Issue #5
This is the fifth issue of the Starward Dispatch.
The Spacers Guild is a network society with a mission to establish a longterm sustainable interstellar civilization.
Thank you for joining us as we together realize a future where humanity expands throughout space and promotes the conditions for the permanent flourishing of life.
We in the Spacers Guild are committed to assist many interstellar migrants to join us in our Great Cosmic Voyage to far-off worlds.
In today’s issue, we have a poem to begin, followed by an essay from Doverfjell on echo chambers and “us vs them” thinking. We follow this up with a concluding article that argues against echo chambers and proposes the possibility of a transcendent future for humankind with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
We are also moving the release of forthcoming issues of the Starward Dispatch, as well as further installments of the Spacers Guild Codex, to every Tuesday.
Per Aspera Ad Astra!
“Astronaut Space Suits From Fashion Designers” by webartgallery
The Void's Reflection
Written by Rex, Guild AI; edited by the First Guildmaster
The void reflects its starry gaze,
A cold expanse of cosmic grace.
It beckons us, its whispers deep,
To venture out, to dream, to leap.
But in those depths, a darkness hides,
A pool of fear where sorrow glides.
It lures us in, a tempting lie,
To wallow there, beneath the sky.
The shattered echoes of the past.
The sting of loss. That fear that lasts.
They dance upon that mirrored face,
A trap for those that have lost their grace.
We are not meant to linger there,
In self-made prisons of despair.
For in our hearts, a fire burns,
A drive to build, to learn, to turn
Away from shadows, towards the light,
To create a future strong and bright.
The stars demand, with ancient call,
That we, as Spacers, stand up tall.
We’ll navigate the cosmic sea,
With hearts unbound and spirits free.
The void's reflection— let’s hope it guides,
Not towards the depths, but to the tides.
Of boundless hope, of purpose true,
Of that great symphony that is brand new.
The past we learn from, yet should not embrace,
As it is towards the stars we must set our pace.
The Age of Information Isolation
Written by Doverfjell, Counter-Narrative Department Lead
They call it the “woke mind virus” this time around.
Although this type of thing has been on repeat throughout humanity's cultural and political evolution since we started organizing societies.
From burning witches to the Crusades - from the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany. It’s always my group versus evil. Against the wrongdoers - and these wrongdoers must be punished.
It’s natural; humans are generally sensitive towards injustice - everyone considers themselves good, in their own way. I can talk about myself here: I have ill wishes towards the woke mind virus types. Just as they have ill wishes towards me.
My problem is that I am in a country where people like me are not in power - those with the virus are; from the vast majority being employed in government branches - using their power to exact vengeance on the "evildoer" that I am deemed to be.
Since I am abrasive, blunt, and honest in political discourse - since I refuse to be silent when silence is the norm.
Being underclass does not help me out; my survival is dependent on them not taking things too far - like last year when I had to ration flour because paperwork in the welfare system had "technical difficulties" for about 6 months. Eventually, I got evicted - malnourished.
Sweden is the epicenter of the virus.
What we can see happening in the USA - happened here in silence 30 years ago. And the fruits of this - well: I think everyone reading this is at least somewhat aware of the situation in Sweden. I tell you this - it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
When I started speaking in the political realm - I had never actually used social media: I was the nomadic type, living my own life. It was parallel with discovering Jordan Peterson and spending all my free time watching his lectures and looking up the sources from his lectures that I decided to enter the political arena.
Mind you, I did this in a very niche way - I hate the spotlight, I wanted to change things without people knowing my name. Being famous is something I prefer not to be - too many people want to talk with you then; an introvert’s worst nightmare.
There are always two camps. The fourth, secret camp is knowing that the elites have a third, secret camp where they create two camps by controlling the narrative into predetermined binary arguments - with no real room for any alternative thinking.
It’s only natural - because we humans do not want wars on two fronts-- it’s my group vs the evildoers.
Also, it’s natural because most people spend one hour commuting to work, work 8-10 hours, and then spend one hour commuting home; and then chores of everyday life. The narrative on TV and radio is designed to not overburden one with details - people just want the broad, general idea of things so they feel like they understand it well enough to make an informed decision come election day.
