Cities are like any other creatures, wishing for something to increase a certain attribute(s) within their system. Whether it is an overnight growth spurt that separates itself above the rest, an injection of absurd speed that allows it to hunt more than it needs to eat, or acquiring global fame that gains instant access to any party in the world; these desires are all independent enhancements that creates situations of extremes. However, what happens with these enhancements? What are the effects and products? What then is the result of several combinations of independent enchantments?
The effects of enhancing anything generally starts off as an over indulgence of itself, a rapid beneficial condition that cannot yet be criticized. This state of euphoria rarely stabilizes or continues in a consistent manner. Instead, the enhancement declines and vanishes through three varieties of terminations. One type is the “super-saturation,” this condition occurs when it reaches its full potential and can no longer perform beyond a certain point and simply exists statically at its peak. Another type of termination is the “self-implosion,” this occurs when the enhancement becomes so rapid and extreme that it self-terminates and begins to reverse in performance or simply vanishes into thin air. The last type is “boredom,” this occurs when the enhancement ceases to impress anyone and anything regardless of how much more/longer/bigger/sharper/denser/rounder it gets. Understanding the life of enhancements is rather interesting, but so what? What else occurs from these enhancements?
During every process of enhancement, a new condition or product emerges. In many sense, the determination of the enhancement lies within what new product emerges. Coincidentally, there are also three types of product that emerges. The first type of product is the “adaptive” product; this new offspring takes full advantage and collaborates/encourages the process. For instance, the birth of fast-food restaurant chains can be seen as an “adaptive” product that emerged from enhancing the speed and fluidity of a city. Ironically, this speed enhancement’s termination was later identified as traffic, an example of “self-implosion.”
The second type of product is the “purgatory.” This occurs when the enhancing process creates a situation where a new and chaotic/frozen condition emerges. For instance, during the race to break Hank Aaron’s home run record, several MLB players utilized performance enhancement drugs such as steroids and HGH. Due to this disadvantage and uncertainty, all of the players who later confessed or were suspected of, got an asterisk placed next to their career records. This created a new category and situation in MLB history that still to this day can find no answer or conclusion. Thus these players and more importantly these statistical records are at a standstill, temporarily and maybe even permanently placed on the list marked with an asterisk. Not legitimate but also too significant to be eradicated.
The last type of product is the “rebellious,” product. This occurs when an enhancement is so obnoxious or maybe even so successful, that the reaction or emerging product does exactly the opposite. For example, pop music and mainstream culture has exploded to a point of “boredom.” The emerging reaction to this enhancement is the indie culture of today. The recent desirability of residing in satellite sub-cultural hubs such as Williamsburg, Fort Green, and Clinton are all “rebellious” products grown from the enhancement of Manhattan’s popularity.
Regardless of typology, all three of these products have one thing in common, they all evolve without evolution. Their growth cannot be traced linearly like normal species. They emerged from a freak and advantageous mutation which allows them to survive through the existing extreme conditions. The colloquial term, “hopeful monsters” perfectly describes these products. A hopeful monster is a term that rebuts Darwin’s theory of gradualism and evolution. Instead, these hopeful monsters are instantaneous specification or systemized mutations.
The effects of enhancing anything generally starts off as an over indulgence of itself, a rapid beneficial condition that cannot yet be criticized. This state of euphoria rarely stabilizes or continues in a consistent manner. Instead, the enhancement declines and vanishes through three varieties of terminations. One type is the “super-saturation,” this condition occurs when it reaches its full potential and can no longer perform beyond a certain point and simply exists statically at its peak. Another type of termination is the “self-implosion,” this occurs when the enhancement becomes so rapid and extreme that it self-terminates and begins to reverse in performance or simply vanishes into thin air. The last type is “boredom,” this occurs when the enhancement ceases to impress anyone and anything regardless of how much more/longer/bigger/sharper/denser/rounder it gets. Understanding the life of enhancements is rather interesting, but so what? What else occurs from these enhancements?
During every process of enhancement, a new condition or product emerges. In many sense, the determination of the enhancement lies within what new product emerges. Coincidentally, there are also three types of product that emerges. The first type of product is the “adaptive” product; this new offspring takes full advantage and collaborates/encourages the process. For instance, the birth of fast-food restaurant chains can be seen as an “adaptive” product that emerged from enhancing the speed and fluidity of a city. Ironically, this speed enhancement’s termination was later identified as traffic, an example of “self-implosion.”
The second type of product is the “purgatory.” This occurs when the enhancing process creates a situation where a new and chaotic/frozen condition emerges. For instance, during the race to break Hank Aaron’s home run record, several MLB players utilized performance enhancement drugs such as steroids and HGH. Due to this disadvantage and uncertainty, all of the players who later confessed or were suspected of, got an asterisk placed next to their career records. This created a new category and situation in MLB history that still to this day can find no answer or conclusion. Thus these players and more importantly these statistical records are at a standstill, temporarily and maybe even permanently placed on the list marked with an asterisk. Not legitimate but also too significant to be eradicated.
The last type of product is the “rebellious,” product. This occurs when an enhancement is so obnoxious or maybe even so successful, that the reaction or emerging product does exactly the opposite. For example, pop music and mainstream culture has exploded to a point of “boredom.” The emerging reaction to this enhancement is the indie culture of today. The recent desirability of residing in satellite sub-cultural hubs such as Williamsburg, Fort Green, and Clinton are all “rebellious” products grown from the enhancement of Manhattan’s popularity.
Regardless of typology, all three of these products have one thing in common, they all evolve without evolution. Their growth cannot be traced linearly like normal species. They emerged from a freak and advantageous mutation which allows them to survive through the existing extreme conditions. The colloquial term, “hopeful monsters” perfectly describes these products. A hopeful monster is a term that rebuts Darwin’s theory of gradualism and evolution. Instead, these hopeful monsters are instantaneous specification or systemized mutations.
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