Lifting the Mask of Invisibility

“The mask of invisibility perpetuated by scrolling and imagining everyone thinks the same and are sane is over. “ Dr. Jake was speaking to the staff at the General.

The briefing sessions that would normally have been transmitted via a text had created an organizational nightmare, but the Disaster Preparedness Team had done their work and were prepared for the recent series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions combined with the unpredictable effects of solar flares that had disrupted satellite transmissions.

“ The godlike power of having communication that is almost the speed of light has been blocked by the billowing smoke and clouds. As if the current environmental disaster is not enough, our medical system is suffering. The recent environmental disasters, plus  various new cases of seasonal flus and cold outbreaks, plus the increasing numbers of individuals crazed by the fact that they have lost the competitive edge computers have afforded them, has led to anxiety attacks that manifest in reflux that mimics heart attacks. We have limited staff and many of them are victims of the unexpected rebound effect of withdrawal from vagus nerve stimulation .

“Thumb stimulation  of the vagus nerve  by use of  mobile electronic devices  generates GABA and leads to an addiction to the sensation. The vagus nerve runs from the brain stem, through the back of the throat to the pulmonary and cardiovascular centers and down into the intestines. The vagus nerve communicates sensations and emotions with the enteric nervous systems that control the digestive process. The microbiome of the gut is affected by Vagus stimulation  and affects cortisol, dopamine and oxytocin sent to the brain. 

“ Vagus nerve addiction, generated by thumb use on smartphones,  favours rest and digest responses to counteract stress. Without this release,  the world is now populated by humans who no longer wear the mask of intelligence provided by artificial intelligence acquired through internet communication.

“At the General, we have run programs to test that individuals have integrated knowledge from information accessible through the internet. However, we are all used to having the instant gratification of information without much if any retention. We are a quickly adapting tool using animal who, in the blink of an eye, are now left without a tool. The situation has created two classes of humans. Those who can function and innovate, and those who are debilitated.”

The audience had indeed noticed that since all integrated software had been disabled, businesses were functioning without ordering and payment options. The hospital joined the ranks of grocery, convenient and commercial stores who were using pen and paper to calculate sums and taxes. It was painfully obvious that most of the employees had not learned their math facts well and were doing much counting on their fingers.

The hospital, border patrols and police were left to record the names, passport and health numbers of clients arriving and departing. Sadly, the ability to scribe had not been taught since voice to text had become an acceptable alternative.  Most individuals at the desks were scratching and scrawled letters, and the result of  reversed and poorly executed notes was leading to even greater confusion.

So far from the heavenly heights had humanity fallen. A new Tower of Babel was tumbling. The original tower, that was never finished, was first destroyed around 2100 BC. It was said to have had the potential to let everything that is wanted, come into reach, but  was threatened by the sin of hubris, a loss of contact with reality and overestimation of ability that is driven by pride.

A similar fate was facing individuals in the year 2026. Truth verified by the limits of the scientific method was rejected in favour of  unreferenced information based on gut feelings of individuals who had upset guts and had lost the ability to have conscience and gut connect. Individuals were choosing to watch and sometimes read, to feel convinced they were correct in believing  what they wanted to believe.

The Internet had become the new tower of Babel, that led to confusion. Much of mankind actually thought they had grown smarter, and had not realized they just  had new tools and were not much different than if they had been born during the medieval period.

Dr. Jake finished the briefing. “Due to the large volumes of individuals entering the emergency ward, and the current state of the country, we require that patients are triaged on their ability to read, write and do mathematics. If the patient is comatose or experiencing a life-threatening  attack, we will administer to their health concerns.

The grumble of the crowd turned into a growl. One person spoke out “Who are we to play God?”

Dr. Jake replied, “We are trained to be God’s unprepared puppets. This mandate was set up by the Disaster Control Team when there was no urgency. They established this criteria in the event of circumstances that we now face. We have no better option, and at this point are legally bound to  follow this plan.”

The same speech was repeated to various small groups of staff over the next week. The extent of enforcement of the policy was never clearly established.