As I was driving into campus today I turned my radio to NPR as I usually do. The latest discussion just happened to be about fusion energy research. It was the show “All Things Considered” with Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel (Fusion NPR). Audie chatted with a few fusion graduate students and a spokesman for the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. As soon as I got home I tracked down the article that was creating such a buzz. Headline reads, “Scientist Say Their Giant Laser Has Produced Nuclear Fusion”. The grad student spoke about his struggles finding employment in the fusion research field due to lack of funding. He was considering moving to China which has approximately 3,000 fusion researchers, ten times more than the United States. There was some lament about the weak funding for science research in the United States which gets repeated over and over again in popular media. The headlines and rhetoric would have you believe that we have at last discovered an infinite source of cheap renewable energy that is necessary for the myth of progress to continue. This hyped story is the same as all the others we have seen lately: algal biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, super efficient photovoltaic solar cells, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and even the crazy hippy in San Francisco that tried to sell me on “Zero-Point energy.” The reality couldn't be further from the truth. This same sort of fusion hype story was repeated months ago in October of last year from the same fusion lab (Fusion or not?). Essentially, while a fusion reaction was produced it did not reach the “break even point.” The “break even point” is the point at which the energy put into the lasers to fuse the Tritium atoms is equal to the amount that fusion reaction releases as heat. This is a good point which tells us that no one is even close to real fusion as imagined in sci-fi fantasies and other progress porn.
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They run 192 lasers through amplifiers targeting a small ball of Tritium fusing atoms and releasing energy as heat.
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These are the types of claims that become increasingly loud as we slowly grind further down the net energy depletion curve of industrial society. Several years ago a psychology experiment studied a similar effect. The researchers wanted to study people’s anxiety levels in relation to their distance down river from an aging dam. To do this, questionnaires were sent out and responses were plotted of how worried people were about the dam breaking. Results found that those living closest to the dam, who would have had no warning and would face certain death, worried the least about the dam (Jared Diamond, Collapse). As they questioned folks farther down river the actual amount of anxiety increased. Perhaps that is why Americans are so concerned about starving kids in Africa and completely oblivious to economic inequality and rising poverty in their own cities. In relation to the wall of progress, it seems the more chinks and rust appears, the more we redouble our efforts to deny it. With the slow death of progress will come all the stages of grieving: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. After all, dams do break eventually.
Why is all this hype about fusion energy, limitless abundance, and faith in technology so particularly detrimental for us? The same reason other mental acrobatics are so bad for us. It gives us a fantasy to dwell in, that keeps us from confronting reality. This happens all the time. How many people who know they need to lose weight choose: crash diets, magic fat burning pills, weight loss shakes, and unrealistic workout programs over more solid and sustainable lifestyle changes? How many people rationalize their way around avoiding that big uncomfortable task or exercise they need to do during the day? How many years do drug addicts or alcoholics spend in denial that they have a problem? How many people try to reinvent their relationships or significant others to be something they are not? How many times have you had to step back and realize the idea of something was much more appetizing than the real thing. The list is as endless as there are opportunities to embellish reality. The human mind is capable of incredible mind-bending justifications that allow us to believe almost anything. Reality however, always catches up with us eventually. It is great for our composure when we lie to ourselves so well that we actually believe it. However, when the functionality of an entire civilization is at stake, lying to ourselves isn't so great. No amount of faith will allow us to live forever or create something for nothing. We are not gods. We are humans and incredibly stubborn ones at that.
Let’s examine the characteristics of the contemporary faith in progress.
1. Human agency
Under progress we believe that human beings are capable of anything they put their minds to. History is the grand result of enlightened minds to achieve their grand visions. It was our intellectual prowess that allowed us to cover the planet and put a Starbucks on every corner. Not, a half a billion years of concentrated ancient sunlight. It was our god given ingenuity that allowed us to ride on air, go to the moon, and destroy diseases like polio. Definitely, couldn’t be half a billion years of stored sunlight. As kings and queens of the earth we dominate nature and capture her bounty with the power of our will. The industrial revolution was the inevitable result of the stacking of one academic realization upon the other, continuing a long tradition of knowledge and scientific debate. Didn’t have anything to do with those massive coal deposits in Great Britain. We can avoid all the consequences of our actions through mysterious flashy yet to be invented technology.
2. Linear Time
The long history of our species is one of a primitive and savage beast embracing his intellect in order to transcend all the other species on the planet. We started out in the caves, grunting and half starving; by the light of a campfire afraid of the predators at night. Forget the million years of being in relative balance with nature in a pristine, unpolluted environment. Soon we “invented” agriculture, everyone just agreed it was better by the way, where we domesticated nature and expanded our numbers. Ignore that the average height dropped by almost a foot, our teeth became ravaged by decay, malnutrition became common, and we experienced our first mass famines. Rather than living as farmers forever we intelligently and purposefully divided our labor to create art, music and permanent cities. Ignore the part where the Roman’s created mile metered horse drawn taxis, central heating and concrete that could cure underwater and then lost it all for 2000 years. After several thousand years of accumulated knowledge we decided to combine it all into the industrial revolution. Pay no mind to the sudden explosive exploitation of coal, oil and natural gas. Once we all accepted science into our hearts,we understood our purpose. The information age arrived and our technology and knowledge accelerated exponentially until we were thrust into a science fiction fantasy utopia. Don’t worry about increasing gas prices or the ridiculous price of healthcare. With continued “sustainable economic growth” (that’s not an oxymoron ;) ) we overcame hunger, disease, famine, poverty, and then even death. All these problems became a thing of the primitive past. A world without suffering, a true utopia was realized. We bent other peoples to our will, other countries, and then the entire earth. After which we metastasized across the universe like a rapidly expanding cancer. We then escaped death, extinction and time itself with our knowledge of the fabric of the universe. Once we discovered all knowledge, we transcended the universe itself into godhood toward the happy ending of our true destiny.
