Capsule Virtual Time Capsule Hi Twenty-Second Century

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VIRTUAL TIME CAPSULE

Hi twenty-second century humans! Let me explain what life in the twenty-first century is like. I am 22 years old and I study at university for my Bachelors degree. I also work part time to support myself financially because I still live with my parents and I do not want to be a burden on them. I plan to become a chartered accountant in the next ten years so that I can buy a good house for myself in the suburbs since life in the city is quite stressful and noisy. I hope that some time in the future we will learn to act more responsibly towards the environment and be less wasteful. Sometimes I am also concerned about things having changed drastically since I was a kid which is something my parents did not feel at my age. I also hope to marry after I get a job. I have a girlfriend but I do not think I would settle down with her. When I am not studying I like to go bowling with my friends or watching movies. Most of my days are quite busy and hectic but I enjoy it because it will help me get a comfortable life in the future.

In the twenty-first century, decisions are made on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. We weigh the costs of an alternative with the benefits and select the alternative with the best cost-to-benefit ratio. We have been doing this for decades since the United States became an economic giant because of its free enterprise culture. We believe in each individual's responsibility to shape their own life and consider him free and capable of making his own decisions. Sometimes, this becomes a cause for concern because we also believe in being responsible for the effects of our actions on others. Twenty-first century morals are also based on these beliefs. We believe those decisions to be moral that result in the best cost-benefit ratio for the greatest number of people. At the same time, we uphold people's moral rights to independence, freedom and privacy so that he or she may make decisions in their best interests. We believe such a moral code allows a free and prosperous society to develop. This reflects moral relativism and the weakening of absolutist moral principles in twenty-first century life. (Hinde, 2009)

In my opinion, happiness is when a person is at peace with his conscience. People can be truly happy only when they know that they have not caused harm to any other person from their actions. Therefore, I feel quite happy even when I do not pursue my desires if doing so can help make someone feel better. I often volunteer at the local animal shelter to help rescued and injured animals. This makes me happy because of the selflessness and compassion that I experience. It helps to restore my faith in humanity because of the growing materialism in my society. I feel it is important for people to acknowledge the humanity in one another because that is what gives us emotional energy to accomplish great things. At the same time, I also feel happy when I feel that I have accomplished or achieved something. In that respect, I feel striving for material well-being is not that bad because wealth helps you to fulfill the needs of you and your family and to avoid the uncertainties of life. That is why I want to become a chartered accountant.

An important literary work of the twentieth century is the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The novel is a story about a lawyer Atticus who defends a Black American against a rape accusation during the period of the Great Depression. Although the innocent Tom is convicted and is eventually killed despite Attic's best efforts to save him, the circumstances reveal the prejudices of the period.

This novel is an important piece reflecting one of the major social problems of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Societies are becoming more heterogeneous because of immigration and faster communication. The novel highlights discrimination against Blacks that reflects the social prejudice faced by religious and ethnic minorities in contemporary society (Wood, 2010).

A significant work of architecture depicting the twenty-first century ethos is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest manmade structure in the world as of 2012. It is around 830 m high and reflects the opulence of the oil wealth that shaped politics and economics in the Middle East and the United States. It cost $1.5 billion to construct and by the time it was constructed completely in 2010, the world had been affected by an economic recession, leaving a lot of overcapacity at the Burj Khalifa.

This is an important piece of architecture because it reflects an approach towards minimalism and efficiency in resource use. The design is based on a tubular structure that tapers towards the top, which reduces the amount of steel used in its construction. It also reflects the trend towards globalization in architecture as companies from the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Belgium were involved in the design and construction of the skyscraper (McCuen, Exxell & Wong, 2011). The building is also important because it reflects the ambitions of the rulers to convert a desert city into a business hub at breakneck speed. Ultimately, this drive could not be sustained which also reflects the consequences of blind materialism in contemporary society.

A significant song that reflects the concerns of people in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is Give Peace a Chance. The song was written by John Lennon, one of the four members of the phenomenal band The Beatles. The song was released in 1969 and stressed the necessity of establishing peace instead of creating war in the world. The song became very popular because it reflected the desires of people at that time.

The song became the defining voice of the anti-war movement during America's war against Vietnam during the 1960s. The people sang the song in demonstrations to persuade the American government to pull out its troops from the Vietnam war. The message of the song also applies to the incessant terrorist attacks, violence and wars being waged all over the world including the two World Wars of the twentieth century and the wars against terrorism in the twenty-first century.

A very relevant film from the twenty-first century is Avatar. The movie was directed by James Cameron and was released in 2009. As of 2012, Avatar is the most successful film in history and the first to collect $2 million. The film is set in the twenty-second century and depicts a war between Earth and the Na'vi people of a distant habitable moon named Pandora. The film was also a breakthrough in special effects technology by showing an entire planet and fictitious race of human-like species.