Alvin Toffler's 483-page Future Shock first came out in 1970. Here we are in 2006 -- his future then is now our present. Are we shocked yet?
Yes and no. Like rats, humans can adapt to almost anything if they have to. On the other hand, Toffler's right on about certain things -- "the bombardment of the senses," the nomadic lifestyles of many, the need for "personal stability zones" and "enclaves of the future."
One of the strangest dimensions Toffler considers is how time changes, or feels that way. He gives a pretty decent explanation as to why time seems to zip by faster once a person hits a certain age. It has to do with fractions, basic math, our internal clocks and proportional memory. Luckily, we can slow down the feeling somewhat through the comfort of personal stability zones. Maybe.
Even before Future Shock, the Star Trek series showed inter-global civilization transformed by numerous technological changes, some of them now really here. The Communicator is more or less the same as our cell / mobile phones; the internet is not far away from being a voice-activated Computer. But imagine how different things might be if we could travel by Transporter Beam? Breakfast in Detroit, dinner in Paris. I wouldn't mind carrying a Phaser, either. Set to stun, of course.
Today's Rune: The Blank Rune.
From one of my personal stability zones, adieu.
2 comments:
Great post. I love the ideas.
my brother is a star trek fanatic. It drives me bonkers.
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