3. Limits do not exist
Anything is possible! Carbon dioxide emissions? Just go buy a Chevy Volt or a Toyota Prius. Easy! Climate change? Build a giant mirror in space to reflect sunlight. Easy! Pollution? Just recycle your pop cans and drive your cardboard into town. Easy! Methane emissions? Stop eating meat. Fats are bad for you anyway! Easy! Over-fishing and ocean acidification? Just stop eating fish. Easy! Pesticides and persistent organic compounds? Just stop eating. Easy! Unemployment? Just go get another job. Easy! No money? Just go buy more money. Easy! The free market capitalist economy will do everything for us because we don’t have to. If the market doesn't provide all your dreams then it is because someone is messing with the market. Innovation can solve any problem no matter what physics or economics says.
4. Science and Technology Worship
Spirituality and morality, who needs that stuff? Traditional religion is just there to lead you astray into a cult or oppress you. Religion is trying to keep you away from fun and make you backwards. Science is cool and has an answer for everything, even when it doesn't. You can even use science logic to invent your own beliefs about everything. Want to know how women work? Just invent some idea about evolutionary urges and wealth, mis-frame it onto our short agricultural existence then call her a slutty gold-digger by design. Want to prevent cavities? Forget brushing your teeth and staying away from sugar! Go get some giant steel tanks full of fluorine silicates and attach it to your municipal water supply! Been eating too much lately? Get your stomach cut in half! Having trouble working out your abs? Get this electric stomach taser thing off QVC that cost only three easy payments of $39.99. Have a problem with some brown looking people? Just use your extreme “science” skills to justify their inferiority and sterilize them as you see fit. Feeling depressed? Just take this pill and science can turn you into a real life zombie. Have a slight inconvenience in your life? Go buy something and fix it!
5. Complexity Fixation
Ever go to a 3D movie? Don’t mind the splitting headache, terrible eye strain and disorienting special effects? This is just the beginning! Next we will have holographic movies and then movies that link to a USB port in your brain that play like vivid dreams! I don’t know how it will work, but it will because it’s progress! Sure you can enjoy an old video game like Mario-Kart. You might be touched by a classic movie like “From Russia With Love” or “Octopussy.” But come on! Don’t those graphics look pixelated and the effects look fake! Did they use a toy airplane in that scene? Blasphemy! I know just what you need! A $500,000 computer animated sequence complete with emotion software and hyper-realistic physics model generated flames and explosions! What do you do for your job? Are you a researcher at a National Institute studying quasi-static flows of information on contextual hyper-velocity vorticies with a PHD in cybernetic physical dynamics? No? Then you're not a real human being! You might as well be a plumber. Go unclog that toilet and fix that leak while real people get things that matter done! Want to live a laid back life in the country being self sufficient and doing things at your own pace? Stop being a redneck! Why don’t you want to spend every night deep in the city lights trying the newest restaurant novelty or taking shots that have 12 plus ingredients off a random girl? Truth is you want something more, because simple is not enough. Simple is boring and unproductive! Harder, faster, stronger because it is isn’t ever enough! Always more, because progress demands it!
I know it seems I am ripping apart all the “advancements” of the past 300 years. That is not really what I have set out to do. Progress itself, as a simple form of improvement, such as doing more push-ups or finding a more rewarding career isn't really a bad thing. It is when we take this abstract concept of progress and apply it as a belief system to guide our moral values and expectations of the future that it becomes a serious problem. I really enjoy learning and science myself. My defining experience with traditional religion was when I was six years old. I went to a Southern Baptist vacation bible school which is a short, week long summer program. Long story short, I got taken out of class because I started asking question about how Noah had managed to get his motor-less and sail-less boat to Australia to pick up the indigenous kangaroos. Maybe I just watched too much National Geographic Wild as a kid, but the explanation she gave me about God being able to do anything he wanted just didn't satisfy. My dad being a geologist and teaching me about evolution and the natural world from a young age indoctrinated me into the world of science. I grew up seeking answers in science and essentially became a disciple of progress. I loved video-games, science, and adored the various sci-fi hits. As I got older and became more independent I realized that I couldn't keep using science and progress as a framework for my view of the world. Everyone has to make moral decisions and experience the world qualitatively. I realized true science was completely devoid of the ability to tell me anything more than the quantitative parts of the world. As I became more fascinated by environmental issues, I completely took the bait in the polar opposite direction. The belief in apocalypse, or some cataclysmic event where after the collapse of civilization the enlightened can rebuild society into an idealized utopia. I was taken over by a vast emptiness I now know is called nihilism. Nothing seemed to have any value or matter. Without my technotopia fantasies I was lost in a world without shape or form. A few years after I came to realize that I actually have a choice to set my own values and belief system. It took a long time to get over the idea that these values and beliefs are not set in stone somewhere and are part of the universe. It also took a lot self empowerment, because I had to rebuild myself from the ground up. It wasn't easy but I am glad I did it, for better or worse.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
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