Impossible choices/
It seemed like a good idea at the time....
I saw a movie a while ago, Timer, that was the sort of second step to realise this thought. The thought actually began much earlier, when I in the role of political activist wondered if our goals, if/when realized could turn out to be the weapons that would instead be used against us. Freedom (as example) means something different in the face of dictatorship, free-market capitalism or, for that matter, in the face of freedom. But the freedom that we fight for, well, the fight is made possible by the collective structures that we fight against, and as more freedom is gained, such fight gradually becomes impossible.
Back to Timer. The film itself is a typical romantic drama without any ambivalence or special charm. The plot twists around a future scenario in which people can get an implant that will - by matching the signal with the "right" other (with implant) - tell you how long time it will take until you meet your true love. So apart from the somewhat dodgy science it also holds on to the frustrating idea of "true love" - whatever.
Ignoring the problem of shitty scientific explanations and temporarily accepting (...) the idea of true love, a worrying thought struck me when I watched this movie. I mean. Lets say someone actually invented something like this, an implant matchmaker with enough accuracy, then... what? What would happen to society, sociality, meeting people, the sexual tension, the being together with, and trying to adjust to, different people, because of love, instinct, feromones, adventure? How would the interaction across different groups, families, subcultures take place? Would such movement become irrelevant? Are sex and love the principal reason why we go into new social situations?
I think its safe to say that this little implant - if working - would change society, and somehow those changes don't seem so appealing. They are all..inwards bound, no boundaries are crossed, no adventures, no mistakes. As a whole, I think it seems like a bad idea.
But.....- if someone offered me this - an implant that could assure me when, and that it would at all happen, I would meet my true love (euh!) how could I resist? Even if I didnt believe in it, how could I resist? For the off chance that it would work it would be irresisible.
And I found another example of this, perhaps even more direct, the other day: I listened to the radio on a show about brain enhancement. They talked about dement elders regaining their memories through some sort of implants, and about how in the future they might be able to grow and implant the brainstuff that makes little children learn so fast. And yes(!) it is appealing. Yes, I would like to learn ten languages (awesome...) and remember more of the books that I read than where they are in the bookcase. But through these cheerful thoughts of quickfixes runs a suspicion that none of this will solve the actual problem to which this stuff may seem like a solution. More would be demanded from us in the workplace, a requirement to be brain-pimped if you want to get a job? We would ask ourselves if its right to pimp our children, or why not fall into the siblingdiscussion of genetic manipulation; should we pimp our babies even before conception? Does the implant come with a gene selection function? For those who want true love with blond hair and a physics degree for little blond genious babies?
The problem is - that if the possibility exists, available, it is irresistible. If it works its irresistible. And to not do when one, two, 15, 100, a million others have done it; "No, Id rather stay dumb"...yeah right. Still, it seems like one of these ideas that is cool when science fiction but potentially devastating if implemented largescale. Like. It seemed like a good idea at the time (back when we were stupid...).
Are there any mechanisms nowadays by which a society, of conscientious individuals, could prevent such a development?
Stockholm
12-09-26
