Crearing a Technocratic Society In Which Science Is Not Bad

[Leliel]

Basically, as you know, I've been trying to create an Eberron with Giant Robots game.

The society that created the Giant Robots, however, are dead and gone, though their relics remain-as well as their history.

And the Ruestli-their name-where basically an entire culture of mad scientists.

It's not their fault-it's just the way their technology evolved, based on the manipulatuion of biochemistry to create specialized servitors. Which, naturally, led to quite the "yeah, nature's great, but it could be made a bit better" line of philosophy.

And who do mad scientists turn to to rule them? Smarter mad scientists.

The Ruestli, essentially, were magi-technocrats-government by the sorcerous academics.

Now, I bet you're thinking that I want you to help me create the kind of beaucratic system a bunch of crazed egomaniacs would make, but actually...no.

I want to potray the Ruestli as a real-if-slightly-alien culture, with the good and the bad being shown. Actually more of the good, since the Ruestli Empire at their peak was pretty damn close to utopia (at least before they actually did develop a god complex, but I want to show that was more of what happens when people forget the mistakes of the past and end up repeating them with bigger guns).

However, I also want to show that the Ruestli governance was as slow and plodding as any other real-life government, down to the guys who care more about paperwork then people-something I know I'll have trouble with, since I tend to read "Technocracy" as "Government By The People Who Actually Know What They're Doing, Having A College Degree And All".

So, what would a government intentionally composed of academics and scientists look like, in your opinion?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go think of a lobby for Frakenstein Incorporated.

[Pie Guy]

Don't know. US but stop using money to build nukes after we could already destroy the world once?

[Gralamin]

Here's a fun topic.

First thing that comes to mind is control: The government would have to stop the destructive powers that a lone mad scientist could dream up. This would mean keeping them where they can be watched, but comfortable. The government would have to try and "Channel" the mad scientists towards helping society.

Also, it might be worth knowing: For the purposes of Mad science, which types of science are included? Political Science? Sociology? Or only "Hard" Sciences?

[Leliel]

Also, it might be worth knowing: For the purposes of Mad science, which types of science are included? Political Science? Sociology? Or only "Hard" Sciences?

The government was composed of Mad Sociologists and Mad Economists, mainly.

Not exactly as glamourous as Mad Physics, but you won't think so when they accurately perdict when the stock market will crash and how to steer reforms to put everything back together.

Plus, one of the things the other mad scientists often forget is that those cyborg kaiju are good for more than robbing banks. It's intresting the things people get done when they allow other perspectives.

Also, the idea of a cackling accountant and IRS mastermind holds a certain...luster.

[chiasaur11]

Ever read Girl Genius?

Klaus Wulfenbach's empire springs rapidly to mind for this kind of thing.

[seedjar]

Doesn't Eberron already have giant robots?
~Joe

[Green Bean]

Think Bread and Circuses. You've got a society full of mad scientists, and (depending on which variant you're using) some might feel the need to SHOW THEM ALL!!! AHAHAHAHA!!! Obviously, you want to avoid this, so you need to set up some sort of release valve; a way for them to prove superiority over one another with a minimum of collateral damage. Taking a page from the Roman Empire, perhaps some sort of gladiator-esque testing of inventions. Think Battlebots writ large, or American Gladiators with magically warped creatures. As long as they can prove their superiority over one another in a semi-controlled environment, they hopefully won't do it by exploding one another.

[Sir_Elderberry]

No, you'd want an aggressive talent identification program. After all, if your government is run by technocrats, then the absolute best should be found at an early age and taken into service (to play up the goodness, make it voluntary, but culturally nobody refuses), where they are trained. All government officials are part-time, in a sense, as they also have their own private scientific studies. So you get good talent into your government, stop the best minds from doing crazy things because they're working for you, AND as a DM, you have an inbuilt source of conflict because some people aren't going to like not being picked.

[Gralamin]

The government was composed of Mad Sociologists and Mad Economists, mainly.

Not exactly as glamourous as Mad Physics, but you won't think so when they accurately perdict when the stock market will crash and how to steer reforms to put everything back together.

Plus, one of the things the other mad scientists often forget is that those cyborg kaiju are good for more than robbing banks. It's intresting the things people get done when they allow other perspectives.

Also, the idea of a cackling accountant and IRS mastermind holds a certain...luster.

