In the Second Season of Fallout, Who Gets to Live Forever? | The Backdrop

Darren, it's a great video, but there's a criticism of these rich people and of capitalism that I feel is little unfair. It also made me think of quote by William Gibson: "The future is already here—it's just not evenly distributed." You and I both wear glasses, which were invented in the 13th century, but they were reserved for the very wealthy, as they were made by hand. Now I can go to Walmart to get an eye exam, and have a new pair in an hour or so. That was unthinkable even in the 1970's, when I was a boy and needed glasses. The rich always have better access to technological advances until economies of scale under capitalism eventually make the product available to more people, whether that's glasses, computers, cars, or brain implants for severed spines. This leads me to my second point; while it's easy to get grossed out and even angry at some the actions and attitudes of these billionaires, I actually understand it in a general sense. You wrote an article some time ago about changing the computer voice in Star Trek (I believe the show didn't use Gene Roddenberry's widow's voice, and fans were less than happy), and I remarked that this was a Potemkin immortality for her, and by extension, for them. That notion was taken away, hence the existential dread. We live in an increasingly secular world, with less and less acceptance of not only life after death, but of any meaning to life whatsoever. It would then be a rational response to want to be alive as long as possible, and if you have the money for glasses in 13th century Italy, you'd buy them, and the modern equivalent would apply today. The rich just have more access to cutting edge approaches, which will eventually trickle down to everyone else, which will be replaced by even better (or more sickening or more frightening or all of the above) technology later, which will then come to use for more people, etc. This is actually hopeful in some ways, as it implies a healthier future for all of us. You may be completely, and justifiably, sickened by Brian Johnson taking his son's plasma, but collecting cord blood after birth, and the stem cells therein, for treating diseases in the future, is a common practice. The rich get to keep it in a private bank for themselves, while the average person is stuck with a public bank, where the family may not have access to the cells in the future. Aside from the economic facet, how different is it from taking the plasma? Finally, you may, and probably should, scoff at billionaires trying to build a city on the moon to escape whatever ecological disaster is coming our way, but aside from the ridiculousness of the concept, how different is it from moving your family from a crumbling city to a safe suburb with good schools, parks, etc.?

It's Tuesday 😁