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.
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