Just as much as these people are working to keep society stable, other mad scientists in the same vein will be wondering "How far down can I crash it?" attempting to destroy society. Thus, your number one concern is figuring out HOW the mad scientists are controlled, and figuring out the logical extensions from that.

Thinking like a Mad Scientist is, luckily, pretty easy: Your obsessed and intelligent. Pick one direction, follow it to its ends.

[Riffington]

When man conquers nature, it's typically human nature that is most problematic. The science uber alles sort of philosophy tends to breed a sort of "we can make this work like we want it to" attitude when it comes to human nature, which means destroying our most precious liberties. If you want to avoid this, you need one of three tacks.

A: Science fiction writers are totally wrong, and if you do social science right then you can actually conquer human nature without turning into a horrific nightmare.

B: Those technocrats actually have a healthy distaste for pseudoscience. They're happy to create robot servants, but when it comes to age-old problems like convincing kids to go to school, they'd really rather skip the sociology horrorshow and stick with the age-old answers.

C: The factions are in the kind of gridlock that a university or hospital setting tends to create, and thus can't actually agree on any unified policy. The central government disburses funds and invents new forms, but doesn't have the will to turn the populace into sheep.

[sebsmith]

At least to the downside of the Technocracy, it comes when some of the people running it can fake knowing what they are doing without knowing what they are doing, when some of the people running know what they are doing and have children who don't that they pull strings to get positions in the government, or when some of the people who know what they are doing get nearly religious about something they feel the state should be doing and will continue on the path despite it actually being the best path.

As to what it'd would be like, I'd guess ancient China, except the insane test to get into the bureaucracy wouldn't be about even older lore and legends, but more useful stuff related to the fields they would use you in.

[Randel]

One thought I would toss out here: A transparent society

Basically, every room has a little camera in it that is hooked up to the internet where it can be accessed through any computer terminal. Every computer that can see the video is also monitored to see who is looking at what. Government and administrative rooms are especially set up so everyone can find out what their leader is doing at all times.

Its like Big Brother except everyone is able to watch everyone else and can tell who is watching them.

The theory is that this way it would be impossible for anyone to commit a crime without being caught, and equally impossible for the enforcers to abuse their power at the expense of their citizens since they themselves are especially watched. Privacy woudn't be too invaded since people can't watch everyone else at once, and if you are caught 'peeping' too much then its considered rude.


But then, such a society would probably collapse when inventors and innovators find all their ideas and works being stolen. Plus, enemies to the society could try using this very system to get all kinds of intel on the place before they go home and plan the invasion. Keeping a secret would be tough.




Just replace the science with magical means and the effect is similar.

[Oracle_Hunter]

For reference material, take a look at A Miracle of Science; here "Mad Scientists" are victims of a mental disorder and society has found a way to harness their form of genius.

Also: Technocracy, if you haven't looked it over already.

[Fishy]

Go and check out Neal Stephenson's novel Diamond Age (or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer). Among the other thousands of things that happen in this book, a Mad Developmental Psychologist sits down and essentially solves the problem of child-rearing. Using fairly magical AI and a nanotech supercomputer, he creates an artificial teacher- he invents the technology to mass produce intelligent, creative, culturally-aware, morally-grounded, critical-thinking Young Ladies with a solid background in various useful subjects like computer programming and martial arts. Hijinx ensue.

Eberron's already got the docents: It'd be a small step from there to a device designed specifically for teaching.

[Tyrmatt]

One thought I would toss out here: A transparent society

Basically, every room has a little camera in it that is hooked up to the internet where it can be accessed through any computer terminal. Every computer that can see the video is also monitored to see who is looking at what. Government and administrative rooms are especially set up so everyone can find out what their leader is doing at all times.

Its like Big Brother except everyone is able to watch everyone else and can tell who is watching them.

The theory is that this way it would be impossible for anyone to commit a crime without being caught, and equally impossible for the enforcers to abuse their power at the expense of their citizens since they themselves are especially watched. Privacy woudn't be too invaded since people can't watch everyone else at once, and if you are caught 'peeping' too much then its considered rude.


But then, such a society would probably collapse when inventors and innovators find all their ideas and works being stolen. Plus, enemies to the society could try using this very system to get all kinds of intel on the place before they go home and plan the invasion. Keeping a secret would be tough.




Just replace the science with magical means and the effect is similar.

Honesty through paranoia. I like, I like.

[kopout]

They have actual done a couple of social experiments like that. The people cracked from stress and were at each others throats in no time.