Epic 2014 (or 2015 In The New Version)

[WanderingTaoist]

Your Mission, should you chose to accept it:

1.) Go to the EPIC (http://epic.makingithappen.co.uk/) website.

2.) Watch either EPIC 2014 or EPIC 2015, or both.

3.) Discuss!

This society well self-destruct in the next 5 years*.



*That's a Mission: Impossible Reference, not (necessarily) a commentary

[abaris]

This society will self-destruct in the next 5 years*

No it wont! It considers itself far toooo important to do that.
But don't worry Nature will do us in. While we are immersed in our artificial cyberworld,
a storm is brewing out there in the real world. Bio-diversity gone, resources decline, climate on the brink, IQ at an all times low.

[WanderingTaoist]

No it wont! It considers itself far toooo important to do that.
But don't worry Nature will do us in. While we are immersed in our artificial cyberworld,
a storm is brewing out there in the real world. Bio-diversity gone, resources decline, climate on the brink, IQ at an all times low.

Ah, but who brought on this vengeful Nature? Was it not the same society, pumping the air full off filth, destroying trees and wildlife, pouring its waste into the soil and the ocean?

This is, of course, assuming we do destroy ourselves. Personally I'm slightly more optimistic than that :lol:

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Journalists actually have (and follow) ethics now? :lol:

[abaris]

Ah, but who brought on this vengeful Nature? Was it not the same society, pumping the air full off filth, destroying trees and wildlife, pouring its waste into the soil and the ocean?

Do you really want me to say who's responsible? You know whom I have in mind :D

[spiritual_emergency]

abaris: You know whom I have in mind

I'll guess the Islamic Christian Taliban Extremist Fundamentalist Movement for $200, Alex.

[scameter]

We will die if we are meant to. And if not, then we are not meant to. It simply depends on how time dictates; not much is large enough to change the entire face of human society anymore. Society now simply goes about the business of keeping the machine running, with each part, or individual person, keeping up the cogs that are nations, in the machine that is human society.

[WanderingTaoist]

Do you really want me to say who's responsible? You know whom I have in mind :D

I think I do, too! :lol:

We will die if we are meant to. And if not, then we are not meant to. It simply depends on how time dictates; not much is large enough to change the entire face of human society anymore

I don't if we're really unified enough as a species to speak of a "human society". <_<

But as far as this society goes, scam you seem to be suggesting that individuals aren't "large enough" to change a society. What did you think of the movies in the original post? Did you not think that they seemed to be implying that increasingly, in the age of information, the power is with the individual? Do you remember psyche's post about how the Time Magazine "Person of the Year" is You (literally)? There are a number of political theorists who are very interested the implications of the internet for democracy. And there are clearly some who are worried, as evidenced by the EPIC movies.

Or is this increased power to speak and be heard merely an illusion?

[abaris]

Or is this increased power to speak and be heard merely an illusion?

I think it is an illusion. On one side you have an atomization of humanity down to the smallest possible unit, the individual. On the other side you create an environment that enables all individuals to engage in a debate. That's just to much information to process. Now imagine there would be 10 million subscribers on this forum and they would submit an average of 100.000 posts an hour. Would that make for a meaningful exchange of ideas?

[Thomas Knierim]

Now imagine there would be 10 million subscribers on this forum and they would submit an average of 100.000 posts an hour. Would that make for a meaningful exchange of ideas?

Probably not, but it would make me an instant VIP customer at my hosting company. :lol:

I guess there is a reason that this doesn't happen, neither in real life, nor in cyberspace. A kind of a social self-regulation mechanism.

Cheers, Thomas

[abaris]

I guess there is a reason that this doesn't happen, neither in real life, nor in cyberspace. A kind of a social self-regulation mechanism.

That's exactly right! Small groups of kindred spirits will form. Kind of a cyber-tribalism you could say.

[scameter]

I don't if we're really unified enough as a species to speak of a "human society".

Why does it matter how unified we are? We're all human, and thus all humans comprise human society.

What did you think of the movies in the original post? Did you not think that they seemed to be implying that increasingly, in the age of information, the power is with the individual? Do you remember psyche's post about how the Time Magazine "Person of the Year" is You (literally)? There are a number of political theorists who are very interested the implications of the internet for democracy. And there are clearly some who are worried, as evidenced by the EPIC movies.

Individuals alone never make change. They can inspire the large majority of people to change, but that is only accomplished by that large majority being succeptible to change, and to being inspired by a particular individual. An individual can begin it, but they can't do any major change alone, or totally with their own power. It takes a large group of people working for a particular cause or set of similar causes to accomplish change. It takes a mindset, a way of thought, that cannot be gotten only through one individual totally.

I guess there is a reason that this doesn't happen, neither in real life, nor in cyberspace. A kind of a social self-regulation mechanism.

It's because people are different. Extremely large groups of people are only very rarely unified under a similar mindset enough to effect a particular desired change by said group to the whole of human society, or at least to the society in the national division in which said group resides; like with the French and American and Russian Revolutions, and with the changing of China into a communist nation. Things only happen if people want them to happen, in society I mean.

[WanderingTaoist]

Individuals alone never make change. They can inspire the large majority of people to change, but that is only accomplished by that large majority being succeptible to change, and to being inspired by a particular individual

Right. But isn't the individual, in inspiring the masses, setting off something of a chain-reaction? Couldn't we say that this individual is, then, the catalyst, or in some sense, the cause of the change, even if that change is accomplished by many?

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Now imagine there would be 10 million subscribers on this forum and they would submit an average of 100.000 posts an hour. Would that make for a meaningful exchange of ideas?

Hey Thomas, what percent of posts are spam? :lol:

[MidnightSun]

Individuals alone never make change.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future - Lord of the Rings. :P

[scameter]

Right. But isn't the individual, in inspiring the masses, setting off something of a chain-reaction? Couldn't we say that this individual is, then, the catalyst, or in some sense, the cause of the change, even if that change is accomplished by many?

Sure we could, if every individual who attempted to inspire change succeeded. But, because they don't, no. The individual is only the one saying what he wishes to occur; the real cause of change is people listening to him and agreeing, and then taking action.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future - Lord of the Rings.

True. Every breath I take changes the future. :)

[scameter]

I agree.