Deep History + Hard Sci-fi

I keep tweeting this idea.

At first, it felt like a clever, throw away observation, but the more I explore it as a framework for navigating the present and ‘predicting’ the future, the more useful it becomes.

Here’s my take:

The future will likely resemble the Middle Ages more than any other period in history. Those operating at the cutting edge with a desire to build the future would benefit from studying this era closely while looking for parallels (and critiques) in sci-fi media.

A longer essay is coming, but for now, these are the parallels I see:

1. AI = The Printing Press

2. Online + IRL Communities = Guilds

3. Angel Investors = Wealthy Patrons

4. Space Exploration = Maritime Exploration

5. New Currencies and tokens created to enable trade = Crypto Currencies

6. Decentralized Power to Nation-Scale Companies = Decentralized Power to Nation-Scale Tech Companies

7. Joint Stock Business Shares = Tokenization of Real Assets

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. Understanding the rhyming structure provides alpha.

Act accordingly.

God Save The King.