Thread by @alberto_cottica

So, @NGIForward and @ladyniasan are organizing a a gathering to think about Internet technology, and what would need to happen for it to be a harmonious part of a sustainable world. Let me tell you why this is amazing, and what #sciencefiction has to do with it.

THREAD 1/

https://twitter.com/ladyniasan/status/1456523392727851011

Three years ago, we started the @SciFiEconomics Lab to help ourselves, and others, to think more openly about economics, beyond the neoclassical paradigm. It turns out many science fiction authors had done inspiring work on alt-economies: edgeryders.eu/t/econ-sf-a-se… 2/

For a while, we used as a thinking tool writing academic essays on fictional economies, in the spirit of @paulkrugman's famous "Theory of Interstellar Trade". But then we realized that this work did not lead to sci-fi's added value in economic thinking: 3/

...what @doctorow calls "an architect's rendering" of what it would FEEL like to live in an economic system other than late-stage capitalism. So, we decided instead to build a fictional world, to be the backdrop for sci-fi stories, movies etc. 4/

It would be like the Star Trek or Marvel universe, but contain several radically different economic systems. Also, it would be open source. With the help of author and data scientist @yudhanjaya, this became the floating megacity of Witness: witness.scifieconomicslab.net 5/

To accommodate a diversity of economic models, Witness is divided into Distrikts, each with its own design for what a good society and a healthy economy are. For example, The Covenant has a monastic economy. Hygge a Nordic social-democracy on steroids, etc. 6/

Witness grew in size and texture, becoming an ever more vivid world – and by the way, get in touch if you are interested in helping develop it. And then, in a totally unexpected turn of events, @ladyniasan and @yudhanjaya made a card game inspired by it! 7/

In the game, you play the mayor of a Distrikt on Witness. The game throws trouble at you (economic crashes, polarization of politics, climate disasters...). Your countermoves depend on your economic system: some are more efficient, some are more resilient etc. 8/

We are test-playing the game in an event on 29th November. Special focus: how different economic system enable different versions of "the Internet". For example, if your economy is based on cooperatives, data coops will also be easier. 9/

The event is open to all: if you are interested in science fiction, economics, and Internet tech you might enjoy it, and my colleagues at @SciFiEconomics and I would love to meet you. It's an interesting journey, and we have a long way to go! eventbrite.be/e/witness-1-ho… 10/end