And still, Starman is there, you are looking at the Perseids, writing. I'm working on a lecture about the paradoxical relationship between how incredibly interesting is AI and it's genealogy as a field of knowledge, and the toxicity of the financial aspect of it. From the point of view of a 57 year old advocate of the "art formerly known as media art" who played with VR and AL (life ) in the nineties and is thoroughly exploring constraint based art practices with Claude. This post inspired me a lot.
*formerly known as new media (Sarah Cook and Steve Dietz exhibition at the Banff Center). A field full of knowledge and warnings which may be quite useful for the days to come.
What a beautiful, haunting, and harrowing piece. This highlights exactly the sort of dull jackhammer complacency that I see in my daily life - it's scary just how well you've captured this feeling. I think I'll forever remember the words "The starman never came to meet us because we were too busy illuminating Narcissus’s reflection in murky puddles."
This post captures so well the loss of optimism we've all noticed in our visions of the future. Science fiction has turned so much to apocalyptic and dystopian themes. The solarpunk movement is the exception that proves the rule. This is art and fiction exploring technology in harmony with nature and related themes. It is telling that it gets so little attention.
I'm an outsider but, from my POV (and what I know from reading history), 2025 America resembles *very little* 1968 America (I understand you mean the eve of AGI but, I'm talking about more than just technology wise, which is not exactly the theme of my essay!)
Oh, then I misunderstood. Then we agree, although I believe you're implying that past returns may improve the odds of future returns? I think we've lost something meaningful and fundamental since 1968, which is what I don't think we're getting back.
Wow, this really touched me.. I'm 60 years old and started my 30+ year career in tech at Microsoft right around the year you were born. I was fired last March for "not being a good fit" (read: I was too old.) You're right - there was an optimism that is gone now. It makes me so sad that your generation has been cheated out of that :(
That said, I'd argue that it is still possible to stargaze and experience the wonder and optimism that doing so inspires. Ironically, that is what I'm currently writing about .. I call it "The Great Cognitive Abdication" (ie, the systematic surrender of our thinking to anything that promises to make it easier.)
I'm new to Substack so I'm just getting up and running, but I'll be sharing more about how it is possible - still - to resist being lulled into the mindset that dulls (squashes?) creativity and joy.
Thanks for sharing - I remember that Bowie song - actually went to one of his concerts once :)
"Never to the stars" is my conclusion. Way easier, cheaper, and entertaining to don virtual reality gear, complete with tactile interaction, than to actually explore the solar system / galaxy. Space is deadly and there is no good way around that. Reality sucks.
As far as flying cars vs cell phones, maybe the easy stuff is all taken and now only hard things remain. The Apollo missions were a freak of the Cold War. The Space Shuttle's 30 years exhausted humanity's resolve and proved how hard space it. The ISS is nice and all but, I'd say it mostly proved that human physiology needs gravity to survive.
And then we have the fact that 50% of the population has an IQ < 100 and eventually, like now, they've taken political control of the country. That'd put a damper on innovation.
The stars are a metaphor. I'm not sure going to the stars is a desirable outcome at all; it's just the fact that *not* looking at them or dreaming of them manifests as a disease for humans.
"it's just the fact that *not* looking at them or dreaming of them manifests as a disease for humans."
... are you saying that humans can't (or won't) look at or dream of the stars anymore and that is manifesting as a diseased human race? ie, our collective inability to do that is a root cause? or the way the world is makes it impossible to do it anymore?
The latter is a fact (except it's just hard, not necessarily impossible), the former is a literary device to drive my point (not necessarily a scientific fact, although I wouldn't be surprised if there was a causal relation). But with that sentence what I'm saying is that we've traded off outward imagination for inward convenience
Maybe many are dreaming, but the onslaught of trashmedia overwhelms those who are: reversing aging/increasing longevity, creating robots for all labor, discovering new materials for countless applications, advancing AI for scientific, education, and entertainment, researching novel energy generation and advancements.
Maybe "space" was big and bold and in your face. And maybe everything else can't compare to the scope of such a dream.
I look around at science these days and am dazzled by the array of creativity and progress. No, they're not flashy "starman" caliber, but then, are any of those grand advancements actually left?
And still, Starman is there, you are looking at the Perseids, writing. I'm working on a lecture about the paradoxical relationship between how incredibly interesting is AI and it's genealogy as a field of knowledge, and the toxicity of the financial aspect of it. From the point of view of a 57 year old advocate of the "art formerly known as media art" who played with VR and AL (life ) in the nineties and is thoroughly exploring constraint based art practices with Claude. This post inspired me a lot.
