The Story of Man

Every year, The Economist magazine publishes a "special issue" carrying alternative themes to celebrate the New Year. You won't see any survey on "Ten Headlines of the Year" or "Man of the Year". Neither would you learn any stock pick for the coming year. All you get is a dozen of curious updates on recent thoughts about culture, religion, economics, politics and technology advancement, equipping yourself well to kill the excessive leisure time during the holidays. This year, the magazine triumphs the human evolution, with the cover story titled "The Story of Man". Here i will have my own elaboration on this reading, particularly on the migration of people. Thousands of years ago, early humans migrated from Africa to other continents of the Earth. What the magazine didn't tell us is: Where is our next destination?

Although scientists traced genetic history of human beings back to a single African woman who lived some 150,000 years ago, they are divided as to how and when people emigrated out of Africa. The Oxford school believes they did some 85,000 years ago and rapidly spread along the coast of southern Arabia and along the south coast of Asia to Australia. The Cambridge school thinks their journey started only 60,000 years ago and brought them to central Asia, instead. Anyway, people do move from one place to another, and spread their off-springs all over the planets.

In recent history, Europeans massively moved to America and eventually founded the United States in the late eighteenth century. The Industrial Revolution drove a large population from farmland to urban cities. People migrate for better natural resources or better living.

Today, the Earth is highly populated, and the atmosphere has confined people's geographically inhabitation. It seems we are going nowhere. However, with the technological advancement, we are, gradually and unconsciously, moving to the imaginary world created by ourselves.

This new wave of migration started as early as the first fan fell in love with fictions and comic books, fantasy worlds where things are all but ever happen in the real world. Once you are absorbed into a novel, you don't want to eat, sleep or be disturbed by anyone until you finish the whole story. For very attractive stories, you might even want to read it all over again. So far, anthropologists cannot reach any consensus of the reason why early humans painted on cave walls. Maybe, i suppose, those were the early signs for what's embedded in our genes -- the desire to break away.

Storybooks have their limitations for opening the door of the new world for they are simply not real enough. Movies have a bigger impact as, through visual and audio effects, they deliver quite a lively experience. The scripts are obviously artificially written. But no doubt, movies have helped shape people's attitude toward triad society (Godfather and A Better Tomorrow), heroism (Superman and Batman, etc.), love (Titanic), the existent of extraterritorial beings (E.T.), nationalism (Bruce Lee's movies), and more recently environmentalism (The Day After Tomorrow). Intriguingly, the imaginary world based on the real world has turned around to change the real world.

Most movies end in 90 minutes, and the imaginary world is over once the theater staff turns on the light. You are forced to parachute to the real world again and think of where to eat. Many people chose to go back to the Titanic world and see Jack's face more than twice though. But there is a clear line between the two worlds, light off and light on.

Television dramas blur the border between the two worlds. The shows are broadcast when you are having dinner at home. The triangle love and power wrestling affairs last at least two months. The popular programs become talking points among friends and colleagues. Actors of the good-guy characters are known to be good guys in person. Lee Young-ae, the leading actress in the Korean hit Jewel in the Palace, was elected Hong Kong's Woman of the Year by Hong Kong in an election held by a radio program. It should be Dae Jang Geum who won the award as most people, i believe, voted for the character more than Ms. Lee. People mixed up the real world with the imaginary one.

Television broadcast has its wide influence, but computer games make the killing impact and their influence may pass that of television sooner or later. People follow through the stories in storybooks, comic books, movies and television and cannot make any decision to alter the endings. Whether it is a happy ending or a sad one, you like it or not, it is scripted. But when you live in a world where your fortune is largely based on your techniques, knowledge and decision-making, you are really into it. Games in computer are such a love-hate situation. The pride and fear factors kick in, and now you are on your own, as if you are in the real world. A Korean died in August after playing an online game for 50 hours with few breaks.

Game is a booming industry in which Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are wrestling. Once, i saw in a newspaper a viewing device which resembles a blind fold enable users to play virtual games completely shut out of the real world. After playing for a few hours, the player, i think, would forget where he is, and even wouldn't realize he is in a game.

In some online games, people build their own house, keep their own livestock, and earn their own living as carpenters for instance. Virtually, they are living there and the games never end. They chat with the people (other players) passing by, and occasionally kill some monsters. They keep their money and do trades of weapons and daily necessaries. This world has its own currencies, economics and politics. Living there are traders, social leaders and not surprisingly columnists, my virtual counterparts.

i am not talking science fiction. The migration is happening. People are playing football games more often by finger than by foot. In Mid-Autumn festivals, kids are no longer able to light a candle, like i did when i was a kid. But, in the new world, these same kids fire shotguns and blow a tower at their ease, which open my eyes.

Once i sat next to a group of teenagers in a fast food shop, i overheard their conversation but could not understand even a single sentence, as if they are speaking a foreign language. Yes, they are talking about things happening in the new world. When they finished their meals and departed, i am sure the old world doesn't interest them any more.

Bon voyage to our marvelous adventurers!

Jan 12, 2006
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