X-Message-Number: 20851
From: 
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 14:42:12 -0000
Subject: Re: CryoNet #20832 - #20846

> Message #20841
> From: "Mark Plus" <>
> Subject: Progress fatigue
> Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 09:31:11 -0800
>
> When Alvin Toffler popularized the phrase "future shock" circa 1970,
.....(SNIP)
> Around 30 years ago molecular biologist Gunther Stent
> predicted something like this in his book _The Coming of the Golden
> Age_, where he argued that the people who grow up in comfortable
> conditions will lose the "Faustian" drive that motivated their
> ancestors to build, accumulate capital and push the frontiers of
> science & technology.

Interesting post Mark. Perhaps future shock is best measured today by which 
hollywood blockbuster-special effects movie grossed the most? :-) 

Even cloning isn't very shocking in a "future shock" way.


I think the "Faustian drive" is still there in our need to escape/ignore/explain
death. 

However, most people seem to do this by aligning with an 
ideology/nation/religion 
whatever, and few are taking the steps cryonauts are - therefore, they are not 
driving technological change, but sticking with the tried, tested and stagnant 
methods (which end in death).


Perhaps the F drive might also be given a kick if the world is hit by man-made 
or 
natural disaster, be this a gamma-ray burst, ecological collpase, world-war or 
whatever.

Anthony

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