Pros And Cons Of A Dystopian

with a plethora of scientific and technological developments such as sustainable energy, interstellar mining operations, in vitro (laboratory grown) meat, synthetic biology (from genetic modification to artificial wombs), 3D printing, and extensions such as the chemputer, we are steadily advancing towards a different kind of world. Towards a world in which energy, food, medicine, and resource conflicts could become redundant—a world with no need for the dichotomies of rich and poor, haves and have nots, a world with few limits and Ferraris for all.

Many would see these utopian imaginings as a naive idealism, a mere quixotic fantasy, or even a negative, dystopian drive for ‘progress’, but it seems clear that where once these developments were

Technological developments have been quick to enliven the minds of idealists throughout the ages. Economists at the beginning of Europe’s industrial revolution dreamt of and foresaw the end of want and desire, yet the goal posts consistently changed whilst Malthusian fears remained, continuing to do so to this day as the rich and powerful further their expectations, desires, and demands. Early 20th century economists such as Thorstein Veblen helped to develop the Technocratic movement, a utopian dream not dissimilar to Plato’s Republic, the theorising of an egalitarian system of abundance based on constant technological advances, alongside stable socio-political positions, enabling the provision of leisure, education, and equality for those nations with adequate natural resources. Veblen dreamt of four-hour working days with a focus on the pursuit of education, sport, and design; a fulfillment of Enlightenment ideals, yet greed got the better of us and equality is increasingly a state of

Specifically with technologies such as the 3D printer, as resources are gathered from the stars or created ex nihilo (out of nothing), we must question our desires and expectations of the future in earnest. As we have seen from the technological revolutions within the music industry through peer-to-peer sharing applications such as Napster or BitTorrent, 3D printers will only exacerbate issues around intellectual copyright and the sharing of information, attempts at protectionism are already fighting a losing battle against an internet that cannot be reined in by futile laws and restrictions. Intellectual copyrights, protection, and internet regulation will increasingly become the fundamental battlegrounds for an equitable society whereby mine and future generation’s openness to sharing will struggle against corporate interests and the established