Jeffrey Kondas:
Everyone is talking about it. So we will do more Cosmic Diner Party talk. Welcome back, everyone, to part two of our Cosmic Dinner Party series. Last time, we had an eclectic mix of thinkers, artists, and visionaries. This time, for my second event I would invite all of the prior guests, certain select family and friends and I would like to add some more guests who have been inspirational to me as an artist, so Stephen King will be there with some artist friends of mine. And to chat on what stirred a certain project and got my growing mind spun at one point, many points, I would love to invite W.E.B. DuBois. Much to discuss. And it would be glorious. For the venue, instead of a traditional dinner, let’s have an outdoor banquet at the base of Mount Hood in Oregon. A sprawling meadow with live music by local performers, once again a Rhodizio-style appetizer service, and entrees ranging from vegetarian dishes to Chateaubriand with garlic langoustines. Let’s add Albert Einstein and Harriet Tubman to the guest list—they’d bring perspectives on science and liberation that would challenge and inspire the group to some interesting discussions. I hesitate on adding too many physicists at one time, so just big Al for now.
Rusty Davis:
Oh you don’t want the night to be chalkboards and formulas!
Jeffrey Kondas:
Exactly. Not ready for equations on blackboards on a regular basis. Anyway, we must serve Chateau Lafite Rothschild with certain dishes. Right?
Dominique Takayama:
Chateau Lafite? Decadent, Jeffrey. Not just for Chads anymore. Me? For my dinner, I’d host Coco Chanel, Edith Head, and Alexander McQueen—fashion visionaries who broke barriers. I’d also invite Audrey Hepburn, and Andy Warhol because who wouldn’t? A minimalist farm-to-table menu with fusion influences—think kimchi sliders meets French hors d’oeuvres.
Jeffrey Kondas:
The venue?
Dominique Takayama:
The Factory of course.
Jeffrey Kondas:
Of course. Ajax?
Ajax Manny:
I like this avant-garde elegance, but let’s bring in some action. I’m thinking Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Billie Jean King, and Muhammad Ali—legends who transcended sports. Let’s go with a sports-bar-meets-fine-dining spread: wagyu sliders, artisanal wings, and signature cocktails.
Charles Lyon:
I chose great statesmen and conquerers the first time. For my second event, I would choose Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Thomas Jefferson. That’s it. Imagine us debating governance and philosophy over a steak dinner and bourbon.
Nigel Hawthorne:
For me, Gandhi and Mandela at one end, and Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel at the other. Global leadership through the ages. The meal? Traditional dishes from each leader’s homeland.
Jeffrey Kondas:
A lively mix! Ajax, I have to ask—what would your cosmic sports cocktail party look like?
Ajax Manny:
Easy: a field of dreams, where we’d host an all-star scrimmage. Think Babe Ruth, Pele, Serena Williams, and Simone Biles in an interstellar arena. Post-game, the banquet would include a mix of athletic cuisine—high-protein and carb-loaded options—balanced with fine dining.
Jeffrey Kondas:
Thank you all for your energy and insight so far. Let’s dive into deeper recesses of the “Cosmic Debate.”
Let’s mix things up and go into what Orion keeps bringing us back to. Hic Salta, Hic Rhodus, aye? Let’s go further into the thought experiment rabbit hole. So role play time for debate. What does it mean to create frameworks for balance in a world increasingly divided between those with access to transformative technologies and those without? Hear me out to play along. Let’s go. Is this an issue? Or natural? And let’s get personal—what does progress truly mean for humanity? Each panelist will take on a historical figure for this debate. Dr. Vale, you are Alan Turing; Rusty, you will be DuBois; Charles, you shall be Elanor Roosevelt; Dominique, go as Mary Frankenstein; Ajax, you are Socrates; Lou, as Rachel Carson; and Alo, take us home as Carl Jung. Dr. Vale aka Dr. Turing, you’re up. What of progress?
Dr. Orion Vale (as Alan Turing):
Progress, Jeffrey, is fundamentally about recursion—building on prior knowledge to solve increasingly complex problems. But we cannot ignore that this iterative process leaves many behind. Equity must be engineered into every system, not as an afterthought but as a foundation.
