In Trees On Mars, Hal Niedzviecki writes an expose on society's dangerous mentality concerning the future. Niedzviecki forms an argument describing the present obsession with the future, presented with evidence of the devastating impacts that innovation imposes on society, as highly dangerous. Niedzviecki argues the infiltration of innovation intoxicates the minds of society while imposing mass information to introduce an illusion of a promising future that obscures our present societal collapse.
Innovation infiltration disrupts society -- destroying mental, physical, and institutional states. Niedzviecki includes a segment from an interview one reporter had with Michael Perry, an enthusiastic member "start-up" team who seems to express …show more content…
Humanity, earnestly striving to control the future first, turns to information. "The notion of information is what makes us believe, today, which even unknown heretofore magical realms as seemingly ungraspable as the future can be somehow known, if only we can convert them to information or, even better, to data" (Niedzviecki, pg. 134). Information promises society, under the false notion, that stability will soon ensue. However, Niedzviecki shatters such ideas. While information is considered advantageous in the competition to control the future, Niedzviecki shows readers that the majority humans might not even be able to have such control. “The future casts a large net, and more and more of us are finding ourselves under it” (Niedzviecki, pg. 189). The "net" the author warns society of is the invisible, painful reality that the future will cast a devastating, looming poverty that promises will devour all, except those few fortunate companies in control. “Industries already severely gutted and disrupted, ranging from the newspaper business to the music industry to travel agencies and mom and pop the main street are indicters of what is coming next for just about every industry” (Niedzviecki, p. 207). In fact, everyone is replaceable and nothing is secure as anything …show more content…
He illuminates how current "now" only strives to falsify a future as innovation is merely desperate made to cope with the terrifying apocalypse society faces. "These movements, ideas, and products are not the overall reality...The future is sabotaging the future. We are ignoring the solutions that could improve our plant and our lives in the present day and leave a legacy our children might actually be able to follow," (Niedzviecki, p.358). All the innovation, Niedzviecki notes, is "good," but, in all reality, none of our ideas will change the inevitable demise of society. Our present society is melting, and there is only one valid option for escape, according to Niedzviecki. “Don’t get your hopes up…Decoupling from hope is what we need to do, but it’s not something likely to happen based on my recommendation or even the ideas of my much smarter and more influential peers,” (Niedzviecki, p. 257). In addition to realizing that all the innovation is merely static to make a futile attempt at preventing an apocalypse, "We should live by struggling to make sense of it all, by never ceasing to find purpose and meaning in our broken world. Erase hope and make room in your mind for a less reflexive, far more difficult striving: the striving for meaning," (Niedzviecki, p. 267). Techno-innovation (i.e., flying to Mars) and
Innovation infiltration disrupts society -- destroying mental, physical, and institutional states. Niedzviecki includes a segment from an interview one reporter had with Michael Perry, an enthusiastic member "start-up" team who seems to express …show more content…
Humanity, earnestly striving to control the future first, turns to information. "The notion of information is what makes us believe, today, which even unknown heretofore magical realms as seemingly ungraspable as the future can be somehow known, if only we can convert them to information or, even better, to data" (Niedzviecki, pg. 134). Information promises society, under the false notion, that stability will soon ensue. However, Niedzviecki shatters such ideas. While information is considered advantageous in the competition to control the future, Niedzviecki shows readers that the majority humans might not even be able to have such control. “The future casts a large net, and more and more of us are finding ourselves under it” (Niedzviecki, pg. 189). The "net" the author warns society of is the invisible, painful reality that the future will cast a devastating, looming poverty that promises will devour all, except those few fortunate companies in control. “Industries already severely gutted and disrupted, ranging from the newspaper business to the music industry to travel agencies and mom and pop the main street are indicters of what is coming next for just about every industry” (Niedzviecki, p. 207). In fact, everyone is replaceable and nothing is secure as anything …show more content…
He illuminates how current "now" only strives to falsify a future as innovation is merely desperate made to cope with the terrifying apocalypse society faces. "These movements, ideas, and products are not the overall reality...The future is sabotaging the future. We are ignoring the solutions that could improve our plant and our lives in the present day and leave a legacy our children might actually be able to follow," (Niedzviecki, p.358). All the innovation, Niedzviecki notes, is "good," but, in all reality, none of our ideas will change the inevitable demise of society. Our present society is melting, and there is only one valid option for escape, according to Niedzviecki. “Don’t get your hopes up…Decoupling from hope is what we need to do, but it’s not something likely to happen based on my recommendation or even the ideas of my much smarter and more influential peers,” (Niedzviecki, p. 257). In addition to realizing that all the innovation is merely static to make a futile attempt at preventing an apocalypse, "We should live by struggling to make sense of it all, by never ceasing to find purpose and meaning in our broken world. Erase hope and make room in your mind for a less reflexive, far more difficult striving: the striving for meaning," (Niedzviecki, p. 267). Techno-innovation (i.e., flying to Mars) and