The Richly Imagined Future

T H E R I C H L Y I M AGI N E D F U T U R E Jeremy Stein, Zhenyu Stein Wang, Annie Fanyuan Zheng, Christopher Xiang Kun Kong

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PHASE 1 6-7

Definition

8-9

Selection

10-17

Economy

18-23

Ideology

24-29

Culture

30-33

Government

34-41

Law

42-43

Value Map

44-45

Conclusion

PHASE 2 48 -49

Framework

PHASE 3 52-53

Introduction

54-59

The Society

60-75

Story & Design Criteria

REFERENCES

PHA 1

ASE 1

6

10

19

31

34

45

PHA 2

ASE 2

Hierarchy

Free Will

Economy Government Ideology Culture

Ability to Act Not Limited By Others Freedom of Speech

Opportunity for All No Discrimination Eliminate envy related to Hierar

Equality

Law

Free From Discrimination Provide Competitive Environm Protect Minorities

Education Basic Needs Competition

Opportunity

Reflection

Morality Based in Active Think Guides actions and Speech Harmonic Governming system

Celebration

Positive & Mourning Celebratio Inclusive Shared Humanity

Involvement

Contribution to society Participation in societal events (diss Participate in societal dicision ma Protection from violence Protect access to needs Protect environment

Security

Food Water Shelter

Needs

Free Will to express and protect Ability to discover oneself self actua Pursue opportunities without ba

Identity

Morality

Rationalization

Respect others Free Will Shared Humanity Compassion

Ideology Based in Thinking

ment

rchy

Hous of one Holacracy & Zappos Blind Auditions Arab Spring Right to Die Sex offender listing Connectivity Nieu WIFI Americans with Disabilities Coursea Utah ‘Housing First’ Gov’t Wifi Charlie Hebdo

king h m

Digital Shaming Swiss Democracy Yom Kippur vs Rosh Hashanah

ons

scussion) aking

t self alization arriers

g

Burning Man Music Military Service Online Petitions The European Citizen Initiative TTC Blue Night Program Bitcoin Googles Campus Kibbutz South Africa 1996 Free social housing Freedom of Speech Alternative Education 23and me “Right to be forgotten” International Court of Justice Doctors without borders “Dont be Evil”

Law Economy Government Ideology Culture

PHA 3

ASE 3

INTRODUCTION

52

I

n the first phase of the project we created a framework consisting of 12 values. Values were developed from analysing and contrasting case studies dealing with law, economics, culture, ideology and government - examples for which were found in history, philosophical text and science fiction.

In the second phase we began further defining the meaning of each of the twelve values in the context of an ideal society. We then researched proofs of concept by looking for current conditions for which we could find examples of tools, settlements, networks and shells exemplifying the twelve values - visualised in a map.

With an established framework of a society, we set out to write a scenario to visualize it’s inception.

THE SOCIETY

55

I

n this society there are four distinct zon enough area to accommodate the socie area surrounds the heart, with transport residential area transitions into a surrou synthesis area. Finally, surrounding the in

The Heart The society is built around the heart in concentric circles, with the center of the city being the communal space.

The majority of this space is natural environment, in which residents can gather and enjoy the organic landscape. The heart has amphitheaters and other event spaces as part of its infrastructure. The heart is responsible for bringing the community together through direct interaction.

Residential The residential area surrounds the heart to facilitate easy access to civilians. On the outside of the residential ring is a transportation ring. This transport ring provides power to self-driving transport pods that carry human passengers or cargo. The transport ring facilitates nonelectrically powered means as well, such as bicycles and pedestrians. The residential buildings have dedicated elevators to facilitate resource delivery such as food silos, thus requiring no human interaction.

The buildings in the residential area house the society’s residents. Furthermore, in every shelter there are live screens, provided by the business sector, so residents are able to work from home and interact with family and friends.

