We already have the science and technology to tackle existential challenges—climate change, AI risk, even human longevity—but nobody seems to believe the future will be better than the present. Dystopia is the default narrative, and this nihilism has killed the moonshot culture that defined the early 20th century. Instead of building the 22nd century in 2030, we’re stuck in incrementalism.
Where are the orbital solar power stations? The permanent Moon bases? The AIs designed to elevate us rather than pacify us? These ideas feel like science fiction only because no one is crazy enough to try.
Alan Kay said the best way to predict the future is to invent it. Maybe the real “veil of computability” - our blind spot - is that we’ve stopped imagining futures worth predicting.
Question: What would a new moonshot culture look like today—and who’s still crazy enough to build it?
rocketpastsix•6mo ago
A lot of what is being built now is because it's what can be funded, and in turn make a profit for the funders. Here is something I'd love to see that I dont think has the ROI yet to attract the money but solar panels over parking lots. Parking lots are ugly, so who cares if you make them uglier; they aren't often shaded so little tree cover to contend with, and there is _so_ much of it around America. A step towards the future would be to get companies and cities on board with putting up solar panels over parking lots. It creates shade, harnesses energy, and puts a massive space to better use. That feels like its would be a solid step into the future. If this is proven to be successful, like I think it would be, then who knows what the next step would be.
LeonardoTolstoy•6mo ago
I do like them though. Gives both shade and (some) rain cover.