Smooth seas do not make good sailors by Georgina Parry

Hi Mark,

Thanks for reading the essay. I was using the story to raise and give possible solution to many of the problems facing mankind. Rather than considering future politics. However since the politics concerns you, I envision it as more of a democratically elected meritocracy.Candidates having been educated to fulfil leadership roles. I agree it is not necessarily utopian but I have tried to suggest that the people have a lot of freedom to choose what they do and that there is a rich culture and promotion of creativity, better health, pleasing architecture. The deleterious effects of stress has been acknowledged and stress relief activities are considered worthy of dedication time. The sanctuaries are not prisons anyone can leave if they wish and take their chances.The sanctuaries are a way of allowing a large number of people survive rather than the human race going through an evolutionary bottle neck.

Hi Judy,

thank you for reading may essay and for your queries.A solution to antibiotic resistance, symbiosis with micro flora in the habitats was given. Cancer, no light at night and adequate regular sleep regime and optimal vitamin D levels in the population. If you had looked at the references you would have seen this is based upon actual current research. Growth in population is halted by having a controlled parenting programme. See my reply to Tejinder Singh re the acceptability of that programme.

I envisioned that the sanctuaries programme would be started too late and so there is a backdrop of war , famine and disease that has also reduced world population.I have also given a solution to the problem of unwanted children. There is education and public information to remind people of the need to stay within limits and they now understand the lesson of the exponential function unlike most people alive today.Yes it might be regarded as indoctrination but it could be more kindly likened to social engineering such as anti smoking or anti drink driving campaigns.

I have given a solution to desertification. Alan savory is working on that now. its not a make believe solution. I could go onbut I have written a list of the problems raised, in this thread which you could take a look at if you are interested.

I think to make the programme acceptable the "indoctrination' or public information and education would have to begin before any construction begins. I can see that otherwise the programmes would be considered a waste of money and resources and might meet a lot of opposition.

The rate in growth of the worlds population is dropping in part because in modern societies women have the choice to reproduce or not and an increasing number find fulfilment in other ways. There needs to be a continuation of that trend and one way is to regard women as more than just potential mothers and for child free status to be seen in a positive light rather than a cause for suspicion of selfishness or something not quite right. Perhaps more media exposure of men and women who have voluntarily chosen top be child free. More research into their mental well being and sense of fulfilment/ regrets would be good. That can be fed back to the population to attempt to spread the desired cultural change. I have seen studies showing that child free people do have better mental health and sense of personal fulfilment. I will add those references here later. Thanks Georgina

Hi Armin,

thank you for reading my essay and for your comments. Yes I have included many solutions. Though the final outcome may be displeasing to many it is a far better outcome than many others that could be considered.

I look forward to reading your essay.

Hi Ajay,

thank you for your comments.

I don't see the sanctuary as something stagnant but something adapting and developing like a life form itself.Smooth seas do not make good sailors rough and unpredictable ones do. They are still learning all of the ways of dealing with problems as they arise and for future use. The kids start their lifelong creativity with IT, study of nature and engineering very early. As I said in the essay high culture and creativity are in part how the success of the society is measured. Yes I think there is a preservation of genetic diversity, rather than allowing drift, to keep populations healthy and give the maximum ability to diverge into new niches when the Earth is habitable again or on other worlds.

I will read your essay, Georgina

Hi Tom,

Glad you enjoyed reading it. I meant that it's the 'rough and unpredictable seas', difficulties, problems, challenges, that make good sailors. That is what Grace's mother was trying to explain to Grace. That's still ongoing as they do not know what new challenges they will face. They are filling their 'tool box' with as many solutions as possible, for current challenges and ones that might arise in the future.

I have a list in this thread of many of the problems that are raised in the essay and solutions given. There are references through out many to current research and with hyper-links for easy access. I have also referred subtly to my explanatory framework by mentioning the un-written future and saying that the present image is written in the light but the material future has not been built.

