3 ms·

Apparently traveling is "something to do" for developed-country-dwellers. What used to be a hobby for the ultrarich of the 19th century is now part of the middl

by return0 12y ago

Apparently traveling is "something to do" for developed-country-dwellers. What used to be a hobby for the ultrarich of the 19th century is now part of the middle class dream. The bigger issue than narcissism however is the homogeneity of cultures today. There is barely anything to "explore" that is original and not part of some touristy routine (even space will soon turn out a boring destination). There's just an enormous industry built behind it that keeps the train moving.

saryant 12y ago
I have to disagree. Sure, if you stick with package tours taking an air conditioned bus from one site to another, that's all you'll get. But there is more than enough to explore that is nothing like developed, Western countries. Yes, there are things like the Banana Pancake trail where it just feels like you can't escape the Lonely Planet bus. But I can't agree that the world can be so distilled into a guidebook that there's nothing left, or that somehow that makes the world homogenous. A tourist can turn the world into Disneyland if they wish, but that's their own damn fault.
3rd3 12y ago
I personally believe that Minecraft-complete worlds can never become boring. People forget, and the complexity allows for unforeseen things. And I also don’t believe in the solution to Fermi Paradox that sufficiently advanced cultures disappear in virtual realities. There is always something special about the physical world where all things can terminate irreversibly.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
foobarian 12y ago
Ultimately it is about the price of energy. We're at a point where the price per Joule of fuel suitable for all kinds of transportation is the lowest it's ever been, affordable to an unprecedented number of folks. I often wonder about a hypothetical civilization that might arise in the future if the current one breaks down due to war or some natural disaster. How will it develop without access to easy oil and ores? Perhaps it will be a more thoughtful and humble civilization, and maybe the limits of its world will not seem so small as they do today.

by return0 12y ago

saryant 12y ago

I have to disagree. Sure, if you stick with package tours taking an air conditioned bus from one site to another, that's all you'll get. But there is more than enough to explore that is nothing like developed, Western countries. Yes, there are things like the Banana Pancake trail where it just feels like you can't escape the Lonely Planet bus. But I can't agree that the world can be so distilled into a guidebook that there's nothing left, or that somehow that makes the world homogenous. A tourist can turn the world into Disneyland if they wish, but that's their own damn fault.

3rd3 12y ago

I personally believe that Minecraft-complete worlds can never become boring. People forget, and the complexity allows for unforeseen things. And I also don’t believe in the solution to Fermi Paradox that sufficiently advanced cultures disappear in virtual realities. There is always something special about the physical world where all things can terminate irreversibly.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

foobarian 12y ago

Ultimately it is about the price of energy. We're at a point where the price per Joule of fuel suitable for all kinds of transportation is the lowest it's ever been, affordable to an unprecedented number of folks. I often wonder about a hypothetical civilization that might arise in the future if the current one breaks down due to war or some natural disaster. How will it develop without access to easy oil and ores? Perhaps it will be a more thoughtful and humble civilization, and maybe the limits of its world will not seem so small as they do today.