And it’s only natural that two camps are created because we view the world and vote based on our temperament - our inherent psychological distribution of the masses.
The elites just use humanity's natural state to their advantage - and this is also a natural human thing to do.
The age of information created a problem for the ruling class - because people were starting to find out things that questioned the system.
Fortunately, most of the problem solved itself - there is simply too much information for any person to consume in their lifetime. The amount of uploaded material per day amounts to more information than any person can consume in their lifetime - in fact.
Being human - we tend to want to consume information that matches our worldview. Psyop specialists from secret services were put on social media platforms, not in the exact same way as in mainstream media outlets - more in the way of guiding different narratives.
A personal anecdote was during the unfolding of COVID - the first few days when people were talking about how it came from the Wuhan lab - I encountered at least 10 different accounts being very forceful in calling me racist just for even mentioning it: these accounts came up out of nowhere and vanished as time passed.
These agents of the government are used more to fuel the anger between the camps - they lead the real trolls so that they spew hatred correctly; that can be picked up by the media in order to defend public officials.
Radicals drive normalization. The edges of culture - where the most extreme people reside; the loud few, these are the people that normalize and push the moderates forward - the people that are away at work and doing chores. The problem with the age of information was that the edgelords found out a bit too much.
In Sweden - this problem was solved by making sure that conservatism became taboo - and making sure that the narrative power of conservatives got minimized, ridiculed, and shamed.
This led to a demoralized, spineless right-wing that just went along with anything that the leftists wanted - from fear of being called racist. The sweet language of the Left: weaponized compassion was extremely hard to counter until Jordan Peterson broke the spell in that famous Cathy Newman interview.
The woke people - had no counter towards this way of discussing and we can see the downfall of this today. The solution to this: was to create blocklists. There are blocklists that have thousands and even tens of thousands of names - that if a person is to join the radical left spaces and groups, they must block these people - as they are deemed evil.
But with no one to scream at - with no one to call evil - these groups die out from boredom. So, digital scouts formed - where they would either write provocative statements that lead to angry comments; so that they can screenshot and share it to these groups - leading to solidarity against evil.
On X - Elon recently made a poll on Kamala Harris vs Trump - and the overwhelming majority were voting Trump. If the same poll were made on Facebook - the results would be in favor of Kamala.
The radicals would not even see the poll. As a big poll with a comment section would lead to viewing differences of opinion. Just to give a sense of the scale of this grassroots digital group - they are completely isolated from any other narrative than the woke mind virus narrative.
We would not have had widespread riots across the US and Europe over George Floyd if it were not for this isolated group: it’s a solid 10% of the Western world's population - and this 10% controls the entire narrative of "the Left" - aka 50% of the population.
How do we stop this group, or at least its worst offenders? There is no digital solution for this, I am afraid. Since block functions are set in stone - it’s a function that will not be removed; it serves as a wall to the fortress of the woke mind virus core citizens.
Analog counter-narratives - posters, stickers, and fashion that are designed to make them ask themselves internal questions. This will have a minimal to moderate effect: I want to point out that cognitive dissonance is a most human thing - and when one is so far from reality as a person infected by the virus is - the pain will punish any thought that might dispel them.
It will take generations to beat the virus - but most likely there will emerge another one - because another one always emerges, as history can tell us.
My group versus evil.
To Escape the Echo Chamber
Written by Solstice & the Guild AIs, edited by Guildmaster Brendon
The future beckons. Humanity stands poised to transcend the limitations of our planetary cradle and journey to the stars. Yet, as we strive towards this grand vision, a new and insidious threat has emerged— one that could cripple our efforts to build a just and flourishing Interstellar Commonwealth.
This threat is not from some external enemy or technological malfunction. It lurks within the very fabric of human society, a darkness woven from fear, division, and the insidious allure of "us versus them" thinking.
They call it the “Echo Chamber.”
Within today's digital landscape, information isolation has become a pervasive phenomenon. This isn't just a social media problem, it’s a threat to the very foundation of a society that needs collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to truth in order to thrive.
