"We're Living In Science Fiction."

[byronius]

Re-reading comfort science fiction. Gregory Benford's Timescape. The 1998 Doomed have a scientist who figures out how to send a tachyon message about fluorinated hydrocarbons back to a lab in 1968 and thereby saves the world, if I remember, I'm not finished yet.

Lots of stuff about diatom blooms and global warming and chemical poisoning of the atmosphere, diebacks (130 million in Southeast Asia), species extinction, food shortages, riot police, and human misery. Mmmm.

Think about a scientist, about a year from now, getting a tachyon message from the future, specifying several necessary steps for the survival of the human race. That scientist rushes to his project head with the decoded message -- who forwards it directly to the White House.

Now process President Obama/President Palin scenarios.

Obama demands some scientific proof. The scientist is on a plane in an hour; he briefs the President and presents his case. Obama looks it over, asks some questions. Makes some calls. People get pulled in. The next morning, staff assembles, and groups split off to study various parts of the problem. A week later, action on every front. Obama talks to the nation, shows the message, and shows how it can be reasonably accomplished with some basic cooperation and effort. He succeeds and/or fails.

Palin recieves the message. She consults with Rick Davis, who sends signals through the grapevine that Archer Daniels Midland's not going to like this at all, and perhaps they should consider hiring a lobbyist from Davis's firm, just as a precaution. He sends contracts over. Costs come back from the Trolls in accounting that at bare minimum this 'Future' thing would cost the petro-ag machine hundreds of billions. No ****ing way. Davis has a meeting with the lobbyist from his firm, and they go to lunch, later booking the billable hours at about sixty or seventy times the real time spent. The Message From The Future gets sent to the Snakes, let 'em study it for a few decades, what the hell. Later, Palin cuts the NSF altogether, down to an old high-school campus, replete with gym and lockers. Then, she goes hunting for caged deer.

These are probably kinda true. Aren't they.

Science Fiction.

[mtnester]

1. Contact

Sagan wrote in Fundy opposition on the whole thing.