I love old sci-fi
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Humanity is exploring the deep corners of the universe to discover more resources to exploit.
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Now recontextualize this using modern sci-fi that looks toward multiple centuries from now. Star Trek's egalitarian socialist utopia would never come to pass and the most likely future is that of Frank Herbert's Dune, where nearly 8,000 years from now we have a galactic feudal society where the ultra wealthy fight for control over limited resources while using religion to manipulate the poor into being their cannon fodder.
There were significant lows before the highs of the 23rd and 24th centuries of Star Trek. Incidentally the dark parts happen right around where we are now.
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You jest! Asimov’s computers are the size of planets.
The ones that aren't people, at least.
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But their computers are still the size of a room and everyone smokes
When you saw how they managed to put a person on the moon with room sized computers and about 145K lines of code, yeah I can see how they think it’d be possible.
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Old sci-fi be like
We've discovered a technology that explores the fundamental truths of human nature, gaze into the black mirror and reflect upon your modern folly.
...Also all the scientists are straight white men and we invented new ways for our women to cook dinner.
Edit: To be clear, old sci-fi is genuinely great. Merely pointing out the funny juxtaposition of nerdy white guys not fathoming any social change in their generally progressive and thought provoking works.
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… all building on what came before.
That was my point though. Metallurgy gave way to cannons and guns but we don’t have a “cannons and guns” age. Everything is iterative but occasionally we have something come along that changes everything and starts the iterations anew. But that has never continued after, just been followed by more iteration.
Also, it took over 1000 years to get from the first steam experiments to a useful engine.
I don't think that's a fair comparison to modern day.
People were experimenting with steam engines for 1,000 years sure, but this wasn't 1,000 years of dedicated research.
It was more like someone discovered the principle, then someone re-discovered the same principle 200 years later in a different, and repeat. Every time interest was lost. It wasn't until much later that people started to build off of each other and actually pursue technology.
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The industrial and technological revolutions were a cause of radical change in human civilization. It was inspiring to think we would continue to grow instead of monetizing every last vestige of this world and our psyches?!
Pretty much, I struggle to see any real human achievement in my lifetime. Sure we invented phones and computers are faster than ever before. We haven't really done anything worthwhile. No real improvements in the human condition.
We have fun content, but our planet is going to cook
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I don't think that's a fair comparison to modern day.
People were experimenting with steam engines for 1,000 years sure, but this wasn't 1,000 years of dedicated research.
It was more like someone discovered the principle, then someone re-discovered the same principle 200 years later in a different, and repeat. Every time interest was lost. It wasn't until much later that people started to build off of each other and actually pursue technology.
My point was that it didn’t give way immediately to electricity as the person I was replying to said. Even if you go from the first commercial steam engine it was still ~250 years before magnetos were regularly being hooked up to steam engines for small electrical applications.
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And the heroes were scientists
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Three Mile Island was a near melt down years before Chernobyl.
And it's a shame that we became scared of one of the greatest technologies we ever created.
Nuclear accidents have killed using the most extreme number 45,000 people. Directly meltdowns have killed less than 100. The middle ground estimates average out around 5,000, but let's give the most extreme number possible for the sake of the argument. These numbers are including projected cancer rates.
Cars annually kill 1.19 million people in comparison.
Even if you were to add nuclear weapon usage to the numbers you'd still barely be close to these numbers. Plus every time there's been an nuclear accident new technologies and safe guards are deployed. 40,000 of that estimated/projected death toll is from Chernobyl.
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Naomi Klein wrote about how older sci fi was so optimistic and how she thinks the current trend of depressing dystopian sci fi is bad for society, which was an interesting take I thought.
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One of my favourites.
What's this from?
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And it's a shame that we became scared of one of the greatest technologies we ever created.
Nuclear accidents have killed using the most extreme number 45,000 people. Directly meltdowns have killed less than 100. The middle ground estimates average out around 5,000, but let's give the most extreme number possible for the sake of the argument. These numbers are including projected cancer rates.
Cars annually kill 1.19 million people in comparison.
Even if you were to add nuclear weapon usage to the numbers you'd still barely be close to these numbers. Plus every time there's been an nuclear accident new technologies and safe guards are deployed. 40,000 of that estimated/projected death toll is from Chernobyl.
Nuclear energy was subsidized to make atom bombs seem less threatening.
If we'd spent as much on renewables and improving the power grid we'd have been off the fossil fuel addiction years ago.
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Naomi Klein wrote about how older sci fi was so optimistic and how she thinks the current trend of depressing dystopian sci fi is bad for society, which was an interesting take I thought.
I agree.
you can see it in stories as simple as Star trek.
the after TNG it was about world building and character development.
then the reboot movie happened and it was about booms, zooms, and dooms after that.
the only thing that was remotely similar was season 2 of Picard. I haven't watched 3 yet so IDK about it.
discovery is(and I mean this in the most platonic way), common TV garbage. I get the same feeling from it as I get from any other modern "syfy" show.
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Three Mile Island was a near melt down years before Chernobyl.
Yes I remember when it happened. It too eroded trust, but in our own country.
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Old sci-fi be like
We've discovered a technology that explores the fundamental truths of human nature, gaze into the black mirror and reflect upon your modern folly.
...Also all the scientists are straight white men and we invented new ways for our women to cook dinner.
Edit: To be clear, old sci-fi is genuinely great. Merely pointing out the funny juxtaposition of nerdy white guys not fathoming any social change in their generally progressive and thought provoking works.
The people writing science fiction were trying to make a living.
They wrote for magazines and TV shows that depended on advertising. A bunch of midcentury advertisers weren't going to have a Black wom,an President.
Another thing to consider is how much change you can put into a story and still expect the average reader to keep up.
There was an article about an early Star Trek episode. One scene involved a couple of lines about a salt shaker. The production team went out and brought a bunch of wild looking salt shakers. [1960's, remember?] None of the 'futuristic' looking salt shakers was any good for the scene, because they realized the TV audience wouldn't understand what that funny looking thing was. In the end they used an ordinary looking shaker.
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But their computers are still the size of a room and everyone smokes
Well, we have lots of building-sized computers out there right now.
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What's this from?
"Journey to the Moon", I believe - a silent movie from the 20s (?).
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What's this from?
A trip to the moon. 1902
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PK Dick: Everything's been nuked and there are feral psychics roaming the wasteland stealing people's emotions.
