This project is my response to the current apocalyptic zeitgeist. In the contemporary discourse, there is only the end of the world. The Rapture, the Revolution, the Climate Apocalypse, the Singularity, Shit Hitting the Fan, the Storm. The common theme of all these beliefs is that they say nothing about the future. It is a blank, an unknown, an unknowable. The problem with this is that without a future to work towards, we have no way to organize ourselves. We are left wandering aimlessly at best and in despair at worst.
This project is about finding that positive future we can strive for and joining the project to help us get there. Follow the flow
The first step to a good future is imagining it. This is a collaborative world building exercise. We are not creating an imaginary world. We are creating a future we can get to. Not a utopia, but a topia. A real place. This future is anchored in and inspired the systems and technologies people are building today. One where we are solving the challenges that face us and our lives are better than they are today.
To get to the good future, we must meet the challenge ahead of us. It is essential to acknowledge these problems but not be overwhelmed by them. These problems are so massive and complicated that it is hard to define what the problem actually is. We are dealing with a wicked problem.
From Wikipedia
A wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. It refers to an idea or problem that cannot be fixed, where there is no single solution to the problem…
The wicked problem we face is made up of a set interlocking problems. Each section below outlines one aspect of the challenge we face.
Acknowledge the Wicked Problem
But how do we act when we can't know what the problem is?