Thanks Tom, Georgina

Tom,

I should also say that it is meant as a science essay not just a sociological experiment fantasy. It seems many people don't like the lifestyle of the inhabitants, they could easily imagine something different and more to their liking. However I think they should also ask themselves if it solves as many or more problems.If not I would question whether it is better. War, famine and disease are not exhilarating for most but misery.

There are some premises on which the essay is built. Though it does not become obvious until the end; the idea that the future can be built rather than just steering towards a space-time future that has existence in the space-time continuum, or towards a particular branching of the universe. That comes from my explanatory framework, it is the last reference in the essay. It is referred to subtly because to present it overtly might be seen as just using the essay as an excuse to talk about it.

The next premise is that there are problems that already have solutions that ought to be implemented.Allan Savory's work on combating desertification , pandemic vitamin D deficiency, night light cancer link, Fever cancer treatment are examples.

The third is that there are unknown and unpredictable problems that we will face, and that we can prepare for them, "filling the tool box". The chaos in the weather and climate were given as examples, there is reference to the Lorenz center and a really interesting video on why they are unpredictable and the need for more investment on even greater computing power. That's about physics. The Prairie dog tunnels, physics, the gills physics. I was trying to show how the physics (and biology) of nature can be taken and utilized to preserve and improve quality of life under extreme conditions ie. subterranean and subaquatic living.

Hi Ajay,

yes Grace is a typical child. I have imagined her to be about 14 or 15 years old but have not given an age in the story. I think it would have been too difficult to describe the lives of all the people in just a few pages. Thank you very much for your interest and kind comment, Georgina

Put this in the wrong place.

have now replied in the correct place.

Not really just for you Tom but anyone thinking of reading the essay : )

In the last section of the essay is written "The image mankind call 'the present' has been written in the light but the material future has not been built." That is not just poetry but physics. 'Goals and intent', Quote "Encourage and support rigorous, innovative, and influential thinking connected with foundational questions." FQXi.org

An observer receiving em sensory data forms the input into an output experienced reality. If the light from a distant star is observed it is seen in the observers present no matter how long it has taken the light to arrive. The material, made of fermion particles and atoms, configuration/arrangement of matter that was the source of the light will have changed as there is continual recycling and only the configuration at uni-temporal Now exists. That means that there many possible written futures in the em data in the environment that can be received and made into a present Image reality but the material future has not been built, it does not exist.Only the material arrangement at uni-temporal Now exists, the source of new em signals that will enter the data pool. The structure of the explanatory framework is shown in the attached diagram. It is referenced in the essay. It overcomes the temporal paradoxes, makes relativity intuitive and allows relativity and QM to co exist without contradiction.

'Evaluation criteria' Quote "Additionally, to be consonant with FQXi's scope and goals, essays should be sure to touch on issues in physics and cosmology, or closed related fields, such as astrophysics, biophysics, mathematics, complexity and emergence, and the philosophy of physics."FQXi.org

I have also talked about chaos theory and other aspects of physics in the essay, with references to the source of the information.Attachment #1: 1_RICP3D_high_def_essay_version..pdf

Tommy,

thanks for the link, I enjoyed the story though it is a grim vision of future humanity. Maybe that short story should be put on the future school's curriculum, as a warning not to go too far in that direction.

Thank you for your observations. Yes I agree completely.

The essay was a vehicle for raising and addressing a number of problems. Such as lifestyle and diet changes to prevent cancer. Fever therapy and symbiotic environments to overcome the problem of antibiotic resistance. Returning grazing herds to eroded grasslands to prevent desertification, and if done on a large enough scale ameliorating climate change. These are real solutions to real problems.

Are people used to a 24 /7 lifestyle prepared to voluntarily give it up for the sake of their health? Probably not.Do most people take the threat of antibiotic resistance as seriously as they should? probably not.

Re sanctuaries of the future, I think governments are already considering the kinds of threats we might face and looking at preparing infrastructure to deal with the threats. Flooding has been a big issue in the UK. One solution is not building homes on flood plains! A possible problem is the speed at which change might occur and whether we can adapt in time. Why in tornado prone areas aren't buildings and car parks constructed underground?