growth rings are on the outside, while the wood in the trunk is stable but prone to rot. A healthy society is often on the border of chaos and order is for the churches, schools and courts.

Regards,

John

    John,

    thanks for reading it. The story is a vehicle for raising and giving solutions to a number of problems.On this discussion thread a have given a list of many of the problems raised. It is set of a time when surface living has become too difficult for most because of the consequences of climate change. Though subterranean or sub-aquatic living is not compulsory and some have decided to stay outside and 'battle' the elements. I would ague with you view that there is a degree of sterility . Unlike many other Utopian tales nature has been taken into the sanctuaries for its continuation and for the needs of mankind. As I said mankind belongs with the tree of life. Disease is avoided by having a healthy natural microflora living in the environment. There are green spaces for recreation and stress relief, there are wildlife zones there is horticulture and aquaculture. There are companion animals for stress relief and companionship.

    There is a hierarchy of needs and at the base there are the prerequisites for survival. Without the ability to survive non of the higher needs will be fulfilled. The societies are facing the unknown and so is filling its 'tool box' with means of survival so that they are able to adapt to whatever happens. They are becoming highly versatile. Yes I agree about pushing boundaries but that is what these people are doing by biominicry, bio-engineering,and creative cultural pursuits. High culture and creativity are measures of the sanctuaries success.See may reply to George Gantz re.creativity

    Hi Tejinder,

    thank you for reading my essay and for the questions.

    Perhaps Japan might give us an idea of a society where procreation is not universally considered a priority. Japanese adults could choose to have children but many are not. Though there has been a rise in companion dog ownership. Demographics of Japan There are other purposes for which lives can be lead. And with busy fulfilled lives there isn't a place for children too. In my 'Utopia' it's the people who want to be parents more than anything else and are prepared to dedicate their lives to the role of raising those children that do that. They give up other options in order to fulfill that primary desire.Children are not an add on that parents don't really have time for, or accidents, or extensions of their selfish parent's egos.

    increasing childlessness in Germany and Japan

    Helen Mirram confronts the final female taboo

    Quote: "Although a minority of women choose not to have children, the trend constitutes a genuine revolution, pointing to some unspoken resistance to motherhood. As we know, as soon as women were able to control reproduction, pursue studies, enter the job market and aspire to financial independence, motherhood stopped being an inevitable, self-evident step and became a choice instead."By Elisabeth Badinter, Special to CNN, May 15, 2012 "Why are rich nations birthrates in freefall?"

    Its seems given a choice many women choose to be child free(rather than just child less), ie. not having children seen as a positive state of affairs.

    Peaceful transition to the kind of societies imagined would require public familiarization with the various problems that have lead to their necessity.See also my reply to Tommaso.

    Mostly the story is a vehicle for introducing numerous problems and giving solutions. For a list please look in this discussion thread at Apr. 22, 2014 @ 21:41 GMT

    It is important to appreciate that this is not just a pretty Utopian fantasy.

    Real problems that are or may well soon affect mankind are raised and importantly solutions are given. I have not merely said this is a problem or we should do something or lets all be nice to each other ( though of course that is desirable).

    Here are some of the problems raised in the essay (not in the order they appear ), read it carefully to find the solutions.

    Growth of population, 2.growth in the consumption of resources,3.unwanted / uncared for children,4.education in the future,5.diet,,6.stress,7.antibiotic resistance, 8.desertification,9.sea level rise,10.how to adapt to the unknown,11.maintaining social cohesion,12.mass migrations,13.maintaining good will, co-operation, and genetic exchange between isolated communities,14.potential ice age,15.how to feel worthwhile without children,16.need for sustainable measures of economic success,17.need for a shared goal and values for humanity,18.self sufficiency,19.security,20.How to create independent colonies suitable for space migration,21.what happens to non human life as climate change progresses? 22.cancer

    The tale progresses from a rather stark opening quote that shows the devaluation of humanity and ends on an uplifting quote that in contrast shows the unappreciated value of life, and especially the human being. It also progresses through a day from 'sunrise' to 'sunset'.Physics is woven into the tale both in the context of problems we will face and as solutions to problems. I particularly like the realization that light at night is linked to cancer and so can be prevented by a healthy sleep regime.

