Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Odd Jack and Jill

Futurologists keen for a Keane tomorrow! It's only Rational! 

Visionary Pair Imagines How Humans Will Look in 100,000 Years
In 100,000 years, people might have larger heads, Google Glass type contact lenses and sideways-blinking oversized Disney eyes that glow green with cat-like night vision. At least, that is what two researchers say could happen in "one possible timeline." "This is speculation based on reason," artist Nickolay Lamm told the Daily News... Lamm teamed up with computational geneticist Alan Kwan to envision a future where zygotic genome engineering technology develops to the point where humans will be able to control their own evolution the way we control electrons today.


Oh, you futurologists! You never let me down. Genuflection to corporations like Google and Disney, check! Modest declaration that this is only a "possible timeline," check! Inability to distinguish science fiction from actual science -- with possible added inability to distinguish soft porn from actual science -- check! Stolid insistence that this is all somehow about "Reason" (hence, pointing out its embarrassingly symptomatic character or its actual developmental implausibility presumably would be about "Unreason"), check!

Ah, the stunning originality of the futurological reason of white boys and daydream toys in this age of acceleration of accelerating acceleration! Or is it...?


(First edition cover of Olaf Stapledon's Odd John, 1935) -- h/t and title are from JimF

1 comment:

Esebian said...

Not to mention the blatant eugenicism.

All hail to the new (white, westernized, heteronormative) GM master race!