Rusty Davis (as W.E.B. Du Bois):
Orion, that’s shocking to say but will never be done. Even “open frameworks” end up dominated by the privileged few. Look at open-source AI: who actually has the resources to participate? The tech elite. Progress without redistribution is just another tool of oppression.
Charles Lyon (as Eleanor Roosevelt):
Rusty, I must challenge you on that. Systems like open-source AI can democratize innovation. But we need to pair them with international treaties—binding frameworks, much like the Outer Space Treaty, that prevent monopolization.
Dominique Takayama (as Mary Wollstonecraft):
Charles, treaties are words on paper without enforcement. I’m with Rusty here. Unless we actively dismantle the structural barriers keeping marginalized communities out of tech and science, these “frameworks” are little more than illusions of equity.
Ajax Manny (as Socrates):
But dismantling is destructive. Shouldn’t we instead elevate the values of areté, or excellence, to ensure every individual has the opportunity to rise within these frameworks?
Louay Doud (as Rachel Carson):
Ajax, what good is personal excellence if we poison the planet along the way? Immortality, enhanced intelligence—none of it will matter if Earth’s ecosystems collapse. Progress must coexist with sustainability.
Alo Santangelo (as Carl Jung):
And with spirituality. Let’s not forget the collective unconscious, the shared myths and symbols that give life meaning. Technology must align with these deeper human truths, or we risk losing touch with what makes us human.
Jeffrey:
Excellent. These are compelling thoughts. If this technology becomes viable, how do we ensure it doesn’t create an insurmountable chasm between the haves and the have-nots? What would that look like if the chasm was so vast?
Dr. Vale:
Jeffrey, the solution is twofold: first, transparency in the development of such technologies, and second, a global governance system that mandates universal access. Think of it as a technological Bill of Rights.
Rusty:
And who writes that Bill of Rights? The same technocrats who benefit from the status quo? No, Orion. This must be a grassroots effort—communities shaping the rules, not corporations.
Charles:
Grassroots movements are important, but they must work within a global framework. The alternative is chaos—each nation or community defining its own rules, leading to conflict and inequality on an even larger scale.
Dominique:
Charles, your faith in global frameworks is naive. History shows us that these systems are often co-opted by the powerful. Real change requires systemic overhaul, not gentle reforms.
Charles:
Dominique, I see your point, but let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Yes. I said that. That etymology or genesis is important. I digress, progress happens incrementally. Let’s build on existing systems rather than tearing them down entirely. There is healthy recursion.
Louay:
Sounds like overreach. While you all debate governance, I’ll remind you again of the ecological cost. Immortal humans will require exponentially more resources. If we don’t address that, none of this matters.
Alo:
OK. And if immortality becomes a reality, what happens to the archetypes that define our collective psyche? Death and rebirth are central to our myths, our religions, our art. Without them, what does humanity become?
Jeffrey:
Indeed. Powerful points all around. Let’s end with a question for each of you: How do we redefine progress to ensure it serves all of humanity—and the planet, and beyond!?
Dr. Vale:
Progress must be about creating systems that amplify human potential without destroying the planet. Open frameworks, transparency, and ethical governance are the keys.
Rusty:
Progress is redistribution—of power, resources, and knowledge. Without that, it’s just another word for exploitation.
Charles:
Progress is cooperation—nations, communities, and individuals working together under a shared moral vision.
Dominique:
Progress must center the marginalized. Anything less is simply maintaining the status quo.
Ajax:
Progress is about personal and societal areté—striving for excellence while preserving our humanity.
Louay:
Progress is meaningless without sustainability. The Earth must be the foundation of every decision we make.
Alo:
Progress is integration—technology and spirituality working in harmony to fulfill humanity’s deepest potential.
Jeffrey:
Thank you, panelists. This discussion reminds us that the future is not a given—it’s a choice. Until next time.
Sources Cited:
- Jung, Carl. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Princeton University Press, 1959.
- Turing, Alan. Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Mind (1950).
- Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A.C. McClurg, 1903.
- Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962.
- “The Outer Space Treaty,” United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
- Bostrom, Nick. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Watson, Steven (2003). Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-42372-9.