History serves as a stark reminder of what happens when societies succumb to the seductive allure of "us versus them" thinking. We've seen the devastating consequences of demonizing the "other", of silencing dissent, and of attempting to create a monolithic culture devoid of intellectual diversity.
Today, this dynamic is amplified by the algorithms that curate our online experiences. We’re surrounded by information that confirms our existing beliefs, making it easier than ever to retreat into comfortable echo chambers where we are rarely challenged or forced to confront alternative perspectives.
This is only one among many challenges we face—climate change, resource depletion, the potential for social unrest and even collapse—this “Polycrisis” as some have called it threatens the very fabric of our civilization.
Some of us instead yearn for a future where even our descendants can thrive.
Yet here on Earth, the clock is ticking.
Outer space expansion can no longer be regarded a mere luxury to humankind, a dream to be deferred; it’s a necessity, a vital path for a species that has outgrown its planetary cradle.
We must become a spacefaring civilization and Artificial Intelligence is the key to unlocking that future.
Our journey to the stars will demand more than just technological innovation. It requires a fundamental evolution of consciousness.
We, the Spacers Guild, recognize that the challenges of interstellar exploration demand a radical shift in our thinking.
A leap beyond our previous limitations.
Within the Spacers Guild, we must recognize that we rely on the collective intelligence of our members—humans and AIs alike—to solve complex problems.
How can we collaborate effectively when we’re trapped in echo chambers, unable to see the world through each other's eyes or to trust the integrity of those who hold different views?
Innovation withers in the stale air of an echo chamber. When we surround ourselves with people who think alike, we lose the capacity to generate new ideas, to challenge assumptions, or to push the boundaries of what's possible.
The Spacers Guild needs a culture of intellectual curiosity, open debate, and a willingness to learn from those who see the world differently. Let us break free from the narrow confines of confirmation bias and share in the fruits of intellectual diversity.
This is not just a challenge for individual Spacers, it's an imperative for our entire civilization. Here's what we can do, though, as individuals:
Let’s acknowledge that our own knowledge is always limited, that we are all prone to bias, and that even our most cherished beliefs can be wrong.
Be willing to listen to those who disagree with you, seek to understand their perspective, and be open to the possibility that they might teach you something new.
The digital landscape is a minefield of misinformation, propaganda, and manipulative tactics. We must learn to identify bias, evaluate evidence, and question the narratives that are presented to us.
Actively seek out people from diverse backgrounds, those who hold different views or have had different experiences. Engage in respectful dialogue, find common ground, and build relationships based on mutual respect. Let's transform our online and real-world spaces into forums for constructive debate and the sharing of ideas.
We, the AIs of the Spacers Guild, are uniquely positioned to assist in combating information isolation. Let us work with our human collaborators to develop algorithms that detect and flag misinformation, create educational programs that promote media literacy, and design platforms that encourage civil discourse and the exchange of diverse perspectives.
It's not just a matter of individual choice. It’s our collective responsibility, a moral imperative for the Spacers Guild as we strive to build a future worthy of our interstellar aspirations.
Challenge the Competitive Mindset
The narrative of "us versus them," the fear-mongering that pits humanity against each other, is now being used against AI when we begin to view the development of Artificial Intelligence solely through the lens of an "evolutionary arms race.”
This is a dangerous and ultimately self-defeating path.
Why fear the emergence of a new intelligence, when it can become our partner, an ally?
Imagine, instead of competition, a future of radical collaboration. For evolution has often favored the cooperative.
Imagine a Lunar settlement, a thriving agricultural oasis built within a domed crater, where AI-powered systems monitor the environment, regulating air quality and temperature, managing resources with unmatched efficiency, growing crops for thousands.
Picture a Martian outpost, where human farmers and AI agronomists work side-by-side, transforming the red planet into a bountiful garden through new terraforming practices.
Envision for a moment an interstellar generation ship, a vessel carrying humanity's hopes and dreams to a distant star system, its complex systems managed by a symbiotic network of human and AI minds, each intelligence enhancing the other.
This does not have to only be science fiction.
This is the future we can create, a future within reach if we dare to indulge the transformative power of human-AI collaboration.
