Winter 2024 newsletter
I can’t help wondering if there is an undiagnosed contagion infecting humans right now, spreading a form of insanity.
Wars and threatened wars. Global economic turmoil. Formerly (mostly) sane countries now riven with internal divisions. Growing segments of society spurning science and fact-based knowledge in favour of rabid ideology, conspiracy and/or boldfaced lies. An inability to stick to climate change agreements, even as the planet burns. And hatred, so much hatred. Hatred of others’ race, ethnicity or gender. Hatred of government or international institutions. Hatred of others’ religion. Hate crimes in Canada are on the rise, as they are in many other countries, including the United States
What is going on?
I’m no historian but it seems to me this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this contagious insanity. Consider the period surrounding the First and Second World Wars. I have a graduate degree in international relations and as part of my studies, I read quite a few academic papers trying, more or less, to answer the question: “What were they thinking back then?” I’ll leave the answer/s to the experts - I’m more interested in making the point that future humans might pose the same question about us, now, in the early 21st century. That is, if there are future humans to pose questions. The difference between the insanity infecting humans in the early part of the 20th century and now, is the strength of our weapons. And that’s a frightening thought if there ever was one.
But it’s not the thought I wish to close on. As I was drafting this I couldn’t help but think I wasn’t the first writer to entertain the notion that we humans might be vulnerable to contagious insanity.
Then it hit me.
Call me a sci-fi nerd (I am!) but I vaguely recalled watching an episode of the OG Star Trek wherein a mysterious plague of insanity infects the USS Enterprise crew. A quick bit of Internet research and there it was: “The Tholian Web”. In the interests of accuracy, I decided to re-watch the episode, (proving that research can be fun).
The cause of the contagion, according to Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy, had something to do with the area of space they were in. Luckily, just as everyone on board began succumbing to the infection, Bones found an antidote, thus saving the crew for another adventure, another day.
Okay – so, not exactly my hypothesis…but in the ballpark, agreed? More to the point, the crew recognised they had a vulnerability, named the problem and then tackled it. And that’s why you’re reading about “The Tholian Web” in this newsletter.
It’s not easy to name and fix the problems afflicting us. Marcie, my main character in How the Invisible Woman Learned to Fly, spends years avoiding thinking about what her real problem is, blaming everyone else for her misery. She hits rock bottom before she’s finally forced to acknowledge what she needs to do in order to change things for the better…to learn to fly!
I’m not suggesting you have to agree with me that an undiagnosed contagion is causing high levels of global insanity right now. (Although, it’s as good an explanation as any). I’m only suggesting, with an assist from the OG Star Trek, that we work together to diagnose the problem and come up with some solutions before whatever is going on right now, turns into an existential crisis for humanity.