Cyberpunk Now

Having recently returned from Guangzhou, I realized how much we take clean drinking water for granted. The simple act of being able to wash my toothbrush in the sink and not worrying about germs is amazing. Likewise, not having to go out and buy bottled water every day or boil water just to have something to drink is a luxury. I was reminded that today, March 22nd, is World Water Day and that there are organizations in need of donations to help provide clean water. The theme this year is “Water for Cities”, a particularly apt theme from my point of view since Guangzhou is China’s third-largest city, but you’re advised not to drink water from the tap.

While cyberpunk is often about the impacts of technology on daily life, the impact on deeper structures like morality and social structures is also present. Unfortunately, with visual media, it’s easy to lose sight of that. That’s why I thought it was interesting that a brief article in the Italian version of Vogue about the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution focused on that in examining the gameplay options.