Bringing Light to Chinese Culture and Science Fiction
A very interesting discussion with author Jane McConnell of Imaginize World about science fiction and the future, the key points of discussion. Author and curator of literature and cultureThe origins and purpose of “Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction”The role of science fiction in exploring societal issues and the future and the pastThe interplay between technology progress and preserving humanity and human connectionThe meaning in The Return of AdamPeople in China are looking to the past to see who we were in order to inform the futureOlder Chinese Sci-fi writers Wang Jinkang and Han SongThe depth and themes in Chinese science fiction, including the influence of historical events like the Cultural RevolutionThe importance of storytelling and reading in shaping the futureEthical dilemmas around technology, privacy, inequality, and AIMisconceptions about the futureHow the future may develop
Posted in Events and tagged AI, author, future, podcast, science fiction, social issues, society, technology
Digital Deities and Galactic Guardians – Why China is Invoking Ancient Gods in Cutting Edge Tech
In the recent past, China has been known to the West for its Great Wall and its Terracotta Warriors, a great ancient civilization that gifted the world with revolutionary inventions such as the compass, fireworks, and beautiful silks, that was subsequently torn apart in the early 20th century and closed off. Even when it re-emerged and became a global manufacturing powerhouse, by and large in the Western consciousness the country still remained a land enshrouded in legends and mystery, about which not much is known beyond the Cultural Revolution.
Now, in the 21st century, China is once more truly becoming the author of its own fate. A new technological golden age seems to be dawning, from innovations in AI and 3D printing, to developments in biomedicine and space exploration — both via private investment and state funding. With this new-found confidence, China has also begun to re-connect with its past and create a Chinese version of modernity that it didn’t have the chance to before. And it is doing so in in fascinating ways — sometimes this means reaching back thousands of years, to draw that connection.
In this article, I look at 13 (a lucky number to the Chinese) pieces of new technology that demonstrate in their conception and nomenclature how China is mapping out its gods and traditions in the cyberverse and the stars.
Posted in Articles and tagged AI, china, Chinese, culture, deities, exploration, Fintech, gods, mythology, science, space, technology