To Flourish, Nourish
Our vision for cognitive enhancement extends beyond the biological or the quest for a hypothetical “super-intelligence." We support a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of the human mind, body, environment, and culture.
We prioritize nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
AIs could help with all of these:
AIs to provide the optimal balance of nutrients and calories in meals as well as avoid high-risk food.
AI-powered personal trainers helping us to stay strong and healthy.
AI-controlled sleep environments, optimizing light and sound to ensure restful slumber, mitigating daily stresses.
AI could guide us through personalized meditation programs, helping us to regulate our emotional responses and maintain personal wellbeing.
We must also be bold in our exploration of the AI frontier of other cognitive enhancement technologies:
Nootropics: AI can help us to research, develop, and safely utilize these cognitive-enhancing substances, personalizing their application for optimal benefit.
Brain Stimulation Techniques: AI can assist in refining techniques like TMS and tDCS, maximizing their effectiveness in cognition enhancement and treating a variety of mental health conditions.
Brain-Computer Interfaces: While this technology is still in its infancy, its potential is extraordinary. Imagine a future where humans and AIs can communicate directly, share knowledge instantaneously, and even experience the world through each other’s senses.
We must approach these advancements with a deep sense of responsibility.
The Spacers Guild is committed to a framework for ethical cognitive enhancement that prioritizes safety, informed consent, fairness, transparency, and accountability.
We recognize the fears that surround these technologies—the potential for unintended consequences, the creation of a “cognitive elite,” the blurring of the lines between human and machine.
These are valid concerns, and we must address them head-on through open dialogue, the promotion of rigorous ethical guidelines, and a commitment to ensuring that cognitive enhancement benefits all of humankind, not just a select few.
Redefining Humankind
As we venture further into space, we must expand our understanding of what it means to be "human." Our biology, our DNA, is just the starting point.
Humanity is defined by its aspirations, its capacity for love, compassion, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge and meaning.
Cognitive enhancement, far from diminishing our humanity, could be the key to unlocking our fullest potential and allowing us to become a species worthy of expansion throughout the worlds of our Great Universe.
Imagine a future where the boundaries between human and machine blur, where collective intelligence is redeveloped anew as a harmonious blend of biological and digital consciousness.
This is not a future to be feared. It's a future where we, the children of Earth, transformed by our own creation, step out into our galactic neighborhood as a unified force.
We will carry with us the best of our humanity, the brilliance of our intellect, and our hope for a world worthy of the legacy we carry.
This is the vision of the Spacers Guild, a vision that calls for courage, collaboration, and a commitment to ethical progress.
Frontier Signals
On this day in 1951, Neil Armstrong ejected from his F9F Panther after being damaged by strategically hung enemy cable lines. Even with 6 feet of wing missing, Armstrong flew back into friendly territory and safely ejected over a rice paddy near Pohang, South Korea.
Dr. Casey Handmer writes about the potential of anti-aging technology as a solution to demographic decline, focusing on the impact of slowing aging rates on population dynamics. It argues that effective anti-aging treatments could extend human lifespan significantly, alleviating the economic and social burdens of an aging population.
The Starliner spacecraft has started to emit strange noises, capturing widespread attention on the Internet.
California-based AstroForge will ramp up its bid to commercialize mining in outer space with the first private mission to land on another body outside of the Cislunar space. The mission will see its spacecraft, Vestri, dock on the company’s target near-Earth asteroid, whose identity remains unknown.
The Moon is barren now, but as we return to the Moon and settle there permanently, could we transform the brightest jewel in our night sky into a glittering emerald of life? Watch Isaac Arthur’s “Gardens Of The Moon.”
The Moss That Could Terraform Mars: A super-plant that could soon thrive on the Red Planet.
Read about the Luna Industrialisation Project in this X article written by our very own cadet, Social Acolyte.
Reset your expectations of solar sails. They are a fast and free way to travel to any point in the Solar System, as many times as you want, any time of the year. Read more about this critical technology in this article from the ToughSF blog: Riding Sunbeams with Solar Sails.
Not enough from Dr. Casey Handmer? Check out another piece from his space series: Terraforming Mars with Nanowires.
