The biggest political and economic issue of the 21st and 22nd centuries will not be food, war, overpopulation, or the environment, but boredom and uselessness. The biggest problem will be figuring out how to manage people’s emotional lives in a time when their intelligence, brains and consciousness will become irrelevant. The writers of the 2050s will observe that the idea of outsourcing our lives to software algorithms began around the turn of the millennium with small tasks (dating, entertainment, directions), until, decades later the transition was complete; human decision making, which is the font of consciousness, is no longer necessary. Boredom and malaise are the biggest threats to global public health. With a unique blend of pop culture, history, philosophy, psychology, art theory, among others, Society Elsewhere is both evocative and engaging across a wide array of demographics.
