What defines life is a central question in Evolved. Robots and humans have equal rights in the distant future of Evolved. Robots are all but indistinguishable from humans in appearance, are highly creative, dexterous, and even emotional. The robots/ androids in Evolved are not like Data from Star Trek, a character that always fascinated me, but perhaps somewhat like the artificial life in Blade Runner.
Moving past the term robot, android or other euphemism for “not life,” the world in Evolved separates into silicon and organic life. The two life forms augment one another, blend intimately so that it is unclear where one ends and the other begins. This blending has had a profound effect on society, which is almost completely atheist and mindfully driven. It has been an interesting thought experiment to consider such a world while minimizing many of the biases prevalent today. What came out may surprise you!
The obvious difference between organic and silicon life is the way each is created. Silicon life is quite adept at the mechanics of sex but is unable to create the spark of life that grows into a fully formed life form. There is tension between the two, much like racism or sexism exist in the world today with both sides holding their own notions about the other. Silicon life is theoretically immortal, a source of envy for many organic life forms. However, silicon life seems to miss a spark of true essence that lies within organic life. What may be surprising is that organic life seems intent on emulating silicon life, even at the risk of extinguishing that spark.
On Lake of the Woods life is bountiful. I love watching and listening to its energy and beauty. Laughing at some of its absurdity. While driving the boat I watched a pelican glide down to the water for a landing. I love pelicans. They soar up high, completing slow spirals in the sky. Yet when this one pelican came gliding in smoothly for a water landing the baggy underside of its beak sailed awkwardly in the wind. Its legs hung like granny legs dangling from a parachute. His wings were the definition of grace. Its legs, not so much. Life is often awkward.
Is life simply a conscious intrusion into this strange three spatial dimension reality of ours? Life bumbles around with only one goal: to prolong and expand its access to this reality in hopes it can evolve it to where re-unification with its larger self is possible? Maybe that defines life, its meaning.
Evolved 