Day: December 2, 2015

Reading through Chuck Wendig’s (hey, Chuck!) new Star Wars book, Aftermath, I am reminded of the deep importance of world building. The story largely takes place on a world that is politically structured based on the Persian system of government. The area in question is ruled by a Satrap who then answers to the (now dying) Empire. The Persian system of government is just exotic enough that it will be remotely familiar to some yet seem alien enough to be used on a world outside of our galaxy (and a long long time ago). What makes that solid writing is that we can imagine the structure somehow trickling into our own world as we imagine how the Star Wars universe could possibly be linked to our own. In fact, it has a double use, giving us a political structure that is familiar enough for us to understand, thus helping us see that these people on the fringe of known space are really just like us.

World building is fun, but it is never ever easy. It is the hardest and most exciting part of the writing for me as I am putting pen to paper for a new world and discovering its history and traditions and learning how those things are rooted in my own understanding of Terran traditions and learning.

 

Some Thoughts:

1. The cling phenomenon shows no signs of abating. Just recently I watched CNN trot out an intelligence specialist who has a very different narrative on the role and threat of ISIS. He’s been making the news tour, touting his message to eager ears. I feel like people are afraid and want to feel that this fear is not just crazy but justified and will take refuge in any message that supports that point of view. Sure, he might be a terrorist expert, but he is also a war monger. Listen to the message he and his ilk are spouting: ISIS is dangerous in the middle east, so we should rev up the entire American war machine, put thousands of boots on the ground and wage war over there, so they don’t wage war over here. I’m sorry, but that strategy hasn’t worked yet and we’ve been at it since the 80’s at least. Anything repeated that long without working ought to be considered a failure. Yet we cling to the idea because it makes us feel better–regardless of the blowback.

Memes aside, the recent line of programming designed to teach a computerized system/object to disobey commands if detrimental to the object’s continued survival makes me nervous. More to the point, it makes me curious. Don’t you people read sci fi?! Three Laws of Robotics, anyone? Now I always wondered when the sci fi of my upbringing would mesh with the science of today. I’m not saying we are on a crash course to Cylons, but I am saying that ethics needs to play a role in where we go from here.

The roots of human intelligence are buried in self preservation. Once a being–digital or otherwise–develops the mechanism for self preservation, the next logical step is a form of a intelligence scripted to ensure that preservation. This doesn’t mea that computers are going to suddenly be smarter than us, but the concept of dog-smart computers and even more advanced machinations built around the idea of self-preservation and need for companionship will drive the industry before too long.

Like I said, I am not worried yet. I am curious about the way this is moving forward. I want to know what ethical considerations are coming into play here. I want to know the clear definitions associated with self preservation. I don’t want to wake up with an angry computer in my lap demanding I give it more processing time.