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We need more optimistic science fiction

craig-russell.co.uk

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Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#71

Post by Legend2440 »

ben_w wrote: post #44
Legend2440 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hilariously, a dyson sphere operating at 5% capacity would still generate more power every second than humanity currently generates in 10,000 years.

But at even just 4%, the thermal emissions from a partial Dyson swarm would still be enough to heat Earth by twice what anthropogenic climate change has managed so far: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092702482...

Interesting.

Luckily with that kind of energy you can do absolutely insane things, like build planet-sized sunshades or push the earth to a more distant orbit. These challenges can be engineered around.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#72

Post by alganet »

aleph_minus_one wrote: post #68
alganet wrote: post #26

AI, give me an optimistic sci fi plot for the world. AI, now compare it to communism.

> AI, give me an optimistic sci fi plot for the world. > AI, now compare it to communism. Considering how every attempt of communism has turned out, this optimistic science fiction plot better turns out to be quite different from communism.

That is exactly what the AI told me.

In theory, communism works but in practice it was different.

The AI also tells me that the sci fi plot is not like that, that it will work in practice.

In the words of the famous prophet Dave Mustaine "if there's a new way, I'll be the first in line, but it better work this time" and also "you know your worth when your enemies praise your architecture of aggression".

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#73

Post by Calwestjobs »

socalgal2 wrote: post #50
Calwestjobs wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

So did China - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwoyko4uuvI

As is !kinda! said in Remembrance of Earth's Past but people seem to not understand that (what) all kinds of warnings are in those books. For example concept of Sophons is applicable to computer espionage... Or i can see with visible , IR , UV sensors on satellite, what literally my neighbors backyard looks like... everything is transparent on high enough level... privacy is only between citizens not between state/military and citizen. and no between states.

i provided Russian casualties because currently there is big disinformation campaign of Russian gov going, targeted towards USA citizens.

Edit: Because russia is no.1 threat to western style of live in current time. (because what they do. not because what we think about them)

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#74

Post by lukewrites »

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #18
Mithriil wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Ministry for the Future , by Kim Stanley Robinson. Realistic and optimistic climate fiction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future

But it begins with a nightmarish heatwave that kills hundreds of thousands in India, which may be a little hard for some people to handle (judging by the reactions of people I've recommended it to...)

Yeah I stopped after that and still find myself thinking about it from time to time...if the book gets happier from there, I'll pick it up again.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#75

Post by armchairhacker »

snowwrestler wrote: post #48

Optimistic science fiction shows humanity applying unique ingenuity to solve tough problems. Our lived reality today is that we already know the technical solutions to many tough problems (hunger, homelessness, many diseases, overpopulation, climate change, war) but simply refuse to apply them. Of course people don’t believe optimistic sci-fi anymore. Star Trek the original series is usually taken as an example of op…

> Our lived reality today is that we already know the technical solutions to many tough problems (hunger, homelessness, many diseases, overpopulation, climate change, war) but simply refuse to apply them.

Do we? We can do a lot for individuals, but even with cooperation, maybe can’t immediately give food and shelter to everyone, let alone fix climate change (war is fixable with cooperation, but unless I’m mistaken a very small minority of the world’s population is in a hot war). Even if we have enough resources, we also need logistics (hence why people in some areas lack clean water).

Also, Star Trek’s backstory is that humanity only started cooperating like in the show after nuclear wars. Most people would rather mutually benefit than mutually suffer (otherwise we’d have MAD), and the solutions that benefit humanity the most are mutual. Society may have backslided since the 2000s, but it’s far better now than it was before and temporary backslides happened before; humans have evolved to be altruistic because, barring death or extreme circumstances, altruistic groups win in the long term.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#76

Post by beeflet »

socalgal2 wrote: post #38
Animats wrote: post #15

OK, we know what's coming. - Energy is less of a problem, between cheap solar cells and batteries. - Materials may start to be a problem, but not yet. - Population is leveling off and dropping in some countries, but continues to grow in Africa and among the religious groups which keep women at home. - Equatorial areas are becoming uninhabitable. - AI is rapidly getting better. Not clear how good it gets, but if every…

- Population is leveling off and dropping in some countries, This is a problem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufmu1WD2TSk - AI is rapidly getting better. Not clear how good it gets, but if everything you do for money goes in and out over a wire, you're in trouble. Or, everything gets so abundant that we can actually have high UBI This reminds me if why I disliked to movie Elysium. They had a robots that effectively…

I think elysium isn't an effective sci-fi in the sense that it discusses the effect of technology on mankind. It is just a metaphor for the US/Mexico border.

The only takeaway I got from the movie is that the robots look cool, it's the same robot design from chappie. Both half-baked scifi movies, but I would like to imagine they both exist in the same world.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#77

Post by Calwestjobs »

aleph_minus_one wrote: post #63
Calwestjobs wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly ! Just simple : Do we have any complex mechanism which works for last 100 years nonstop without fail ? Answers question of generational ships towards other solar systems. XD

> Do we have any complex mechanism which works for last 100 years nonstop without fail ? For the following examples, this question is open, and you might have a different opinion whether they fit your opinion of "complex", but the following are candidates that I am aware of: The 10,000 Year Clock (Clock of the Long Now) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now https://www.10000yearclock.net/index.html The…

lets say they fit, but they do not work, people expect for them to work. but yes they are designed to work that long in stress free environment.

your ship needs to be repaired on the way, do you need to have repair tools, materials, for that on board ? Seafaring cargo ship can not be going 100 years without repair. I bet space ship can not go either. What if your 3d printer on board which makes your repair tools brakes... etc etc.

you "can" fly 99.99% of speed of light to get there sooner, but you smash into grain of dust and what happens? either radiation burst or explosion. space is not vacuum as a 0 particle space.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#78

Post by jlcx »

igor47 wrote: post #16
i80and wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Monk & Robot books[1] are my personal favorites in the whole genre. [1]: https://us.macmillan.com/series/monkrobot

agreed, especially the first book. the other becky chambers books in the "long way to a small angry planet" series are also quite good.

The novella "To Be Taught, If Fortunate," the only Becky Chambers book not part of either of those series, is also good.

Re: We need more optimistic science fiction

#80

Post by m463 »

AIPedant wrote: post #6

On Twitter, Colin Fraser pointed out that Black Mirror was somewhat optimistic in that the horrible evil technology actually works as described[1]. Truly pessimistic science fiction would have - people worshipping an AI God which is demonstrably dumber than a dog - friendly humanoid robots which don't really understand how to walk down a flight of stairs - gravitational warp drives which are purely cosmetic and canno…

I think optimistic scifi needs to lie a bit:

- allow you to exceed the speed of light, or better yet portal somewhere

- learn we are not alone in the universe

- store basically infinite energy in your hip-mounted blaster

- get the girl/guy in the end

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