This page contains essays from 100 years ago of what the past
predicted about the future. The sole purpose of this is to compare how far from the truth
the past was.
Spreading
by Laura Polstein - 2099
Gary awoke with a cold sore on the left side of his cheek. He had not had
such a sore for years and was not pleased. The burning, bleeding thing made
it impossible for him to mouth-sanitize and, moreover, the sight of the
sore made him squirm with embarrassment. Why did life have to be so cruel?
Why did he, of all people, have to bear the burden of this infection, in
this day and age? Why had he, of all people, been the one whom the
pediatricians had made a mistake on, had somehow missed that one telomere,
and been unable to program his immune system properly? Now, on his 27th
birthday, this day which is to be the most important in a young man’s life,
he was stuck with the affliction of the fourth world, an infection.
When Gary came downstairs, his roommate had already laid out breakfast.
Two glasses of fortified juice, two muffins, two doses of prozac, one
mini-ROM disc at Gary’s place.
“Pop it in” said Steve, smiling.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have”
But Gary pulled his Lil’ Brother out from his pocket right away,
and
popped the disc in.
“It is 9:31 AM, 78 degrees Fahrenheit, Microsoft cares about
you” chirped
the little hand-held computer.
Gary clicked on “disc” and watched while irises, poppies and
tulips flood
the screen. He waited for the scent of the flowers to waft through the
pores in the plastic screen, taking a deep breath in.
“The big 2-7” said the screen in a deep, masculine voice.
“Happy Birthday
from your pal Steve and your pal Microsoft.”
In his moments of solitude, Gary was deeply afraid about his impending,
and now current, coming-of-age. He felt, in some way, that he wasn’t fully
ready for all the responsibilities one had to take on when one reached the
age of 27. His schedule was too full of child games for the mandatory
Consumer Education Classes, and voting was definitely not up his alley.
Maybe it had to with the trauma he suffered as an Early Child, afflicted
with infections, that held him back somehow or maybe it was the consequence
of his refusal to buy the Premium Consumer Pack at puberty, but Gary had
always felt a bit behind. “Primping is better than skimping” mother had
always said, but when Gary turned twelve, he just wanted the new pack of
CEO trading cards too badly and failed to allocate his resources to the
practical choice, the Premium Consumer Pack. Steve and the other boys had
found the Pack quite useful, after all. It had everything you needed: skin
smoother, electronic zit zapper, home-laser tattoo remover, adolescent
dosages of Prozac.
So today, Gary was feeling nervous and a little sad. Steve saw it in
his
eyes and suggested an extra half-dose of Prozac. But Gary wasn’t in the
mood to swallow that pill (it would irritate his cold sore) and both his
snorter and his IV kit were out of order.
“10:02, 78 degrees farenheit, Microsoft cares about you” said
the Lil’
Brother, in a calm, feminine voice.
“Time for me to get going,” said Steve, “I can’t be
late for work today.
Enjoy your day off.”
Yeah, Gary thought, enjoy. He wanted very badly to go for a walk, but
when
he checked the Lil’ Brother for the extended forecast, he heard a stern,
frightening voice, telling him that the pedestrian bridge over Broadway was
closed off today for Microsoft events. Gary didn’t know what else to do, so
he went to lie down. He drifted off, and awoke, four hours later, with a
cold sore on the right side of his cheek.
"A little bit of knowledge can be a very dangerous thing."
by Christina Won - 1999
Biology will be the science of the 21st century. The economic
incentives for researching the possibilities in genetics are too important to be
disregarded. Gene therapy, genetic engineering, and cloning are ethical challenges that
might be overwhelming, but they are highly significant.
Biotechnology is the fastest growing field on the cutting edge of
development. New advances and crucial discoveries are made every second. It promises to
deliver a new golden age of health, but gene technology could have some serious
consequences for individuals and groups around the world.
The Human Genome Project, a billion dollar global program to map and
sequence all human genes, has been hailed as spurring a new golden age in medicine which
could wipe out major diseases. Scientists say there are now up to about 4,000 generally
rare diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, with so-called genetic markers that can identify people who are at risk of
contracting them. They are working on tests that will show predisposition to more common
ailments, such as some cancers and heart diseases, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s
disease and schizophrenia. Advance knowledge of susceptibility to a disease may enable
people to adopt lifestyles that could reduce the risk of, or delay the onset of, a
disorder. However, finding a gene associated with a disorder is a long way from fully
understanding the underlying pathology and even further from knowing how to control the
disorder. Although biotechnology is a rapidly paced science, there are no quick answers.