"how incredibly interesting is AI and it's genealogy as a field of knowledge, and the toxicity of the financial aspect of it" we're on the same page!
*formerly known as new media (Sarah Cook and Steve Dietz exhibition at the Banff Center). A field full of knowledge and warnings which may be quite useful for the days to come.
What a beautiful, haunting, and harrowing piece. This highlights exactly the sort of dull jackhammer complacency that I see in my daily life - it's scary just how well you've captured this feeling. I think I'll forever remember the words "The starman never came to meet us because we were too busy illuminating Narcissus’s reflection in murky puddles."
Thank you Sonia, it's a really sad state of affairs...
This post captures so well the loss of optimism we've all noticed in our visions of the future. Science fiction has turned so much to apocalyptic and dystopian themes. The solarpunk movement is the exception that proves the rule. This is art and fiction exploring technology in harmony with nature and related themes. It is telling that it gets so little attention.
Starman is definitely a great song. By 1995, Bowie was making his "Outside" album with Brian Eno's help.
"Outside" is light years away, in spirit, from Bowie's early albums and songs.
All eras have their ups and downs. 2025 in America feels like 1968 in America.
I'm an outsider but, from my POV (and what I know from reading history), 2025 America resembles *very little* 1968 America (I understand you mean the eve of AGI but, I'm talking about more than just technology wise, which is not exactly the theme of my essay!)
I mean the spirit of the times. Major civil unrest, division, and violence. A lack of optimism for the future.
Oh, then I misunderstood. Then we agree, although I believe you're implying that past returns may improve the odds of future returns? I think we've lost something meaningful and fundamental since 1968, which is what I don't think we're getting back.
Wow, this really touched me.. I'm 60 years old and started my 30+ year career in tech at Microsoft right around the year you were born. I was fired last March for "not being a good fit" (read: I was too old.) You're right - there was an optimism that is gone now. It makes me so sad that your generation has been cheated out of that :(
That said, I'd argue that it is still possible to stargaze and experience the wonder and optimism that doing so inspires. Ironically, that is what I'm currently writing about .. I call it "The Great Cognitive Abdication" (ie, the systematic surrender of our thinking to anything that promises to make it easier.)
I'm new to Substack so I'm just getting up and running, but I'll be sharing more about how it is possible - still - to resist being lulled into the mindset that dulls (squashes?) creativity and joy.
Thanks for sharing - I remember that Bowie song - actually went to one of his concerts once :)
"Never to the stars" is my conclusion. Way easier, cheaper, and entertaining to don virtual reality gear, complete with tactile interaction, than to actually explore the solar system / galaxy. Space is deadly and there is no good way around that. Reality sucks.
As far as flying cars vs cell phones, maybe the easy stuff is all taken and now only hard things remain. The Apollo missions were a freak of the Cold War. The Space Shuttle's 30 years exhausted humanity's resolve and proved how hard space it. The ISS is nice and all but, I'd say it mostly proved that human physiology needs gravity to survive.
And then we have the fact that 50% of the population has an IQ < 100 and eventually, like now, they've taken political control of the country. That'd put a damper on innovation.
The stars are a metaphor. I'm not sure going to the stars is a desirable outcome at all; it's just the fact that *not* looking at them or dreaming of them manifests as a disease for humans.
"it's just the fact that *not* looking at them or dreaming of them manifests as a disease for humans."
... are you saying that humans can't (or won't) look at or dream of the stars anymore and that is manifesting as a diseased human race? ie, our collective inability to do that is a root cause? or the way the world is makes it impossible to do it anymore?
just curious ...
The latter is a fact (except it's just hard, not necessarily impossible), the former is a literary device to drive my point (not necessarily a scientific fact, although I wouldn't be surprised if there was a causal relation). But with that sentence what I'm saying is that we've traded off outward imagination for inward convenience
Agree!
Maybe many are dreaming, but the onslaught of trashmedia overwhelms those who are: reversing aging/increasing longevity, creating robots for all labor, discovering new materials for countless applications, advancing AI for scientific, education, and entertainment, researching novel energy generation and advancements.
Maybe "space" was big and bold and in your face. And maybe everything else can't compare to the scope of such a dream.
I look around at science these days and am dazzled by the array of creativity and progress. No, they're not flashy "starman" caliber, but then, are any of those grand advancements actually left?