In the not too distant future, a young Hispanic woman will graduate from college. She may have a degree in Anthropology, Economics, or Chemical Engineering. At this point, she’ll be too young to run for a House seat, but having a desire to serve her country, she’ll get a job as a Congressional Aide. Over the […]
Reclaiming the Republic in Two Simple Steps Read More »
The scientific revolution spawned by The Origin of Species is now morphing in ways Charles Darwin himself might not have expected, as the principles of adaptation and natural selection are manifesting themselves in fields far removed from biology. Most notably, when applied to human thought, culture, and institutions, the theory of evolution becomes the discipline of memetics. A meme is a concept
Longevity issues get treated like an invisible phenomenon. Some changes happen so gradually, it takes human society decades or centuries to notice. Most intellectual revolutions, from the scientific to the industrial, only appear revolutionary in hindsight. At the time, people see only incremental progress, and they give little thought to the world-shaking significance of the few
Extended Longevity and What to Expect Read More »
The “third rail” powers trains on a railroad track. It is so charged with electricity that it usually kills anyone unlucky enough to touch it. Politicians and pundits call Social Security the third rail of American politics. Candidate who touch it get zapped into political oblivion quicker than you can say, “Don’t mess with old
The Third Rail and the Elderly in Our Economy Read More »
Being a Short Treatise on the Prevalence of Steampunk, or Neo-Victorian Retro-Futurism in Modern Society and Its Associated Philosophical, Social, and Artistic Implications Take three parts science fiction creativity, two parts mechanical ingenuity, and one part aesthetic sensibility. Stir delicately, strain through late 19th Century technology and fashion, and viola: Steampunk. Put simply, the Steampunk
Of Cogs and Culture: The Steampunk Renaissance Read More »
Humanity’s drive to explore, to branch out and extend our reach and our grasp over the natural environment, has been with us since before we were technically human. Early hominids crafted new technologies to improve their lives and expand their power. Many adventurous souls set out to explore beyond the horizon, simply because it beckoned.
Asteroid Mining: Wealth Beyond the Horizon Read More »