Re: >H Happy New Year!

Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Wed, 31 Dec 1997 22:36:45 -0500

Anders Sandberg wrote:
>
> Forrest Bishop <forrestb@ix.netcom.com> writes:
>
> > Uh oh. If Anders is overloading, we're all in trouble. :)
>
> Maybe we should think of developing a tool of combatting future or now
> chock? Some way of getting an overall feeling of what is
> happening. History once served that purpose (and still work in many
> areas) but when it comes to the technological changes we need
> something new.
>
But there is such a tool: Science Fiction. SF is currently the best
way I know of to explore the social consequences of technological
change. The problem as always is that appreciating SF generally requires
more scientific background than the general public is willing to
acquire. However, even SF for the masses, such as Star Trek, is
a better window on the future than nothing.