Synth The synthesis area sur ring. This area is comp boutiques for product and bespoke fittings, a to provide residents w stores typically do not to purchase directly. T shifted to show civilian from a company and t on object-specific deta stores are part of a co which extend into the transition between the residential area is soft synthesis ring.

nes. In the center is the heart, a large ety’s entire population. The residential tation lanes outside of it. The unding industry sector by means of a ndustry ring is agricultural land.

hesis rrounds the transport prised of store demonstrations as well as facilities with experiences. The t carry any objects Their function has ns what is possible to inform the shopper ails. Many of the ompany’s complex, industry sector. The e industry and the tened through the

Industry Sector Beyond the stores and the culturalexperience buildings lay the infrastructure that houses the many business that operate within the society. When employees of a company need to see a machine or require a face-to-face meeting, they head to the industry sector. The industry sector facilitates any manufacturing, as well as energy production.

Agricultural Land The outermost ring of the society is made up of agricultural land. There is a section that flows into the ocean. From the ocean, small businesses gather resources to facilitate experiences. The land is used for mechanized farming that is processed on sight. Processed food resources are packaged in reusable silos and loaded onto transport pods destined for the residential area.

STOR Y

60

DESIGN CRITERIA

61

2035 AGE 0

A

n Apple birthing robot hands the newly born baby over to its father. The new parents cherish their baby girl before placing her in the birthing bot’s sleeping pod. Inside the sleeping pod, a small snake-like object emerges from a hole and attaches its face to the baby’s arm. A small chip is inserted under the baby’s skin and a quick drying solution is injected to close the wound as the snake retracts. The chip is a key to the society to which this baby is born into - it carries her identity.

2041 AGE 6

“

Oh look Thea, an augmentor came today for you!” Thea runs her finger over the engraved Apple icon and then slides the band over her head - she is sitting in a clearing in the woods in a circle with other children and an old man. The old man introduces himself and explains the history of pursuing knowledge.

T

o be a member of the society - to receive medical care, education, food, and shelter - data is given in exchange.

This is a double-edged sword, as the chip will tie the user to any purchases they make and activities they take part in. Every time a member buys a pack of cigarettes, they are visually shown a representation of the health services they are entitled to and how much this now diminishes.

Although, not many people buy cigarettes anymore, as there are implants for direct chemical stimulation that do a much better job at releasing dopamine. Health and wellness is the responsibility of individual members of society - the tools and resources needed to accomplish this task are provided by the community’s business sectors.

W

hat was once deemed an education has evolved into a system of virtual and physical experiences aimed at developing interests. Instead of learning subjects, social constructs and the related facets are explored instead.

Students are connected to individuals around the world to develop an understanding of how a global system functions and how to participate within it. Education reforms are taking place all over the world. Online education offering university quality courses, such as Coursea, are changing the landscape in terms of what education is. Is a formal institution the best system for pursuing knowledge? In Finland there has been the elimination of teaching subjects. In Denmark there is a focus on individual interests and learning from experiences and extracurricular activities. Using these models as a jumpoff point, there is the underlying theme of focusing on the pursuit of knowledge and skills for life, rather than preparing to master an area of tasks.

T

hea mentions to the boy beside her, “I like your hat.” He responds with seemingly gibberish, and then a slightly automated kids voice replies “Thanks!”. The old man notices the interaction and explains that they are in an international setting.

T

hea climbs out of a transportation pod and walks into a building. She steps into a room full of machines, unusual objects and young people interacting with one another and live screens. She is introduced to someone a few years older that will guide her through the first couple of visits to the learning lab. Her guide explains, “If we do not have an applicable tool or resource to help you with your learning, feel free to explore learning zones at other companies.”

2052

AGE 17

“

Let’s go Thea!” her mom shouts as Thea heads towards the door. They walk out of the building and into a transportation pod. “To the Nike wearables boutique,” she says, as the location pops up on a displayed map. The pod takes off moving away from the entrance of the building and onto a dedicated laneway for pods. The dedicated laneway is a circle, allowing a pod to take a civilian anywhere in the society.

I

n a global society it is important to learn about other regional cultures and how to navigate within them, involving learning the language and customs. While it may not be feasible to expect an individual to master more than a few languages, the immersion into an international setting will at least introduce different world flavours. This is important for expanding the mind’s capability of understanding. Harvard Extension School at edx offers an international setting, and by doing so expands the ability to transfer knowledge across the globe exemplifying the initial use of the internet.

