Star Wars, An Inspiration

I’m on the road right now. I rarely have time to sit down and watch a movie. But, last night in my hotel room I was flipping channels and caught the original Star Wars movie. It had been a long time since I had watched it in its entirety. I was only 7 years old when I saw it for the first time in theaters. After 30 years it is still one of the best movies ever. Even the special effects have stood up to the test of time. Watching it again reminded me of why I studied computers, science, and now futurism. Every once in a while something like this comes along and becomes popular because it contains all the elements inherent in humanity and the future that we aspire to or in some cases fear. Star Trek is another example, specifically The Borg. Are The Borg what we fear we are becoming, are they what we want to be, or are they just simply what we will be? While technology may be what we see on the surface of these stories it is not the technology that stirs us up inside. Rather, it is the spiritual ramifications. In Star Wars it is “The Force”, in the case of The Borg it is the loss of our individuality and free will. I was introduced to the term Homo Religious 16 years ago in an undergraduate religious studies course. My interpretation of the concept is that we are religious in some manner whether we are atheists, Christians, Buddhists, etc. Basically, we all feel the need to explain why we are here and how we got here and even who we are. What if brain replacement becomes possible? Will I still be me? Am I defined by my brain? Will I still be human? Will I be an abomination, a golem?

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