It may take years and years of research to confirm that a genetic technique or drug
actually works.
More breakthroughs in genetics include artificial life forms.
Scientists busy trying to map all the genes in creatures ranging from bacteria to humans
think they are on the verge of figuring out how to build an artificial life form—from
genes. Researchers hope to salvage DNA from dead bacteria to construct this artificial
bug. Their guinea pig is a tiny bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. It lives in the
human genital tract and lungs, causing no known disease, but has the distinction of having
fewer genes than any other organism mapped so far. While humans have about 80,000 genes,
this bug gets along with just 470. This feature makes it an excellent model for figuring
out precisely which genes are essential for life, and which ones code for extra value such
as having blue eyes or the ability to resist heat.
Although genetic engineering seems to have all the answers to
life’s diseases, years of overconfidence have made us vulnerable. In the deadly arms
race between people and bacteria, the bugs are winning. Resistance is the key. An
antibiotic might prevent an infection, but it might not. It could even make way for a more
aggressive germ that might cause greater problems. The miracle drugs themselves are
destroying the miracle, and it may be too late to do much about it. The magnitude of the
problem is startling. At least two dozen different kinds of bacteria have developed
resistance to one or more antibiotics. It’s no surprise that bugs should develop
resistance to efforts to wipe them out. It’s only natural for an organism to do
everything it can to evade its killer. By developing new drugs, we attempt to stay a step
ahead of our microbial enemies, but the microbes return the favor. In reality, antibiotics
can actually promote resistance. The resistance mechanisms of some germs are ingenious.
Some bacterial genes produce pumps that transport antibiotics out of the organism before
they have a chance to do any harm. Others generate powerful enzymes that inactivate the
drugs. Others modify the antibiotics’ targets within the microbes or provide decoys
that divert and disable the drugs. Bacteria have used such survival strategies for
millions of years, but now things are different. Most likely a compensatory mutation made
up for their weakness.
The years to come may be grim, and indeed, the bugs are reminding us
who’s boss.
Although it appears that the benefits seem to outweigh the
consequences, the ethical issues concerning all the new technology are the most important
of all. These will determine whether or not the technology will be put to use. For
example, life insurance companies could refuse to cover someone diagnosed as likely to
contract a debilitating disease, no matter when it may strike. A crippling disease like
Huntington’s may not strike for many years, or at all. Employers could demand job
applicants undergo gene testing to try to cut down sick leave and early retirement costs.
Ethnic and religious groups with a propensity to particular gene disorders could feel
stigmatized or just become research fodder for medical gains to be enjoyed elsewhere. Life
insurance poses early problems. The question is whether the industry should gain access to
gene tests to ensure people predisposed to fatal illnesses do not abuse the system.
However, there could be a major advantage for insurers: gene tests may not necessarily cut
disease levels, but could identify which people will suffer what. Consequently, genetic
discrimination could possibly exist in the future. The government will have to address
this problem, and who knows? Maybe in 100 years, new laws that will protect the
individual’s genetic makeup will be passed. Congress may have to pass laws protecting
genes from discrimination. However, the government does not play the sole role in
regulating biotechnology. Public concern is whether the decisions on the use of genetic
engineering, which will involve the creation of altered or new life forms, will be left to
the discretion of individual scientists and corporations. Regulatory and advisory
committees will need to have public groups included so that they are seen to be neutral
and balanced. Discussion over planned experiments should be in public, which will also aid
the education of the public, if done in a reasonable way.
Biotechnology is a dangerous field that experiments with life. It is up
to the government to make a concrete decision about its proper usage in this world. As new
discoveries and advances are made virtually every second, the government will have to keep
a closer eye on science.
Another night at the bar
by Oliver Chan
Mushu woke up from a long slumber and when he did, he immediately felt around for his
wallet. "Oh no!" he thought to himself, he had gotten mugged again. It must have
been that pretty woman who frequently made quick glances at him last night. However he
found last night to be extremely cloudy.
