Reaction Paper : Futurama

Space Pilot 3000, the pilot episode of Futurama, shows how sophisticated everything can be in the future because of science and technology. When Fry arrived in the year 3000, a lot of things changed from the infrastructures to the lifestyles of the people and even the presence of aliens like Leela. The place where he used to be also became an “undergound” city below the sea which can still be accessed through the unique transportation. Another notable thing is the presence of a suicide booth where he met Bender. This means that in that year 3000, convenience is emphasized in the way people deal with things. Like how Leela was supposed to install a chip to Fry which gives him a certain “predetermined” job or role for the rest of his life, it is seen to be convenient for the society to have it that way even at times leaving the people without having a choice. Here we see that there is disconnect between society and the lives of the people since they have the luxury of experiencing an enormous kind of convenience in 3000 while also being limited to how they should lead their lives. In a way, it shows that in the future, science, aside from being a way to explore things beyond, can actually limit the lives of the people.

Moreover, time travelling was presented in a more realistic way. It was done through the preservation of human beings using a timed tube containing cryogenics unlike time travelling through certain machines which immediately brings the person to a certain year. This, for me, gives more insight to the possibilities of how science develops and can make “time travelling” possible.   

Sy, Danica (2013-50915)