I have also speculated on the need for a strong exterior threat. The problem is that there isn’t one that wouldn’t either be solved too quickly, or introduce it’s own polarizing problems.
A super villain doesn’t work because they lose too quickly, see Archimedes, Giorgio Rosa, et al.
Berserkers are bad because they either won’t work or work too well. I can’t see any way to make them a long term stable threat without explicitly programming them to lose.
Rogue AI doesn’t work, again because it either self-destructs or kills us too quickly, or possibly sublimes, depending on quality and goal structure.
The best proposal I’ve ever heard is a rival species, something like an Ant the size of a dog, whose lack of individual intelligence was offset by stealth hives, co-op, and physical toughness. But it would be hard to engineer one.
My friend had the idea that we need a race of bunnies from another planet to infest Earth. They would be a nuisance, nothing more. They would breed and eat crops. But they would be enough trouble that we would have to work together to stop them.
You ever heard the phrase “X is like violence; if it’s not solving your problems, it’s because you’re not using enough of it.”? This is the very first time I’ve heard somebody propose “problems” as the value of X.
My friend had the idea that we need a race of bunnies from another planet to infest Earth. They would be a nuisance, nothing more. They would breed and eat crops. But they would be enough trouble that we would have to work together to stop them.
Some others have Have Got A Theory that suggests the opposite approach!
(All but Giles) What cant we do if we get in it? We’ll work it through within a minute, We have to try, we’ll pay the price, Its do or die,
(Buffy) Hey i’ve died twice!
(All) What can’t we face if we’re together? What’s in this place that we can’t weather? There’s nothing we cant face....
You could just move plants and animals to continents where they don’t belong. Image what would happen if kudzu was released in the US. Oh wait, it was.
I have also speculated on the need for a strong exterior threat. The problem is that there isn’t one that wouldn’t either be solved too quickly, or introduce it’s own polarizing problems.
A super villain doesn’t work because they lose too quickly, see Archimedes, Giorgio Rosa, et al.
Berserkers are bad because they either won’t work or work too well. I can’t see any way to make them a long term stable threat without explicitly programming them to lose.
Rogue AI doesn’t work, again because it either self-destructs or kills us too quickly, or possibly sublimes, depending on quality and goal structure.
The best proposal I’ve ever heard is a rival species, something like an Ant the size of a dog, whose lack of individual intelligence was offset by stealth hives, co-op, and physical toughness. But it would be hard to engineer one.
My friend had the idea that we need a race of bunnies from another planet to infest Earth. They would be a nuisance, nothing more. They would breed and eat crops. But they would be enough trouble that we would have to work together to stop them.
You ever heard the phrase “X is like violence; if it’s not solving your problems, it’s because you’re not using enough of it.”? This is the very first time I’ve heard somebody propose “problems” as the value of X.
Some others have Have Got A Theory that suggests the opposite approach!
(All but Giles)
What cant we do if we get in it?
We’ll work it through within a minute,
We have to try, we’ll pay the price,
Its do or die,
(Buffy)
Hey i’ve died twice!
(All)
What can’t we face if we’re together?
What’s in this place that we can’t weather?
There’s nothing we cant face....
(Anya)
.… except for bunnies.
You could just move plants and animals to continents where they don’t belong. Image what would happen if kudzu was released in the US. Oh wait, it was.