[^^The Pond Normal School] (^to the home page)
A-Z Station

Comments, crits, suggestions?  all welcomb:  fleeding AT hotmail.com
-- frank.

 -[zix teaching methods]- (teaching folder)
 -[A-Z Station]- (near futures)

A-Z Station
On this Page:  {Near Futures - Intro}
               {Human Values}
               {Better Life thru genetics}
               {Robotics and other variants}
               {}
               {}
               {Fixing SpaceShip Earth}
               {}
               {}

               
 

Intro


  -[]-

  -[]-

  -[]-

  -[]-


   
  

human-values

In the film "The Conversation", the young couple
(who is under surveilance) is walking along and
she sees a "bum" laying there on a bench. And she
asks, "How did he end up there. I mean all of those
years ago, when he was in his crib. Did his parents
ever think that he'd end up like this?" (not an
exact quote)

Our world proceeds along very strict lines as to the
*value* of any given person. Depending on where they
are in life, and "connections" they have their value
as aprised by the matrix is rarely subject to change.
In many areas of the world, it is cheaper to use up 
people rather than to invest in machines and the cost
of running and maintaining them. 

The golden rule has been replaced by gold rules. If
there ever was a golden rule other than just lip-service.

The equations should be obvious: We can't all have wide
screen H/D tv - after all, how much "added value" can
each worker really put into each device? And the ones
building the units work at the third lowest level of
income. Oddly enough, they will be provided with 
elements of the technology which they help to create.
They may live in a wooden shack, but they will have
a tape player and tv. Some soma for everyone; better
soma for the tops. But ALL must take some soma.






  -[]-

  -[]-

 


  -[]-

  -[]-

 
  

Better Life thru genetics

The lesson of "Jurassic Park" is clear, the 
more companies fiddle with genetic structures
that they think they understand, the greater
the chances of a run-away mutation.

As regards creating generically altered animals,
plants, etc. Again, the complexity of *any* 
biome is more than it appears. 

With the introduction of things like BSH (Bovine
Stimulating Hormone), we may have already rendered
a large portion of the population mutated. Increasing
cancers (and any new odities) welcome in the colapse
of homo indifferens. 


  -[]-

  -[]-

 

  -[]-

  -[]-


  
  

Robotics and other variants

Anything that is complex enough to perform a complex
(possibly open-ended) task, is complex enough to
develop un-forseen actions/abilities/problems.

Robots that are potentially as intellegent as humans
may not have much room for us (the matrix, etc); i'm
a human being (mostly) and *i* can barely stand the lot.

            
 
  

Fixing SpaceShip Earth}
            
Axiom: Some problems may be beyond "fixing".
       Eg, the Greenland iceshelf appears
to be irreverisbly damaged. It's complete
melt-down is a future fact. EOD.


The ozone layer depletion is 30 - 50 years into into
the future as yet un-addressed. One possiblity is 
float giant oxygen filled ballons above the earth
to act as a surrogate ozone-layer. Floating "CFC
catchers" can be launched. Each one is a self-contained
catlytic device designed to trap CFC's on a grid.
When the grid is full, it returns to earth and
beeps to be picked up, cleaned, and re-released.

Venice should be saved. At present, unless the 
Mediterarian is sealed off, it is probably lost.



             
 




  -[]-

  -[]-

  -[]-