This event is a discussion in advance of Bryce’s (11:00) discussion of the formation of Megacities. Please avoid coming to conclusions – just take away conclusions from the RvB format and port them to Bryce’s event.
Question 1 > Is the formation of megacities destined to lead either to dystopia, will it lead us to ever greater civilization, or is it just ‘business as usual, though just bigger?
Question 2 > Do we have the right political systems to manage Megacity infrastructures? Do we need better educational systems? Do we need a new economy?
Question 3 > Should we ‘accept’ squallor and poverty? If we don’t accept it, can we morally levvy taxes to oppose it? If we do accept it, can we morally levvy taxes to send the criminals that spring into being because of squallor and poverty? Is it fair of me to imply squallor and poverty with megacities, or is this ‘one of my propagandist, neo-marxist slurs’ ?
Question 4 >
What constitutes ‘decadence’ ? Why do people always associate large gathers of people with worsening ‘decadence’?
Question 5 >
Are there essential, inalienable requirements for Megacities to be possible. Water and air probably. Food certainly. But what else. Energy? How much energy? What if evidence shows that people in megacities lose less environmental energy and resources than urbanized people?
Question 6 >
What are the dreadful risks for Megacities?
(see here: )
Note – this event may be cancelled. I am away to the airport booking tickets tomorrow, and I may be home late. If I am not online (do check!) feel free to discuss above topics without me, and then head off to Bryce’s venue (Ideas of Things to Come).
Inspirational:
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_13
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_(film)
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Element
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.I._Artificial_Intelligence
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_movie
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_New_York
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_City_(1998_film)
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocop
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_Report_(film)
* Zeitgeist : Moving Forward