Dominick ParrisMy favorite thing about Sci-fi (and horror, but more about that in a minute) is that well-worn themes get new life. Interstellar is one of the best examples of this. It’s about being a parent/providing for a shared future. But through the magic of relativity and the terror of monoculture farming/global climate change, we are forced to look more closely and from a different angle. So what are some other terrors/inventions that we have laying around that we might use?
We’re facing a physician shortage, a nurse shortage and a teacher shortage. Traditionally we’ve looked at MD’s as very well paid, and in many cases they are, but what you might not realize is that the government sets the baseline for these payments and it’s been going down drastically in recent years. Private practice physicians may well go the way of the dodo. And that’s not too far out. If medical deserts don’t terrify you I’m not sure what will.
We’re also facing a worker shortage. And the response by industry is automation. Hadn’t that always been the case? Yeah, it has. But this time it might be different. What happens when AI replaces all the accountants, actuaries and half of the lawyers? What happens when receptionists, medical coders and schedulers are more cheaply produced by turnkey AI solutions? Robots are delivering pizzas to tables just up the street from where I live. That future is almost here.
The way we identify, the way we signal our intentions, the syntax of daily life has been on fast forward now for a few decades. Our self conception has never been so influenced by the outside world. The data is not encouraging. The kids are feeling pressured we don’t know how to support them through. And the influence a parent once had is absolutely eclipsed by inputs well outside our control. What’s it gonna be like when AR gets here and the we no longer even share the same visual landscape?
It’s an exciting time for Sci-fi because the pace of change is so remarkable nowadays. What are y’all seeing that you are looking forward to digging into?