This is a piece about the loss of skills — even ones that are marks of great beauty and mastery — due to a change in environment.
It’s an extreme example but a fun one to think through: who would play a Stradivarius violin in interstellar space?
As a way to think through an extreme environmental (not meaning climate here) change, I make the assumption that in coming centuries, whether one, five, or 10, humans will become an interstellar or extrasolar species. That is, some part of humanity will cease living in this solar system, and will instead live on other planets, space ships, or other artificial homes. I count that assumption as the less interesting part of this post and instead focus on the unintended consequences caused by a dramatic change in environment.
Let’s think through what happens to a specific type of human mastery (and by extension, a framework to apply to many others) as humans make extreme choices (like leaving earth).
Q: Who will play the Stradivarius in interstellar space or on extrasolar planets? A: No one. Longer answer below. Continue reading “Who Plays the Stradivarius in Interstellar Space?”