[Recording Start]
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, I wanted to discuss simulations and their popular depictions, like ‘The Matrix.’ I hear there’s a sequel coming out, ‘Matrix Resurrection’ or something. Given that you’re in Hollywood, you’re probably more in tune with this stuff. So, what can you tell us about these popular portrayals?
Rick Rosner: Can you hear me?
Jacobsen: Yes.
Rosner: Okay. We’re essentially discussing the near future, what entertainment will look like, and beyond that, how living might evolve for people choosing to live virtually or augment themselves. Science fiction didn’t really become mainstream until the pulp novels of the 1930s and the sci-fi movies of the 1950s. It’s a relatively new cultural element. We’ve observed that everything is market-driven – tech advancements, medicine, computing – all propelled by the potential for profit. Take Uber, for instance. It’s not profitable yet, but people are investing, expecting it to be lucrative in the future.
Regarding ‘The Matrix,’ it’s about aliens enslaving humans in a simulated reality, driven by their own bizarre alien economy. In our reality, as we see in science fiction that constructs complete worlds, there’s a gritty, Blade Runner-like aspect where amazing technology exists, but it’s only as good as what people can profit from. So, we admire our tech, but we’re not constantly in awe of it.
I’m trying to write about the near future, offering a perspective not commonly explored in other works. I’m focusing on the 2030s rather than the 2080s. My main characters are incredibly wealthy, which isolates them from the rest of the world’s struggles. They’re aware of global issues but are insulated from them.
The key issue in writing about the near future is guessing where normal human activities will erode due to technological disruptions. I need to anticipate where these disruptions will occur and their impacts. We know video games will keep improving, with better physics and light engines, making them more realistic. Human simulations are still challenging, but they’re getting there.
The sensory simulation will also improve, especially for future virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. Sight and sound are currently the focus, but touch will become crucial, particularly for virtual sex. Eventually, smell and taste might be added, though they’re less important in entertainment.
Further in the future, consciousness itself might be directly manipulated, creating characters who are aware within their simulated worlds. In about 60 years, this could be a reality. But it’s one thing to predict this; it’s another to build a world around it where significant societal structures are disrupted. That’s what I’m working on now, and it’ll take more thought before I can delve into specifics. Maybe in a future session, I can expand on this. The end.
Oh, and just so you know, tomorrow’s a write-off for me. I’ll be unreachable.
[Recording End]
Authors
Rick Rosner
American Television Writer
Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Founder, In-Sight Publishing
In-Sight Publishing
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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://www.rickrosner.org.
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Rick Rosner 