    The final section relates to my explanatory framework for physics in which the (material un-written )future is not fully determined so mankind has freewill to build his future. Through out the essay are many references the reference list contains a large number of hyperlinks making the access of additional information easy.

      Georgina,

      I well appreciate that you have taken an extremely hard-headed view of many of the problems faced by humanity and yet have tried, given the most extreme consequences, to distill out a message of hope. I have to say that I am much more a person of my particular circumstance and do admittedly bury my head in the sand about many major issues, even many happening today, because I know that with my own limited attention and time, it's best to focus on what little I do have some influence over. As such mine is about a specific issue that will be needed to be addressed in our own lifetimes and I leave other problems, from climate change, to war, for those more focused on pursuing them.

      Best wishes,

      John

      Hi Michael, Tommaso,

      I had not heard of 'Zardoz' but have now read about it on Wikipedia and watched a trailer for the film. Oh dear I will never think of Sean Connery in the same way again!

      I envision "my warriors" to have a role more akin to that of soldier ants that guard and keep safe the colony. Rather than being completely separate independent agents they are still a functional part though taking on a specialized role.

      I don't see them as brutal and undisciplined but quite the opposite. Working in well regulated groups for mutual protection and survival. They are not 'gladiators' working for public entertainment, as in 'Zardoz'. Though I think applauding their efforts and celebrating their successes is important to give work satisfaction and esteem to the warriors. Important because their dissatisfaction would risk the warriors turning on their own sanctuary.

      Immortality is a theme explored in 'Zardoz'. I have not looked at the problem/s of immortality or drastic life extension. Maybe it should have been mentioned in my essay but a large number of other problems were dealt with. The story assumes moderately extended life span due to: eradication of disease, famine and war, optimized diet and sleep regulation. 0% population growth through planned child birth rate.

      Thanks, Georgina

      Mohammed,

      Thank you so much for reading my easy and for your kind comments. Glad you agree with the overall message.

      Maintaining genetic diversity within the population is important for genetic fitness,i.e. the population has greater adaptability to unknown challenges through the various phenotype differences.Genetic drift should be avoided to maintain all kinds of suitabilities and diverse 'strengths'.

      It may be that all of the children are not necessarily the biological offspring of their parents. Perhaps gametes from the whole population could be pooled and embryos developed from selections of healthy gametes. Or perhaps excellence in any dedication has the reward of one's gametes being added to a pool for possible embryo development.

      This system would allow rejection of defective gametes prior to embryo creation.And, as outlined above, an element of competition in selection of the biological parents of the next generation, as occurs in nature, could be incorporated. These kind of ideas stray into the difficult subject of eugenics which is beyond the scope of my essay but has been considered by Judy Nabb.

      Hi Georgina,

      Quite an interested essay. I had to read it twice to really take it in, as like others a found it a little confusing at first. I liked how you include several ideas that are clearly informed by your background in biology - sometimes the behavioural sciences can forget the importance of the physical environment and miss the kinds of innovations you suggest.

      I found that you're dealing with a great many topics in quite a short amount of space, and I also think I missed a couple of the references that I might have been more certain of with a background more similar to yours. I wonder if it could be worth exploring some of the ideas in more depth rather than covering so many at once? Do you have a website where you have more of your writing by any chance? The only other feedback I have is to say enclosed static communities are no simple achievement (from what I've read they are very difficult to make work) and the social science/psychology of such a community might be quite an interesting topic to try to explore in detail.

      All in all a great read I enjoyed it very much, and I hope you write more on these topics!

        Hi Ross,

        Thank you for reading my essay and for your kind comments.I could have dealt with fewer problems in more depth but then it would have been a different essay : ). I take your point that there could have been much more discussion of each problem but with the page limit a lot would have had to be left out. One advantage of dealing with so many problems at once is it brings up the big issue that many problems are coming together.

        This is my first attempt at writing fiction. Because it has been so well received I am quite tempted to continue with this tale, add in details and further discussion and possibly try writing others too. The questions that readers are asking are gradually putting more "meat on the bones".