C

urrently, many university initiatives heavily rely on funding from business and government. In the future, business is to be a major facilitator of education. Companies could provide physical spaces for learning by giving access not only to an environment, but also filling it with technology and resources to experiment and learn from. Learning from this type of environment is richer, as new teachings are applied in a real world setting. Facilities would allow company employees to have contact with those who are learning to provide guidance based on breadth of knowledge and experience.

T

he society’s infrastructure is built in overlapping rings. The center is a circle dedicated to green space. There is enough room in the green space to accommodate everyone in the society at one time. Surrounding the green space are buildings dedicated to living quarters for the civilians. Beyond the living area there are no hard borders. The living area transitions into the synthesis area. In the synthesis area there is a mix of entertainment facilities, boutiques, and the transport lanes.

The synthesis area flows into the industry area, which is occupied by business and food production.

T

hea and her mom get out of the transport pod and enter the Nike boutique. They are greeted by a fitter and discuss the nature of their visit. “I stopped growing about a year ago and I need a new wearable shell.” The fitter helps Thea get scanned and explains the latest technologies that are available for a wearable shell. After the scan, a live screen displays information about Thea that the fitter reviews and then comments on specific custom details needed. Thea and the fitter work out the final design before her mother and her leave the Nike boutique.

2056

AGE 21

T

hea enters the FaceBook applicants domain. On her live screen animated characters appear. “Hello applicant.” Thea responds, “Hello… whoa my voice is altered.” Interviewer: “Yes, the process is meant to keep as much of your identity hidden as possible, so that I am not swayed during this interview based on a bias.” Thea responds, “They started blind auditions in orchestra; it broke the barrier for women to enter the field.”

“That’s correct!” the interviewer acknowledges.

I

n the synthesis area, business outlets exist where they can offer bespoke services. In moving away from a throw-away culture to one where products are intimately cared for, there is a shift toward custom design. The physical locations provide an outlet for consumers to plug into - receiving help from experts who attend to their specific needs, and resulting in custom products. The personal experience increases the value of products, as they are exactly what the user needs.

The interactions ensure that the consumer understands what they are purchasing and that they are getting everything they need.

F

air and equitable hiring practices are important for eliminating bias during the interview process. The practice is done in orchestra and since its inception in the music world it has allowed more females to achieve spots in prominent orchestras. Positions would be sought out to join or start a project of interest. Rather than applying for a specific job type, placements will be on shorter terms and geared around a specific project. The most talented hires would be sought after, who would have deep interest in the project. In this way, a strong team can be built to collaborate in achieving a goal. Contract work is becoming more popular, and without company benefits a new procedure must be implemented to allow future generations to provide for themselves when they are no longer able to work. In this society, the mentality is that contributing data as well as collaborating on projects for businesses will provide a large enough income to support an individual through the end of life. As well, shelter, water, electricity, and basic food resources are supplied to residents since they have allowed business access to their data.

T

hea walks into the FaceBook center for compassion and decision-making. She is greeted by a familiar voice - “Hi Thea, it’s always weird to see your here - you never know their gender or what they look like. Anyways, I will take you on a tour.” Thea and her new boss walk through the center, past different labs with people working on machines and coding.

“On any given day, only about 10% of the company comes to the center to work; the other 90% work from home.”

2077

AGE 42

“

Thats not moral! If they are not infringing on your free will, what is the problem?” “My problem is that even if you choose to live on the outside, chances are one day you’re going to come back. And when you have not contributed to society, why should society spend resources on that person?” Thea and a person in another community across the globe debate back and forth via their interactive walls. After about half an hour they part ways and she heads to sit with her daughter.

T

rends in work are leaning towards the disappearance of offices as a place to do work. Employees can be more effective with less time spent on travel and work on their own schedule. Facilities that house technology in development are important, as there are certain activities that are not as effectively carried out in a virtual space. Physical facilities provide a technical playground while the virtual office allows team members to be situated anywhere in the world, allowing for powerful collaboration.

C

urrently there is an elected party of representatives that vote on decisions to pass laws and policies. Mobile technology is enough to facilitate voting without having to go to a machine and enter a ballot. While there are security issues, they can be resolved in pursuit of a method for convenient and clear voting. Furthermore, in this society there is no formal government. Businesses and individuals propose laws, policies, projects and programs. It is then the duty of citizens to take time to research the issues, debate with opposing parties, and then eventually vote. There would be an auditing system to ensure that voters did research and participated in debates. A person in this society would earn as much credit for learning about issues and voting as they would working on a project for a business. A person could also take time to focus on issues they were passionate about and concentrate on business products.

