Not long ago, on April 12, it was Yuri's night, the anniversary of the first human in space. It passed without much fanfare, as it usually does, unnoticed by global media and most people. Of course, it would be. Ask around - Yuri's dive into the cosmos makes no sense whatsoever. Went first into space, so what? We have so many problems here on Earth!

The great modern philosopher Mike Tyson once said, "Everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the face." Future historians will no doubt develop many theories about the initial impetus behind this profound insight, but Tyson might as well have been referring to the main predicament of complex systems: operating and surviving more or less intact in the maze of unpredictability. Any system can develop the perfect and highly optimized operation plan, with just-in-time this and agile that, but all beautiful flowcharts can, and usually do, crumble under the onslaught of reality. The drama of all systems, both simple and complex, is in the precarious balance between maintaining operational efficiency and adapting to unforeseen challenges that punch you in the face.

We live in a time of swarm networks, full spectrum memetic warfare, and ubiquitous AI discourse-mongers. Automated dark algos package, aggregate, and curate all social content for maximum cognitive impact. The influence of shadowy consent architects is already pervasive, only to become stronger as more powerful AI discourse-mongers come alive.

The setting

With the arrival of Apple Vision Pro and Large Language Models running rampant, we are close to on-demand AI-generated VR realms tailored to our wildest fantasies. We can also expect customized algorithmic jesters to socialize and guide us in these fantasy realms. Here are some preliminary ways of framing this future:

Here are some of the occult practices of Late Stage Managerial Mysticism, as narrated to me in a dream by an initiate.

Admit it, dear reader, you always wanted to know what caused our glorious edifice of iron, concrete, plastic, and silicone, that unsinkable Titan borne out of the sheer Faustian audacity of our ancestors, to suddenly shudder, grind to a halt, and start sinking.

Here's a thought. High empathy is the most essential element of a culture or civilization in its prime, and the absence of empathy is the most important marker of a collapsing culture or society.

Every civilization needs a myth of the future. Civilizations fall to entropy and disintegrate without it.