Interesting project. I’m actually as or more impressed by the thinking and goals you’ve expressed, as the application’s potential (and I think highly of the potential).

I’m concerned that we’re in a situation where solutions to serious problems can exist, but would require a level of ambition and frankly credulity that people seem very, very hesitant to give. I’m not sure how I’d characterize the resistance, save as a kind of fiction about ‘how things work’ that people are very invested in, but I expect there are many factors in play.

For large-scale change projects, I think we need to take a page from Elon Musk, and succeed in something to build the credulity, and then leverage that success to ignore the opposition until momentum is achieved. The Hyperloop has been a hard sell, but he’s pushing this rather radical approach to mass transit through.

Some way to do related, less radical projects, then move forward, seems like a promising approach.

I’m a writer working on a project with a few others to create some rather radical art, a kind of ‘design fiction’ science fiction computer game. We’ve been presupposing ideas like yours as some of what makes the ‘revolution’ featured in our story’s background possible. So you may be getting some synergistic promotion in the next 3–5 years, in effect.

And on that note: one thing I’m finding hard to research as yet is the question of ‘power dynamics’, and it’s critical we be able to say some useful things about this in our work. Do you have any recommendations for books or resources that can help me gain some perspective on what’s known about this?

I think we absolutely need the kind of bold thinking you’re doing, and the sooner the better. We have to persevere, refocus, and try our various angles. I wish you well, and luck, and I’m watching where this goes with high hopes.

Thank you for trying something this bold, and thanks for your time reading this before-the-coffee-fully-sinks-in reply!