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Asimov's Donuts

Friends,

Our future traditions will be guided by society and framed by technology. As society prioritizes the technology it develops, technology changes society in sometimes unforeseeable ways. Granted, technology is limited by our creativity –and the laws of physics. It’s fun to see where science fiction writers like Isaac Asimov got it right and where they got it wrong (and where the jury is still out). Asimov’s smoker-filled world (wrong) has very powerful computers (right) that are miles-long (wrong, although you might argue datacenters can reach the size of Supervac). His bureaucracies often make fatal mistakes but, surprisingly, also get it right (hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day!). His short stories are a though-provoking commentary on society and what might happen. Disappointingly (but perhaps not surprisingly), his writings are silent on donuts. You’d think these torus-shaped beauties lend themselves to be portrayed as the food of the future. I believe the reason they are absent is they are so prevalent and mundane in future society; they are hardly worth noting.

Happy Friday!


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