The Matrix

What started out as The Watchowski's answer to Star Wars, became the phenomenal franchise that ended the 90s and welcomed us to the 21st century.   Why did I say it was their Star Wars? Well let's see, The Watchowski's back when they were known as the Watchowski Brothers, (Don't get me started on that.)  drew their influence on mediums they watched when they grew up from old movies, to westerns, to even Anime.  Hell to hit the nail on the head if you look at Neo's room you'll see A New Hope Poster somewhere.  This series has had three movies, a spin off animated anthology, 2 Video games, 1 online RPG and several parodies on the matter.   I was about to turn 9 when the first movie came out and at first I could barely understand it.  But it didn't stop me from enjoying it none the less.  When I became old enough to understand it I enjoyed it even more, though it did spark some paranoia, but I'll get to that in a second. And I must confess I even liked Matrix Revolutions despite it being labelled the "Godfather III" of The Matrix Series.

I should warn you major spoilers and I am not just talking about the ending.


The story goes like so.  Thomas Anderson an employee by day, but by night he is a computer hacker under the alias "Neo".  He is one of the few that has questioned the world he lives in and believes a known Terrorist, that goes by the name Morpheus has the answers.  But he only wants to know one. "What is the Matrix?"  With the help of Trinity, Neo finally meets Morpheus and is taken on a strange journey in which he wakes up in a pod like device and to his horror, finds himself Bald, Nude and covered with strange holes.  According to Morpheus, he is in the real world.  It is then and there he finds out that The Matrix, is a computer generated dream world, designed to distract humans like him, who are genetically created to serve as batteries for the Machine City.  To top it off he is prophesied as "The One" an entity who was born in the Matrix and has the power to alter it's reality. While he undergoes training, he runs a foul of Agents: Sentient Computer Programs who have the power to possess anyone that is still hardwired into the Matrix.


Now for the fun part.  Could it Exist In Real Life?

First let's start with the obvious. Sentient Computer Programs, see Tron and other examples on my page about AI and robotics. 

Second is the Human Battery.  According to Business Insider, yes.  The human body can generate heat that can be converted into electricity.  However unlike the Matrix it's only a small amount.  Which is justified since there are at least more than Six Billion humans plugged in. 

Last but not least is the Matrix.  Could It Exist In Real Life?  Yes it can.  Over the years man has tried to create a perfect virtual paridise,  through video games, escapist fiction and even through our own brainwaves with the use of white noise and binaural beats.  Steve Jobs even once started a campaign to build a holodeck.  But the best example would have to be Second Life.  A Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game, which is designed to help you the player create your own perfect world and share it with others.  Because we each have our own separate views on what a perfect world is, each one is more different than the other.  And what is the goal? Nothing, you just live another life.  Right now there are a lot of people logged on to second life and all they do is what they do in their daily routine, they shop with real money, they even have long distance relationships with significant others. There is not a more realistic example of The Matrix than that game.  And the messed up part is it was made like that.  Some people are actually dependent on Second Life as if it were their real life.   It's only a matter of time until someone has the bright idea to hook humans up to second life.  Though odds are we may already be in there already.  That's the paranoia I was talking about.  We may or may not be living in a dream world and not even know it.

As usual debate, argue and let me know what I missed. Stay Tuned For More.  There is no Spoon.