Future Homes and an (un)Associated String of Consciousness

I can’t remember how the conversation started.

My new housemate has a coffee sense about him and knows just when to wake up and walk into the kitchen – when the brew’s a few seconds from done. How we switched from the slow morning shuffle to talking about rooms for our robots I’m not sure.

“I sometimes like to think about rooms for things that don’t yet exist.” That wacky thought sent me into a spiral of sci-fi day dreaming in between meetings and the typical Monday workday. So much so that I brought it up with a couple of friends over beers after a grueling workout.

That led us to printed meat and pondering the state of a world where we’re able to transfer our consciousness over to our printed creations. Which finally led me to fearing the future. Not the technology directly, but the speed in which we’re liable to find our cultures, histories, freedoms and dreams erased – eked out by a tiny fraction with the means to afford the technology.

What I love about the passions I’ve picked up in my life is that they’re both fields which have become more accessible, open to those without the means to afford or pursue a college degree or invest in expensive equipment. (Most notably, cell phone cameras and ability to pick up old cameras and film for free or cheap & public access to computers and the One Laptop Per Child initiative.) Sure, there were periods of time when these were not accessible by the masses, when the cost was prohibitive. And we’re already seeing this happen in the 3D printer market, an infant in comparison. The difference is the impact one can make or the power one can wield with access to a technology before it’s available to the masses and accessible by all. The larger impact and power, the shorter period of time we as a global community can afford. Alas, I digress…

As for those future rooms, I want to imagine a future that blends our past with our contemporary technology. One where we lose the concept of mine-mine-mine and keep only those rooms that benefit from privacy. Let’s move our kitchens back outside, to the center of our house circles and our shower and toilet rooms to ourselves. The loss of private kitchens will clear space for our medicine closets which will include health care accessories that once were associated with office work such as scanners and printers. Not sure how we’ll fit in robot roosts and transporter booths, but I’m sure we’ll do the best we can.

Extra: Today is Day 15, Post 13 of my 30 day blog challenge. Click ‘Follow’ at the bottom of the page to receive weekly updates in your inbox or follow me on Tumblr if that’s your scene.