Spaceship Earth
Blaire Ostler is a philosopher, author, and artist whose work explores the intersection of Mormon theology, transhumanism, and human identity. A ninth-generation Latter-day Saint, she has been a notable voice in conversations about the synthesis of religious tradition with technological progress and expanding theological inquiry. ¶ Ostler holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology–Seattle. Her background as an abstract modern artist deeply informs her philosophical work. Her paintings, characterized by their exploration of aesthetics and form, can be found in residences and businesses throughout Seattle. This artistic sensibility extends to her writing, where she examines the boundaries of traditional categories to explore a more expansive understanding of divinity and humanity. ¶ Ostler is the author of Queer Mormon Theology: An Introduction (2021), in which she engages with Mormon doctrinal concepts such as the nature of the divine, the significance of Heavenly Mother, and the potential for technological resurrection. Her involvement with the Mormon Transhumanist Association has been significant; she served on the Board of Directors for six years and as CEO from 2016 to 2018. Her transhumanist vision emphasizes active discipleship, where humanity participates in the work of God through morphological freedom and cognitive liberty. ¶ Blaire continues to write, paint, and speak on themes of identity, truth, and beauty, exploring the relationship between the human and the divine.
Our family makes frequent trips to Epcot. It’s one of the perks of living 15 minutes away from Walt Disney World. Among the many fantastic attractions in Epcot’s Future World is Spaceship Earth. It’s one of our favorites, not just because of the awe inspiring architecture of the gigantic geometric sphere, but, for me, there is an important message that is so beautifully delivered through the narrator, Judy Dench.
From far enough away, stewardship stops sounding abstract.
“Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time; and for a brief moment we have been among its passengers. But where are we going? And what kind of future will we discover there? Surprisingly, the answers lie in our past. Since the dawn of recorded history, we’ve been inventing the future one step at a time. So let’s travel back in time together. I’ll show you how our ancestors create the world we know today, and then it will be your turn to create the world of tomorrow.”
The future is certainly in our hands, just as it was in the hands of our ancestors. Our choices are not insignificant to the future even if the effects aren’t easily seen.
Did the sentient beings who first recorded their knowledge on cave walls know that they began paving the way for communication among future tribes and civilizations? Did the Egyptians know when they invented papyrus that they were creating a technology that would shape the course of humanity? Did they know that paper would lead us to a renaissance of innovation? That innovation would take us to an industrial revolution where we would learn to press, print, share, and distribute our knowledge with each other like never before? Did they know books would bring us to a digital space of limitless possibilities? Did those primitive beings know scribbling drawings on rocks would lead their posterity to a technological era of instant global communications?
My hunch says they didn’t. Even so, that doesn’t make their seemingly insignificant contribution of cave drawings any less essential to the future of our species. We are the children of cave people, but also the children of Creators — built from the intelligence, technology, and compassion of our ancestors. We are the product of the evolution of our species, and yet we are also the children of the Gods that came before us.
The future isn’t just tomorrow. The future is in our past. The future is in our present. And more importantly, the future is in our hands. The hands of Creators. The hands of Gods.