        I have written other FQXi essays but I would only recommend "Which of our basic physical assumptions are wrong", as it is relatively easy to read and was well received.It isn't fiction though. It contains the diagram of the explanatory framework for physics which was in passing referred to in the last section of the story you read. There is also an enlarged copy of the diagram in the discussion thread.

        Biosphere 2

        Yes you are correct about enclosed communities but the scale of these sanctuaries is far larger than any project yet attempted and I hypothesize that it would both psychologically and ecologically be more sustainable. Though the sanctuary we follow has been self sufficient and sustainable for 10 years it might be assumed that prior to that it was not and the inhabitants and ecosystem have had to adjust to reach equilibrium.I agree,'the social science/psychology of such a community might be quite an interesting topic to try to explore in detail'.

        Thank you for your interest, Georgina

        Georgina, there are a whole lot of ideas in here, and many that I think really are valuable, but I find the young lady's life repressive sounding, and the idea of bubbles of humanity in a sort of post apocalyptic planet depressing. Was that intentional?

          Hi Turil,

          thank you for reading my essay, for your comments and question.

          On the contrary there is a lot of freedom. The children do a lot of personal study of topics that interest them, they collaborate on virtual reality projects, they are able to freely access the Knowledge Hub, they can indulge in pass-times that are classed as stress relieving such as spending time with the companion animals. They have Greenspace play times. High culture and creativity are measures of success in the sanctuary. I can imagine music composition, virtual,immerse and interactive arts, theater, dance and story telling; as well as scientific investigation of the sanctuary itself to optimize the environment for survival and quality of life. Also biomimicry and bioengineering research and development, and study of weather data for prediction of future challenges. People choose to dedicate their lives to serving the sanctuary in some way, I mentioned also that they can choose to alter their dedication if they desire.

          It was not my intention to be depressing but rather to be optimistic that a technological civilization can survive while allowing humanity an enhanced quality of life, better health, dignity and purpose. Yes it is set in a background of devastating climate change and strife but as Vladimir noted it is also based around current scientific knowledge and might be seen as a warning of what might come to pass. I'm afraid I do not think everyone can live happily in the sanctaries as I have talked to Tommaso and Michael about. People can leave if they wish, it is not a prison. They can join the warriors or take their chances, which are not good.

          I think it is a far cheerier vision of the future than rise of the machines oppressing humanity, Borg like hive mind post humans, complete collapse of civilization and return to a new dark ages, or a tale of feral, savage humanity trying to survive against the odds, cannibalism as an answer to food shortages and other such horrific scenarios.

          Georgina,

          A nice utopia and some interesting snippets of biology. But apart from those I was left feeling it didn't really address how we overcome the many problems we have here and now to actually get there, if 'there' is where we want to end up.

          How do we evolve the way people think?

          I couldn't help thinking that without an epiphany human nature would just end up pitting sanctuaries against each other. It's the other mans (blade of) grass syndrome. As guidance to somebody with influence to 'steer' us to a future it does give a 'vision', which is certainly needed as targets to aim for, but I wondered how much it would help him chart his way through and out of the present maelstrom. Is it not really man's 'ways of thinking' that need to be changed to really allow progress in the right direction?

          I think I'm thinking; having visions is great, but what we really need is almost an intellectual revolution to stand any real chance of achieving them before we destroy our habitat. (i.e. exactly how, in practice, DO we keep the population to 5bn?)

          Do you disagree?

          A very nicely written and valuable essay anyway.

          Judy

            I've got a background in social science if you would ever like to talk further on that side of things. My website is http://citizenearth.altervista.org and my email is the-citizen at safe-mail dott net

            Good luck with your entry!

            All the way through, I kept wondering if this was supposed to be utopia or dystopia. It is reminiscent of Brave New World or THX 1138, updated to a 2014 organic crunchy flavor. I suppose to the people in the story, it might seem that their world and their way of life was chosen and democratically ratified. But they do not seem truly free; they are subject to too many palpable constraints and everything must be negotiated with the collective. It's not clear to me that such a social order would ever be stable. Global utopian democratic socialism? You give us a vision of what that would be like if it could be made to work, and no, it isn't pretty, it seems suffocating. But then again, in your story it has been forced on humanity by some set of ecological catastrophes... people will adapt, as long as they possibly can. Anyway, thought provoking, nice work.

