Science Fiction's new world hope

Science Fiction provides much of the myth for our hi-tech world; it has opened our horizons and suggested the pinnacles that we may reach. Although we have yet to reach the level of convenience and humanity portrayed in The Jetsons and Star Trek, Science Fiction continues to bring us hope (Kurzweil's Singularity). Nevertheless it has also brought us disillusionment (Where's My Jetpack) and fear (Terminator).

Science Fiction interprets the dichotomy of technology: progress AND destruction. No where is this more clear, now the threat of Armageddon in the Cold War has faded, than in climate change: the drive for faster better has technology = resources = production = pollution , yet the hope of the future lies in technology. However, it is unclear to what degree:



MTV Switch has also just released another great video, also produced by 180 Amsterdam. Talk of geo-engineering evokes a similar response (see Wired's recent article Ken Caldeira). Ironically discarded technology continues to pile up and create a hazard for those in Africa and China. There is some hope, however, such as the introduction of the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). Meanwhile possibilites will remain just that unless common sense pervades our culture of greed. Will technology lead to a better world or a more inequal one? It's up to us.