0032 - Derivation - 2018.05.14 |
||
Comment: So uh... a little world-building, here. Have I mentioned that the world of Forward has no FTL and no contact with aliens? I want to be clear that the "Martians" Lee talks about are human beings. Even without warp drive or stargates, I do think a permanent human colony on Mars is possible by 2167. In fact, the first colonies were set up in 2060, and Mars is recognized as an independent nation by 2120. And yeah, most of the entertainment consumed on Earth is of Martian origin. They also produce most of the world's medical breakthroughs, technological developments, et cetera. Exporting information, after all, is far more cost-effective than exporting physical goods, so that's the direction their economy goes. The Martian economy is interesting, because they pretty much went from constant frantic improvisational pass-me-that-wrench-or-we're-all-going-to-die disaster to a post-scarcity Utopia within a single generation. They never really developed capitalism as we understand it - they didn't need to. Functionally, the entire planet is not only a single nation, but a single household. Picture an idyllic Google campusy sort of environment under a cluster of domes, with lots of big beautiful trees and expertly designed open spaces and the equivalent of TED talks and Nobel prize ceremonies constantly going on and you can just go grab a shwarma without having to put your shoes on. Culturally, the Martians are all about maximizing positive stimulation in order to maximize innovative productivity... and vice versa. There's a reason why people like Lee idolize and fantasize about Mars and the Martians. There's a reason why Lee isn't up there. |
||
Transcript: --------------------------------------------------------------- |
||