A

siren rings loud. Thea screams for her daughter. They rush out of the building. People are scrambling into transport pods; Thea and her daughter get in and an older couple joins them, and the pod moves away quickly. Thea turns around to see the wall of water coming; it is a tsunami, as their community lives on the coast.

“Morning ma’am,” a voice says, “I’ve been partnered with you to help you get back on your feet. “There should be a living space arriving tomorrow; it will have a live wall so you can get back to work.” “Thank you umm… I dont even know your name? But thank you” “Ha ha, this is Patrick and no problem, it’s what the disaster assistance program is for. What ever you need, I’ve got it.”

“

Can you believe it’s been two years?” Thea says to her daughter. “Not at all mommy. What colour do you think you’re going to get?” She responds. “Ooo red I hope - they won the last colour games. It’s in ten minutes! Let’s go to the inauguration!”

Thea and her daughter head into the green space and congregate with thousands of others. The story of the past two years and the host communities is explained. The disasters that happened, how the world contributed, and how the disaster brought about a better community.

There is a countdown, and then everyone is assigned colours.

“You have an event already mommy!” Thea looks at her holographic projection, “Oh a relay, I’ve got to make it to the sea to tag a boat racer. I’ll see you later!” Thea runs off. Around her, other people are participating in events or watching them unfold at home, in cafes, or on the jumbotron.

D

esigning infrastructure for resiliency is important; however, due to the need to locate societies close to key resources such as an ocean, disasters are inevitable. Think of a disaster as a fresh cut with a rusty blade. There is the option to throw a band-aid on it and hope it heals itself. But a better treatment method would be to take the time to deeply clean, disinfect and nurture it back to health. If the band-aid method is chosen and the cut becomes infected, the rest of the body will fall ill. Natural disasters are the infliction of a wound on a society that needs to be attended to. Societies share knowledge, technology, and resources with one another.

The ability of one society to exist at it’s most effective level relies on a global network. Meaningful disaster relief relies on shelters that users can call a home, and the ability to achieve autonomy in the sense of providing for oneself.

C

ompassion and the shared human experience are two values pursued in all communities. During times of crisis, people around the world will stop to provide aid and listen to the stories of disaster victims. Through this exercise, compassion is achieved. Celebratory events are held to contrast sad events that promote thought, self reflection, and compassion. The colour wars take advantage of a digitally connected world and use this platform to facilitate games and relays. Assigned colours would change every year and similar to the Olympics - the whole world would slow down to participate in the games. The human experience through this event is experienced harmoniously across the entire globe.

2101

AGE 65

T

hea is walking back to her residence from an afternoon in the heart. She stops to catch her breath and notices a small medical drone approaching. She raises an eyebrow as it stops in front of her. “Hello Thea” the drone says. “Hi there, can I help you?” Thea responds. “no mame your health monitors are indicating signs of angina and if it is alright with you I have some medication and water to wash it down. You will feel much better.” “Thanks my chest does feel tight.” The robot responds “My pleasure, I would suggest you make a virtual appointment with a apple medical team to access your health.”

T

hea wakes up in her home and gets out of bed. There is freshly-made tea in a ceramic vessel. She picks up the vessel and sips from it. Steam rises from an organic-looking pastry that has dropped from a machine. “Ohh, what is this?” asks Thea. A description of the pastry and its nutritional contents are displayed on a live screen. Thea searches through a menu that corresponds to the types of ingredients that are stored in her living quarters.

T

o help manage our organization in taking care of our health, we will utilize digital technology to monitor our vitals. Having a digital secretary/assistant humanizes the technology around us by giving it a friendly outlet to communicate with a user. In this society, data is monitored concerning health and other areas. These are not individuals checking other’s data. In the case of a medical emergency, for example, it is in the interest of the total society to treat that person quickly and expend as few resources as possible.

Furthermore, a monitored city could learn patterns of sudden illness or violence and put interceptor intermediaries on standby, ready to be deployed. When an issue occurs it is dealt with immediately, to be handled as effectively as possible.

