829 Keep on Truckin': Designing Environments we Desire

Message no. 829[Branch from no. 822] Posted by Thomas Culhane (1311520071) on Sunday, April 15, 2007 5:39pm Subject: Keep on truckin'!

You keep on adding to it and I'll keep visiting! That's the spirit -- the true eutopian spirit -- eutopia is ALWAYS a work in progress. Like any attempt at perfection -- which, as you've pointed out, is an impossible state in this world -- we never truly get there but the striving keeps us alive and fulfilled. What I like best about visiting the eutopian experiments you guys create is they always show me what humanity wants most and what we feel is impeding us from getting there. The more I learn, the more I see that it is NOT impossible, and the more hopeful I get, because we all seem to want the same things -- just in different measures and at different times. This means that we can DESIGN environments that give us all that we desire if we are clever enough about it, don't you think?

I think that these days, with virtual reality and a sophisticated understanding of psychology, we can even satisfy the people who seem to crave power and violence or have sadistic streaks and "cure" them of their ability to inflict harm on others or on our environments.

I like your message of finding peace on earth -- though I think a perfect eutopia is impossible, I think the goal of peace is actually achievable. I think we will always have some measure of local violence (which can be prevented from getting out of hand by good design and enforcement) but I think that larger regional or global conflicts can be eliminated once the profit motive and reward system for weapons manufacture and sale and use is gone.

I read yesterday that Syria is having secret talks with Israel and they may be close to a peace agreement. Wouldn't that be nice?

Anyway, please do keep adding and adding, and I'll keep visiting and visiting, as, I'm sure, will many many others!

The prof.