Video: Go the F*k to Sleep-Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson

This just might be the best children's book ever, and as I have to put two active boys to bed on a nightly basis, this book really speaks to personal experience.

D is for Dystopian Fiction

Dystopian futures have often been depicted in science fiction.  George Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and the more recent Hunger Games trilogy from Suzanne Collins are just a few well-known examples of a dystopian fiction.  Dystopian novels and films have long been a popular part of sci-fi.  As humans, we know that darkness looms within us, and human-built societal structures can either bring out the best or the worst in us.  Anything we as humans build, after all, are reflections of ourselves.  Those flawed systems benefit a select few at the expense of others.  Personal liberties are curtailed in a myriad of ways, whether it be through a restriction of speech, of personal belief, of political power, of personal relationships, etc.  In a dystopian society, poverty is often a fact of life, as those in power keep a majority of wealth for themselves.

Though I could perform an in-depth analysis of each kind of dystopian society portrayed in fiction, I would instead like to contemplate why people enjoy reading about them or seeing them depicted in film.  Often times we indulge in fantasy to escape the real world, but dystopian fiction is hardly the type of fiction that promotes escapism.  Perhaps reading about such a stark existence may help you to appreciate the things you have, but there’s something more to our love of these bleak scenarios.

Maybe we are intrigued by fictional dystopian societies because our world has its own history of them, and that kind of darkness that exists in our past intrigues us.  Perhaps we simply like the see the hero or heroine of the story stand up against incredible odds and triumph.  Who doesn’t like to see an underdog succeed, or at the very least, put up a brave fight until the bitter end?  Perhaps it gives us hope to see that, no matter how bad things get, the better nature of humanity still shines bright.

Which elements of various dystopian futures do you see in today’s society?  Why do you think dystopian stories captivate readers?  What would you count as a dystopian society, taking into account that said society is creating a comfortable existence for some?

Image courtesy of shadow9020/
DeviantArt

A is for Asimov and Artificial Intelligence

There is an undercurrent of fear in sci-fi when it comes to artificial intelligence.  AI is both a testament to the power of our own minds, as well as a reminder of our shortcomings.  Artificial intelligence doesn’t suffer from frailty of body as humans do.  It is also frequently envisioned as lacking emotion, such as Data in Star Trek.  This frightens us, as we do not know what an emotionless intelligence may be capable of doing.  For example, we see Skynet become self-aware in the Terminator franchise, and the results are devastating for humanity.

Isaac Asimov was a prominent science fiction writer, and he is perhaps best remembered for writing I, Robot and formulating the Three Laws of Robotics (which were introduced in 1942 short story “Runaround”).

1.       A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2.      A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3.      A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The Zeroth Law was also later added.

0.      A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

These laws establish parameters for how we would like any potential artificial intelligences to relate to us.  Knowing how powerful AI could possibly be, we want to make sure it won’t harm us.  We fear a loss of control when it comes to that which we create to serve our own needs.

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There are a few questions that have always intrigued me about AI, and I hope they trigger some discussion.

1. Could AI become so complex that we no longer recognize it as our own creation?
2. Which would we actually find more intimidating: an emotionless artificial intelligence, or an AI that has grown so complex that it becomes practically indistinguishable from us in an emotional sense?
3. If AI were to become so sophisticated that it has genuine emotion, is it unethical to force it to adhere to the laws of robotics?
4. What responsibility do we hold toward an AI that we create?  What responsibility to we hope it would feel toward us?  How can we negotiate any conflicts that might arise?

Science fiction will surely continue to deal with these questions, and many more.  What questions does the existence of artificial intelligence raise for you?