While it does seem infringing to have data being tracked, it is used for the benefit of the entire community.

I

n this society, food is not bought. In living areas, there are food preparation machines with storage silos. On the outermost ring of the society land is used for food production.

Food is primarily made from powders in different silos; carbohydrate, protein, calcium, and vegetable nutrient, as well as different live cultures the food preparation machines would cultivate. There are endless possibilities of combinations to create unique, exciting and delicious sustenance. The delivery of powders that can be mixed, printed, cooked, grown, or fermented, as well as other additives, is an effective system that will provide the basic sustenance requirement for the whole society. Transport pods will be loaded from big tankers that bring packaged food resources in from the agricultural area.

2125

AGE 90

“

Hey gran do you want to meet us for a Foodsperiance?” Thea responds, “Sure, that sounds lovely.” Thea heads out of her building to the transport pod. It takes her to the restaurant and she enters. Sitting at a table is her family. The waiter introduces menu items and explains the chef’s choice in design, as well as the origins of the food they are to eat.

A

pproaching death, Thea becomes lucid after months of living with dementia. “Thea, good morning.” Thea replies “Morning R2, its been awhile since we’ve talked hasn’t it?”

“Indeed Thea, I want to talk about something you brought up a few months ago.” “Show me what my family is up to R2.”

“Certainly,” replied R2. On Thea’s wall a projection appears and voices play from R2’s location - it is family interacting in a park setting. Flashes to house, then a national celebratory holiday.

Thea sits in a chair in a background, as a little kid walks up to her and interacts with her. Flashes to Thea’s room; Thea is screaming at a man telling him to just leave her alone, and the man and his children walk out very upset.

“That was our last interaction R2!? I don’t want this anymore. Shall we resume our talk of a few months about that sweet goodnight?”

Thea is surrounded by her family, watching flashbacks that R2 has recorded throughout her life.

T

he main source of nourishment is highly processed, both for an effective delivery means, and to facilitate custom diets to meet the specific needs as outlined by tracked health data. The location of each society is unique to it and will have access to resources that are only renewable if extracted in small quantities. This society has access to the ocean where they can fish in a sustainable way. The purpose of the synthesis area is to bring innovations from the industry sector to the public, but also to infuse culture based on the geographical location. One aspect is Foodsperiances, an environment to visit and try food that would not be possible to make in living quarters. Though similar to a restaurant, the key difference is that you do not go to become full; rather, you go for an experience. In this way, the society has access to the riches of the environment that surrounds without overconsumption.

T

he right to die embodies the value of free will. If a person is to take that action, they must ensure it does not harm someone else’s will. While the society values contribution, they also realise that if a person is suffering then that person’s free will is being infringed on.

REFERENCES

78

1. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/46266/george-f-kennan/communism-in-russian-his 2. Ibid 3. Ibid 4. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/07/how_communist_is_china.html 5. http://www.businessinsider.com/china-announces-regional-debt-audit-2013-7 6. http://www.medicare.gov 7. http://www.globalresearch.ca/economic-crisis-slams-canada/12945 8. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/ 9. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/17/occupy-wall-street-99-percen 10. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=084_1267728929&comments=1 11. http://www.xprize.org/about/board-of-trustees/elon-musk 12. http://www.virgingalactic.com 13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a6652262.shtml 14. https://docs.google.com/a/student.ocadu.ca/document/d/11qTmNTK4S9YfX_fxoVoMGv1TeuJAHUo0RQ13Mz0D6w/edit#heading=h.gjx199e7en27 15. http://www.aishdas.org/toratemet/en_mishpatim.html 16. http://ideas.ted.com/what-the-best-education-systems-are-doing-right/ 17. Ibid 18. Ibid 19. http://www.rosey.ch 20. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chinese-peoples-political-consultative-conference-cppcc-great-hall-beijingphotos-1490278 21. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/23/mincome-in-dauphin-manitoba_n_6335682.html 22. http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/first-nations-girl-s-family-rejects-chemo-hospital-goes-to-court-toforce-treatment-1.2782928

23. http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/first-nations-girl-s-family-rejects-chemo-hospital-goes-to-court-toforce-treatment-1.2782928 24. http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/what_is_restorative_justice/ 25. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/198072/exile-and-banishment 26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41699568?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

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