              Georgina,

              Up to your usual high standard. Nice to have a utopian view among the doom and gloom. Which is correct is moot of course.

              As an offshore racing helmsman (UK Rep) your title caught my eye, but seems a little contrary to the content. If life turns out to be a smooth as you describe won't the eventual result then be a failing society? The view did seem to lack 'challenge' or 'purpose', but perhaps that's what you're saying in a subtle way?

              Anyway I found it a very pleasant, interesting and thought provoking read. Well done. I hope it does well.

              I also hope you'll enjoy mine, which may better describe what we were discussing, the recognition of which may help achieve some more utopian society. But then I think you agree; recognising things for what they really are doesn't exactly seem to be man's forte at present!

              Best wishes

              Peter

                Hi Georgina,

                I had to read a couple of times (and it was delightful reading) to understand what is meant by the title. I came in with the assumption that it had something to do with evolutionary pressure. I'm no yachtsman like Peter, yet I did serve at sea in the U.S. Navy, and had much the same reaction. Foul weather and heavy seas make us vigilant toward forecasting conditions sufficiently ahead of time -- the common wish from sailor to sailor is for "fair winds and following seas."

                So I guess that sanctuary would be a form of "smooth sailing," too. It's what we all wish for in a sea of ever present danger. We can't avoid it entirely, though let's try and steer away from it, please! (I have to admit at the same time that some of those storms were awesome and exhilarating; a lot of life at sea is dreadfully routine and boring.)

                All best in the essay competition!

                Tom

                  Peter ,

                  thanks for reading the essay. The 'Utopian' story is a vehicle for raising and giving solutions to many problems that are facing mankind.I have written a list in this discussion thread which may not be complete. I should have mentioned in the abstract that that was what its purpose is. Smooth seas do not make good sailors rough and unpredictable seas do. And that is also what the essay is about. Facing and preparing to face challenges and unpredictability.The challenges are not all done and finished with, the weather reports say the weather is still changing. They don't know if they will be dealing with an ice age, or be going into space or what challenges of living in an isolated biosphere might bring. They are creating and developing solutions to potential problems, and creativity is a part of their culture. They have a clear purpose to preserve and propagate the tree of life.

                  I will read your essay. Thanks for your feedback,Georgina

                  Georgina,

                  You made a bunch of tough topics easy to read once I understood the interweaving different threads in your essay. Very innovative approach.

                  If I understood your message, your description of Utopia, however, sits not at all well with me. While you definitely bring justice to a set of deserving issues, I feel you may have given up on humanity.

                  In Grace's time, I get the feeling that the human mind and spirit had been lost for a long time: there exists a final design of the sanctuary and it could be moved anywhere in the universe; All the science and technology being used was developed and available for a long time; humankind has found peace of sorts, but I can't tell if Grace is really really happy or even if the concept of happiness is one anyone harbors anymore. Is Grace and the sanctuary the goal of the Anthropocene?

                  I miss the imagination, the ingenuity, the adventure that makes us humans a unique species. We have a spark that always (at least till today) has found a way not just to aid in our survival but also that ensures that we thrive: Our near-daily inventiveness and imagination-induced ingenuity is what defines us as human. The horse age doesn't end for us when horses die out, but ends because we cannot wait to think up and make real new modes of transportation. We don't limit ourselves to land, we see water and the air as pathways to new places.

                  In Grace's world, Nature's evolutionary characteristic that even created humanity, also appears to be long dead. Ecosystems used to move to new places because instability is inherent to nature and all its creations. Maybe, even all evolution is no more.

                  If I am understanding correctly what you mean to convey, I would not be happy in Grace's shoes.

                  The problems you address must be solved by us, and now. In my way of thinking, this is the challenge of the 21st century for humanity: Build your utopia but without curbing human imagination, desire and longing to make things even better.

                  If you have a moment, please read my essay for my thoughts on how we can build your utopia but it will be varied and dramatically different in too many ways to define.

                  Thanks for making me think.