Mushu had gone into the oxygen bar last night. He was feeling pretty
down since he was just dumped by the clone of his ex-wife Jent. She said she was tired of
their relationship and said it wasn’t him it was her. "That’s exactly what
Jent said" thought Mushu. "Stupid clones!" he muttered as he popped in a
credit for 15 minutes of the purest oxygen. 95% pure oxygen is extremely strong. Pure
oxygen is the latest depressant in the year 2099. It relaxes and soothes the body, it
makes the inhaler feel better, it puts a temporary end to all one’s dilemmas.
The woman sitting across from him smiled at him. "Perhaps I’ll go talk to her
after I finish this up" His eyes fluttered, he yawned as he thought "I think
this was too strong for me" as he passed out.
As he recollected the memories from the previous night, he slowly got
up and walked out of the bar, reminding himself never to come here again. Then he suddenly
remembered about Jent and her clone. He thought "If I feel down, I’ll remember
to get 50% next time" as he smirked to himself and sauntered off.
"The
Good Old Days"
Linda
Lau
Comfortably sitting on my rocking chair enjoying the clear fresh
breezes of Montana, I lazily tried to remember what the red circle on today's date of the
calendar meant. It was something important, bells should be ringing…but I just can't
remember.
At age 116, I was still in considerably good health, but this should
not be confused with a good mental state. I admit, my life was prolonged two-fold thanks
to technology, but I don't know whether I still have a point of living. There are no
longer any goals that I cannot not achieve, and yet at the same time, everything that I
value have long since departed from this world. While I have indeed tricked fate into
living 40 years of life through medical advances, my brain and my inner self have always
remained with the first half of my life.
Ever since my retirement in 2050, I had moved to live alone with the
company of a few cats in the outskirts of the Montana wilderness. Here, I can avoid the
new Techno-Age and the life of mega-cities. As a kid I had already disliked the city
filled with smog, streets of dried black gum, cigarette butts and the mobs of people and
cars. How can one even imagine me living in the new mega-cities where there are no trees,
no birds, but buildings, "sky-piercers", and lots of trash. People are even
asked to wear facial masks that cover the mouth and nose to protect the body from
breathing in any diseases or pollutants. No, I made a good choice to leave.
Now, back to my circled date-July 2nd. What does this mean? How ironic
that I am as fit as a 40 years old person, and yet I can't remember something I did a
month ago. Hmmm…oh yes, it's this time of the year, the time of arrivals.
Sure enough, humming along impatiently on the dirt road was a group of electric vans
heading toward to my house. My relatives have arrived. I do believe this group is from the
great mega-city in New York, my old hometown.
A week had passed since they first arrived; a week of torture I have
survived. Don't get me wrong-it is not that I don't like my son, grandchildren, or my
great-grandchildren-I love them a great deal, but that I don't enjoy seeing them for this
means noise and electricity. This means technology. For a full week, I endured the beeps
and clinks of heavy machinery, the hum of the "Net Communicator", the blackouts
caused by charge overloads and the lessons of my grandchild, stupefied as if I didn't know
the world is round, impatiently trying to teach me how to use the android servant
nicknamed Robo. Even more painful is that they treat me as if I am a child, ignorant and
incapable of doing or rationalizing correctly. As an elder, they should respect my
opinions of how they should act. For example, old tradition is that Chinese people should
marry Chinese people-my granddaughter is dating a Clonese. I believe that hands were made
so that people could wash dishes, scrub the floor, not to push buttons and type on the
keyboard. Whatever you are doing, time should be taken to enjoy nature and the sunlight,
to read a novel or play a game; I get a response that time is crucial and that none should
be wasted in such a manner. Instead, it should be utilized in front of a computer or
television for the latest stats of such and such. Everything needs to be fast and quick,
routinely perfect. If I hadn't known better, I would have believed that I'm living a life
shown in the old cartoon, The Jetsons.
Still, I do not think it is worth it to blow up in my relative's face
just for things like that. After all, they only came here to avoid the deadly heat-waves
of the summer. They'll leave sooner or later. By the time that day comes, I'll probably
learn how to cope with this brave new world, if not accept it.
