Jason M. Barr May 26, 2021
A.J. Black’s book is a thought-provoking and insightful book that takes the reader on a deep-dive, 60-year journey through the Star Trek franchise. His book shows us that we cannot truly know Star Trek unless we know ourselves, and vice versa. Read More »
Star Trek and the Economics of Hate
Jason M. Barr July 15, 2020
One of the main themes of the Star Trek series is that hatred could destroy all that we have created. This blog post discusses those lessons for today’s political climate. Read More »
Smith, Marx, and… Picard?: Star Trek and Our Economic Future (posted on StarTrek.com)
Jason M. Barr March 11, 2020
Economic thinking about our common future has a long and combative history. Adam Smith, considered the worlds’ first economist, argued for the free market. Karl Marx argued for the doctrine of: “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Star Trek offers a third way for our future–one based on the best elements of Smith and Marx. Read More »
Star Trek and the Economics of the Future (Part I): Tribalism versus Terranism
Jason M. Barr November 26, 2018
Technology can be used to improve the quality of life, but it can also exacerbate our tendencies for tribalism and division. In the future, will this technology be used to enhance the common good, or to push humans to turn on, and destroy, each other? Star Trek offers some lessons for a better future. Read More »
Star Trek and the Economics of the Future (Part II): Programming versus Survival
Jason M. Barr February 20, 2019
As we rush headlong into the quest for artificially intelligent machines, it might pay to take a step back and try to anticipate some of the unintended consequences of our actions. The original series of Star Trek did just that. The show suggests some problems that could befall humanity if machines learn to think. Read More »
Book Review: Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek by Manu Saadia. Pipertext, 2016
Jason M. Barr December 17, 2017
“To boldly go where no one has gone before” is, at its heart, a call for humanity to explore itself, and seek what might be possible for our modern society a century or two hence. But, lest we forget, utopia requires an economic system: a means by which goods and services are allocated in a way that frees us from harmful competition and the drudgery of the rat race. Enter Trekonomics, a book about the underlying economics of the Star Trek universe. Read More »
Tribalism, Terranism, and Technology: The Pitfalls and Promises of Globalization
Jason M. Barr October 19, 2018
Globalization offers the promise of prosperity for humanity. But technological innovations designed to increase economic growth and the quality of life are, for a growing segment of the American workforce, having the opposite effect. As a result, many are seeking comfort in tribe, as a backlash against the perceived unfairness of the rising global marketplace. Read More »