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

Author Georgina Parry wrote on Apr. 29, 2014 @ 00:55 GMT

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.

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

Hi Georgina don't forget to rate my essay if you get a chance! So far I'm getting lots of great comments but only one rating. Good luck with your 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

I thought there was something familiar about this story as I read it, but it was the additional background in answers to comments that made me sit up and exclaim (for dramatic effect): prequel!

    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.

    Hi Georgina,

    The first thought that occurred to me as I read your essay was the dialectic tension between utopian and dystopian factors. However, you and several commentators have already discussed this, so I will add only a brief observation to that discussion. It seems to me that the situation you describe is dystopian in the sense that the given circumstances of life are not good, but the situation is utopian in the sense that the people have done well in building a tolerable and in some ways desirable place for themselves in the midst of those circumstances.

    This observation leads me to suggest that your imaginative vision of the future might be a parallel to human existence in other times and places. We have always been living in a sanctuary, whether that be the light around the campfire, a cabin in a clearing, a walled city, or whatever. I think we could see the sanctuary not just as a physical space but as a social and psychological comfort zone.

    The difficult question is how humanity can build sanctuaries appropriate for present and future challenges.

    Your comments on my essay were helpful and appreciated. In my reply, I tried to deal with the issues you raised. Thanks.

    Laurence Hitterdale

      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?

      Dear Georgina,

      Very imaginative, in the best sense.

      As you note, education, and instilling the proper attitude for survival are key. The construction of sanctuaries, or at least communities of those more interested in humanity's survival (although they must also secure their own) may indeed be the only practical solution. You might have provided a little more detail on how to get there, but given the constraints, excellent in scope.

      And thanks for reading my essay.

      Regards,

      Charles Gregory St. Pierre

        Hi Charles,

        thank you very much for reading my essay and for your comments on it. Yes perhaps a little history lesson on how the sanctuaries came to be constructed would have helped the story. Others have picked out different details that they would have liked. The story is just a way of talking about problems facing humanity and how they might be overcome, in an interesting way. That you have appreciated the importance of the lessons and the scope of the essay makes me happy, thank you.

        Dear Georgina,

        I very much like your title, as it seems to be so easy to forget this fact of life. If you have not read 'Wool Omnibus' by Hugh Howey, you might wish to do so. I view it as perhaps a prototype 'sanctuary'. I've given some thought to the idea of sanctuaries in the past, but did not place them underground.

        Based on your prior contributions to FQXi, I did not see this one coming. Congratulations on the ability to surprise your friends!

        Best regards,

        Edwin Eugene Klingman

          Dear Edwin, I do hope that you got beyond the title and were pleasantly surprised, not disappointed.

          In the evaluation criteria under Interesting, it says "Original and creative... At the same time, the entry should differ substantially from any previously published piece by the author." I have tried to jump those hoops by using an interesting literary style to convey numerous problems and actual or potential solutions.

          "Technically correct and rigorously argued, to the degree of a published work or grant proposal." You may have noticed the very large number of references given for the facts contained in it.

          Under relevant it says "(Note: While this topic is broad, successful essays will not use this breadth as an excuse to shoehorn in the author's pet topic, but will rather keep as their central focus the theme of how humanity should steer the future.)" I have subtly referred to my explanatory framework and not made it the central focus of the essay.

          "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." The image we call the present is written in the light but the material future has not been built is philosophy of physics and I am referring to my explanatory framework for physics. I also talk about the Strange Atractor, chaos and give a reference to the Lorenz center. Other aspects of physics are also mentioned.

          I have also addressed these points listed under Relevant "What is the best state that humanity can realistically achieve?" I have talked about how success is measured. "What is your plan for getting us there? Who implements this plan?" I have talked about the various kinds of future problem solvers "What technology (construed broadly to include practices and techniques) does your plan rely on?" I have talked about bio-mimicry, bio-engineering, and 3D printing to build a 'tool box' of potential solutions to future problems.And constructing self sufficient sustainable biospheres as a prerequisite to space colonization.Control of the environment to promote health ie. simbionts to out compete pathogens and control of lighting and em devices for health purposes. Use of fever and dormant states for treatment of ill health and injury. I have also talked about self healing materials.

          Under interesting it also says "Well and clearly written, Accessible to a diverse, well-educated but non-specialist audience". I believe I have jumped those hoops too as it is possible to read the essay on different levels. Just a simple Utopian tale or a deep consideration of a large number of serious problems that do or may soon affect humanity.

          We were told to be optimistic,and though some people have pointed out that the "Utopian" society is set within a Dystopian world it is predominantly an optimistic view; that a large human population can be sustained with purpose, dignity and a good deal of personal freedom as well as having an improved standard of living and good health. The stark depressing quote of Issac Asimov at the beginning is contrasted with the realization that humanity is beyond price, when the perspective is changed, in the quote by Carl Sagan.

          Kind Regards, Georgina

          Dear Georgina,

          Wow! One can touch hot buttons even in the dark! I can only assume that you felt damned by faint praise. I apologize. Your original entry both meets FQXi specs (as you leave no doubt!) and my own (inconsequential) standards for an essay.

          Whatever set you off was unintentional. You painted a picture. I related it to a similar picture (Hugh Howey) I have encountered in the last year. Mea culpa! Mea culpa!.

          I still love you,

          Edwin Eugene Klingman

          Dear Edwin,

          I am sorry if my reply seems snappy, inappropriate or ungrateful. I just wanted to point out the care taken to match the evaluation criteria and that it is not just a story.

          I'm glad you like the title. I deliberately chose something a little more eye catching than previous years. I hoped it would attract more readers. Mankind has lived through the benign inter-glacial period with steady climate and abundant oil has fueled the green revolution, allowing rapid increase in population. It seems the good times (smooth seas) that mankind is accustomed to will not last forever. The title is implying that we can become 'good sailors' (adapting as required) through experience of harsh conditions and challenges. That seemed to me to fit well with scenario depicted.

          Thanks for taking a look, Georgina

          Thanks for sharing your vision of the future, Georgina. I like the way you measure success for humanity. And I think you are right to stress the importance of sustainability.

          My own view is that the petri dish analogy may be too simple--I have actually written about this elsewhere--but I agree that there are limits to how much we can consume as a species. I suppose I also hope that the future will have more room for difference of opinion than this society seems to. But if there is a lot to debate in your vision, these are definitely debates worth having.

          If you get a chance, I would be grateful for your thoughts on my own essay. Best of luck to you in any case!

          Robert

            P.S., I will use the following rating scale to rate the essays of authors who tell me that they have rated my essay:

            10 - the essay is perfection and I learned a tremendous amount

            9 - the essay was extremely good, and I learned a lot

            8 - the essay was very good, and I learned something

            7 - the essay was good, and it had some helpful suggestions

            6 - slightly favorable indifference

            5 - unfavorable indifference

            4 - the essay was pretty shoddy and boring

            3 - the essay was of poor quality and boring

            2 - the essay was of very poor quality and boring

            1 - the essay was of shockingly poor quality and extremely flawed

            After all, that is essentially what the numbers mean.

            The following is a general observation:

            Is it not ironic that so many authors who have written about how we should improve our future as a species, to a certain extent, appear to be motivated by self-interest in their rating practices? (As evidence, I offer the observation that no article under 3 deserves such a rating, and nearly every article above 4 deserves a higher rating.)

            Aaron,

            Its early days and I expect that, as in previous contests, ratings will change a lot in the last few days of voting.