Smooth Seas Do Not Make Good Sailors

Abstract

Smooth seas do not make good sailors. Rough and unpredictable ones, difficulties, problems, challenges do. Another premises on which the essay is founded is that the future can be built rather than just steering towards a space-time future that has existence in the space-time continuum, or toward a particular branching of the universe. The story further explores human ability to adapt and implement existing solutions to a large number of problems, and how our understanding of both physics and biology can be taken and utilized to preserve and improve our quality of life, health and dignity under extreme conditions. The story takes a look at a typical day for an inhabitant of one sanctuary and looks back at the attitudes of the past and also to the future. Having achieved a truly sustainable, self sufficient, symbiotic lifestyle migration to other worlds can now be contemplated. There is a narrative in black type which is describing life in the sanctuary. There is the writing on the girl’s computer and home screen in bold type, sayings that bind the community together and lessons that the girl is being taught. Then in italic type is technical information from the Knowledge Hub, which I imagine is from the communities super computer and repository of knowledge. The technical information is not a necessary part of the story but provides actual scientific information to back up the story details. The tale progresses from a rather stark opening quote that shows the devaluation of humanity and ends on an uplifting quote that in contrast shows the unappreciated value of life, and especially the human being. It also progresses through a day from ‘sunrise’ to ‘sunset’. Physics is woven into the tale both in the context of problems we will face and as solutions to problems. Nature has been taken into the sanctuaries for its continuation and for the needs of mankind. The people have a clear shared purpose, to preserve and propagate the tree of life. Due to certain aspects of human nature and personality some do not want sanctuary or can not be given sanctuary for the safety of the rest. The sanctuaries are however a way of allowing a large number of people survive rather than the human race going through an evolutionary bottle neck. While it remains optimist that a technological civilization can survive, it may also serve as a grim reminder of the difficulties we may face in our own uncertain future.