My latest for Pull Request, on the metaverse.
As readers likely know by now, I think the decoupling of information from the movement of matter, bits from atoms, to be the most significant event of the past century.
Its capstone will be the metaverse.
thepullrequest.com/p/the-republic…
As readers likely know by now, I think the decoupling of information from the movement of matter, bits from atoms, to be the most significant event of the past century.
Its capstone will be the metaverse.
thepullrequest.com/p/the-republic…
It's hard to understand now how odd our real-time world really is.
As a historical counter-point, timezones weren't invented until late in the 19th century, and weren't legally required until WWI. Things and information just didn't move fast enough until then that it mattered.
As a historical counter-point, timezones weren't invented until late in the 19th century, and weren't legally required until WWI. Things and information just didn't move fast enough until then that it mattered.
I'm old enough to remember letters, which is how most people communicated over long distances until as recently as the late 90s.
Having our eyes and ears in everyone's pockets (and vice versa) is utterly unprecedented. We're still getting our heads around it.
Having our eyes and ears in everyone's pockets (and vice versa) is utterly unprecedented. We're still getting our heads around it.
The oddest disconnect, hyper-accelerated by the internet, is between our inner worlds of thoughts and beliefs, and the outer world of geography and politics.
Who we are as people no longer has any connection to the colored square on the map we're standing on.
Who we are as people no longer has any connection to the colored square on the map we're standing on.
This might seem almost trite, but the implications are severe.
Historically, our narrative reality followed the contours of language, culture, and political borders. Only cultural in-betweeners or refugees would ever navigate entirely divergent worldviews as part of life.
Historically, our narrative reality followed the contours of language, culture, and political borders. Only cultural in-betweeners or refugees would ever navigate entirely divergent worldviews as part of life.
90% of the drama on here (outside of the purely personal) is people reeling at other people's wholly distinct (to not say hostile) way of looking at the world.
We're not meant to re-affirm and defend our narrative framework 24/7: it's exhausting and anxiety-producing.
We're not meant to re-affirm and defend our narrative framework 24/7: it's exhausting and anxiety-producing.
The net result is people opting out from doing so, and retreating into their virtual worlds rather than confronting a confusing physical one.
An anecdote: a friend of mine pulled his kids from Loudoun County and will homeschool rather than creating consensus with his neighbors.
An anecdote: a friend of mine pulled his kids from Loudoun County and will homeschool rather than creating consensus with his neighbors.
The metaverse--by which I mean everything from VR to this service--is the final triumph of the virtual over the physical.
OP below will be able to choose what world they live in, and the politically opposed will choose the opposite.
OP below will be able to choose what world they live in, and the politically opposed will choose the opposite.
https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1457900060780470274
Politics get weird when reality becomes optional though.
To the extent we have any common goods left--civic infrastructure, a legal system, public education--there will be immense narrative wars and a total inability to come to any consensus or collective action.
To the extent we have any common goods left--civic infrastructure, a legal system, public education--there will be immense narrative wars and a total inability to come to any consensus or collective action.
In our society of spectacle, the only hard, non-optional realities left are war, the markets, and elections.
Elections are such jarring slaps in the face because suddenly the illusion comes crashing down (and cognitive dissonance kicks in to rescue your worldview from reality).
Elections are such jarring slaps in the face because suddenly the illusion comes crashing down (and cognitive dissonance kicks in to rescue your worldview from reality).
There's no Luddite return to the status quo ante; no amount of content moderation will get us back to national narrative consensus.
Perhaps, instead of culture following the contours of politics, politics must follow the intangible contours of our virtual culture(s).
Perhaps, instead of culture following the contours of politics, politics must follow the intangible contours of our virtual culture(s).
A true escape into the metaverse would mean a repudiation of geopolitics as they currently exist. Could we design virtual polities around our virtual politics?
Possibly. But I think the 'the Gods of the Copybook Headings' might still have some surprises.
kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_cop…
Possibly. But I think the 'the Gods of the Copybook Headings' might still have some surprises.
kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_cop…
Reminder to join @balajis and I discussing just this topic tonight at 9pm Pacific on @getcallin. It's bound to get weird.
callin.com/?link=bjVOCwZp…
callin.com/?link=bjVOCwZp…
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