[MOC] The contribution of humanity to the intergalactic civilization, based on the works of Stanisław Lem.

[goldsun]

In Poland, we are celebrating the "Year of Lem" on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of this author's birth.
Therefore, many different initiatives appeared - how to commemorate his work.

The contribution of humanity to the intergalactic civilization, based on the works of Stanisław Lem.

In the eighth voyage, described in the "The Star Diaries", Ion Tichy stands before the assembly of the United Planets Organization and, among other things, has to explain what humanity can contribute by joining the Astral Federation.
In the story itself, we have an attempt to answer the question, as is the case with Lem - quite perverse.
For example:
- nuclear energy? - that's how we built a bomb destroying Hiroshima at the beginning
- what's the national income for? - for armaments and the army
- belief? - yes, humans believe that man is the highest form of life in the world.
As you can imagine, these were not the happiest arguments.

1. Stanisław Lem - The Star Diaries by Grzegorz Ludwiczek, on Flickr

However, it is not only in this story that we can find "answers".
Could humanity contribute something to an intergalactic culture? In theory, it could, but can a civilization really convince another civilization with its culture? Culture is inseparably linked with civilization itself, with the context of its creation, and her history. Culture originated in some regions of the Earth, is poorly understood in other regions. So would it be understandable to other races that have a completely different history, culture, and established canons?
Maybe, for example, the symmetries and mimoids created by the Solaris ocean, were cultural products, but no one from the humans understood it?

2. Stanisław Lem - Solaris by Grzegorz Ludwiczek, on Flickr

Or maybe humanity could contribute something to intergalactic production?
Again, one might ask if anything produced on Earth could be of use to other races?
In the novel "Eden", cosmonauts come across what looks like a factory, but none of them understand its operation and effects. It is even said that it is a factory that produces something pointless. Wouldn't other races that come to Earth acknowledge the same, seeing the operation of human factories?

3. Stanisław Lem - Eden by Grzegorz Ludwiczek, on Flickr

Well, maybe mankind could show off the acquired knowledge?
The theme of the library appears in many works by Stanisław Lem, but rather in the context of the vast amount of knowledge that people are increasingly unable to grasp.
In addition, it is not known how much of this knowledge is so seriously useful for anything, or even does not obscure this meaningful knowledge.
Is it possible in one person's allotted time to obtain necessary knowledge for a certain task in the thicket of collected information?

4. Stanisław Lem - Library by Grzegorz Ludwiczek, on Flickr

Is humanity developing in any meaningful direction?
Evolution shows the pursuit of minimalization, dispersion and simplicity, rather than creating highly complex structures, but at the same time sensitive to even minor damage.
Just as mini robots won the fight against super robots in "Invincible", so works of culture that are simple, easy, mass-produced and with a "short life span" (for example internet memes), obscure great and monumental works that could actually be considered a contribution to intergalactic culture, or history.
After all, the Internet is an ideal implementation of such a distributed evolution as well as overloading with meaningless knowledge and information.

5. Stanisław Lem - Invincible by Grzegorz Ludwiczek, on Flickr

Such examples could be found and can be noticed not only in the works of Stanisław Lem, but also around us.
So - what could Ion Tichy use as an argument for accepting Humanity into the Intergalactic community? What contribution could we make?

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More photos on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98579374@N03/albums/72157720090443529

Thanks Jetboy for corrections in English translation and catching some of my mental shortcuts by the way. ;-)

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by goldsun
fixed formatting

[icm]

Excellent builds, thanks for posting.  I think Emmett's Rescue Rocket from TLM2 would make a great spaceship for Ijon Tichy, space traveler extraordinaire.  It's got a nice place for him to cook a steak and take a nap while his other selves from past, present, and future are mucking about and making a mess.

[blackdeathgr]

WOW! Such mind blowing ideas coupled with well built mocs are always welcome!!!

[The01]

This is a fantastic implementation of the stories of a really great Sci-Fi writer! I like his books very much.

[Feuer Zug]

Excellent concepts and ideas to consider. The culture segment reminds me of an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise where one race is disgusted by consuming food in public. How can humanity judge other species, and on what basis will they judge us?

Your scenes are top notch. I love the M.C. Escher styled staircase of knowledge.