FINAL PLUS: The Hidden Future

by Ben

June 2, 2006

As a commentary, Mecha Musings allowed me, and my readers to think
more in-depth about the possibilities of some of our favorite science
fiction stories. In a universe as complicated as the Gundam Universal
Century, it can be hard not to want to know more about it, to wonder what they are leaving out for the sake of simplicity or time. It's for that exact reason that Mecha Musings exists, to explore those things people want to know but don't have definitive answers for.

What is interesting is that, as fans of mecha anime and future tech, we all have varying levels of understanding and appreciation for what is fact and fiction. It stands to reason that for the most part, we all simply enjoy the entertaining value of the programming and idealism of these shows, but what about the very small minority who see beyond the animation- beyond the fiction and see not only possibilities but probabilities. What about those rare few individuals who actually take these future concepts and realize that perhaps, they aren't so far off after all?

A friend once told me that impossible was a silly word, one that limits the fundamental idea of reality. Nothing can be impossible or it wouldn't be able to be conceived as a thought. Improbable. Unlikely. Damn near unexplainable for sure, but impossible? Never.

So what is holding us back? Why aren't we already in this golden age of the future? I'm sure many people would argue with you that it has to do with cost, effort, our simple understanding of the universe. I'm sure in a general sense they are absolutely right, but what intrigues me isn't the general public. It's those few rare exceptional people who break the mold, either by genetics or training or natural ability. It's those few people who can look at the future we all dream about and tell you exactly how to do it, and would never tell you it can't be done. If they don't know, they refuse to give up. It's those few rare people who don't believe in the word impossible, and who refuse to accept it no matter the difficulty involved.

These are the people that are we need to lead us into the future, not the penny pinchers and government hobos who are more concerned with oil and fuel than finding solutions. The real question is, why haven't these people come forward to take control? Why are we still wasting our time paying $2.85 a gallon for gas?

I think that it is because of fear. People fear what they don't understand, and in the same sense, people who know important things but don't think people will get it don't come forward because they are afraid of either how that knowledge would be used/abused or how they would be treated themselves. In truth, I would wager a good amount that the technology we all expect to be mainstream in 2150 is already drawn out, ready to be produced and functional, but won't see the light of day because people don't know how to make quick changes. Look back to Gundam as an example. People were astounded with how quickly Newtypes took to mobile suits, while others took months of training to properly operate them. People don't know how to adapt well, and it's no surprise we haven't switched to alternate power sources. It's not just laziness, it's a lack of appreciation and understanding, and people don't want to understand. We Americans like living in ignorance. We lived completely in ignorance of the rest of the world's problems for decades until some crazy nut cases decided to dump planes into our high rises. On September 10th, 2001, if you had gone around any major city and asked what people were afraid of, their biggest answer would've probably been taxes.

It takes a pretty strong blunt object to the head to get us to realize that things need to change. World Wars, nuclear bombs, falling planes, etc. Those are the things that we pay attention to, that we notice. We've known about fusion for over 75 years, and it is just now coming to the testing stages. People are full of ideas, and most of them are things that could or should happen within our lifetime. Everything we dream about, we should live to see, but progress is always slowed by fear.

The future will remain locked away, hidden in the minds of those who do not think the world is ready for the truth, and that fact will probably never change until human beings as a whole begin to open their eyes and start to listen up and pay attention. Mecha Musings is one of those doors that we need to open. If you can read Mecha Musings, and then think about that same issue beyond the text, then you are ready to embrace the future, but if you read it and think, "Yeah, that makes sense, I understand," then it's time to open your eyes and realize how much more there really is out there. Don't let Mecha Musings' ending be the end of your thinking outside the box. Imagine it, think about it, and just remember that impossible is, well, impossible.

To all my readers, thank you. The future is waiting.

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