InterPlanetary Transmissions: Genesis pp.15-19
DOI:
Introduction: The Recurring La Choza Chat
Author: Caitlin L. McShea
Excerpt
“So, what do you do here in Santa Fe?” the stranger next to me asks, excited to converse with a local over his green chile stew.
“I work at the Santa Fe Institute.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that. It’s that big [insert “lab” or “think tank” here], right?”
“It’s a complexity science research center and educational facility.”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. And what do you do there?”
“I direct the InterPlanetary Festival!”
“The what, now?!”
“The InterPlanetary Festival! It’s . . .”
I won’t take the time here to give you the bar-top spiel on the InterPlanetary Project and its mission, because David already has. But it’s worth noting that this conversation is usually met with skepticism from my interlocutor, so smash-cut to the reliable old gibe:
“Why are the eggheads up there wasting their time with a space party when they should be focusing on the problems here on Earth?”
“We’re throwing a space party BECAUSE of all of the problems on earth,” I silently scream to myself as I sip my margarita, and search for some civil composure within.