[gmueckl]

This is the first time I hear the term "solarpunk". So this seems to encompass visions of an optimistic future when exploitation of nature, pollution, climate change etc. And strikingly, looking up the definition made me feel an almost juvenile excitement about an idea again which I haven't experienced in a long time. That made me realize that most contemporary visions of the near(er) future seem so bleak and dreadful in comparison. But, if we paint our future as this thoroughly unattractive place, then what motivation remains to make progress?

[dbish]

I always consider myself a techno-optimist for this reason and wish there were more folks who look at the possibilities of tech that way. I’m very happy to see this new solarpunk idea that has aspects of techno-optimism taking ‘root’

[parentheses]

I feel the same way. My SOs reaction to VR was so viscerally negative. Once I probed it was clearly driven by trends of dystopian futures.

[kamranjon]

I have the same reaction to VR, what is the optimistic non-dystopian view? I am generally curious because near complete human absorption in technology is what I see and it's hard for me to picture that in a positive light.

[neartheplain]

For me, VR has been a means to stay in touch with distant friends and family. It's not too different from traditional computer games + voice chat, but the extra level of immersion does increase the sense of connection. The lack of distraction in VR from e.g. smartphones, tabbed windows, or nearby things in the physical world all helps foster an increased level of engagement with other people/players in VR.

[beeandapenguin]

VR has given me a new sense of imagination and creativity, similar to what some might experience with 3D printing.

Being able to perceive a digital space in three dimensions is a significantly different human-computer interface than a 2D screen. It feels like so much more is possible once you break into the extra dimension.

From the outside, VR definitely has a dystopian look to it. But from the inside, it can give a sense of "creativity unlocked" once you start thinking about how to build immersive experiences. This liberating mindset, in some ways, is the opposite of what it appears to be on the outside.

[kamranjon]

I guess for me the dystopian slant gets a bit steeper in the context of global warming and consumerism and the sort of head in the sand mentality that VR seems to project.

[inlikealamb]

I suppose an advanced version of VR could replace some amount of travel, which is a significant source of atmospheric pollution.

[npteljes]

It's hard to ignore the level of abuse it enables.

[JKCalhoun]

Looks to me like leprechaun-land. How cynical I have become.

I agree with the sentiment though, just wonder if it would benefit from someone positing a middle-ground that would show a transitional approach. Perhaps some of the larger buildings (I'm thinking of the one with the fountain spilling down it) represent that.

[gmueckl]

Visionaries often focus on the end goals, not the path. This might be the easy way to excite people, I guess. Talking about a path there sounds too much like actually having to put in effort.

I think I also have become quite cynical. Being confronted with these ideas made me aware of that in a startling way.

[JKCalhoun]

Me too. All I can conjure up is Fuller-worshipping hippies creating dome homes and communes. And it feels like: tried that. Next!

Maybe the second time it will actually work.

[clairity]

because of the moderate climate, california has a lot of flat roofs. i've long wondered why apartment builders here didn't just plop (and planners allowed) a single family home right on top with enough dirt to grow a lawn and a few plants (with parking put underground). it's the best of both worlds--apartments and single family homes (albeit above ground level) can co-exist everywhere. that'd be one such middle ground.

[JKCalhoun]

Apartments need only add a communal garden that tenants can opt into.