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Back in the early nineties, there were several things a budding radical transhumanist might practise to distinguish themselves. To keep abreast of the latest libertarian ethics, and the freethinking technologies that would be required to realize them, subscriptions to cutting border publications like the Extropy: Periodical of Tranhumanist Thought, and the Alcor Foundation's Cryonics mag would be essential. But what really separated the early doers from the wannabe futurists and dreamers was throwing some tangible support into 'Performance Atlantis' — the Floating Metropolis of Oceania — by purchasing and actually wearing their promotional T-shirt.

Oceania promised much more than just a bully place to live; it offered an entirely new manner to live, and a new way to think. Unfortunately, similar many other would-be Waterworlds proposed both prior and since, it merely wasn't to be. In hindsight, we at present know that the primary reason for the failure of the Oceania concept was its shape. Specifically, its design was not modeled after that sleek and mysterious denizen of the deep — the manta.

Fortunately, French architect Jacques Rougerie has been able to spec out a massive floating city capable of housing some 7000 "ocean scientists," and yet nonetheless hold the strict tolerances of the manta form factor. That, he says, provides the "best possible correlation betwixt space and stability needs." Practically speaking, that translates into the ability to resist turbulence and astringent atmospheric condition. Rougerie's City of Mériens would be 900 meters long and 500 wide, while extending to 120 below the surface, and rise to 60 above.

The mantamorphic shape contains within itself another surprise, a large interior lagoon which provides shelter for yet another fundamental Rougerian innovation — the SeaOrbiter. This nimble creation is more than just a properly dimensioned CAD file with a complete Nib of Materials (and we are giving the City of Mériens the benefit of the doubt on that hither). In fact the SeaOrbiter is already a piece of work in progress. Construction on the $50 million arts and crafts is apparently moving right forth, with the first operational epitome expected to exist operational next yr.

As seen above, these comparatively modest ocean-horse fashion boats will each accept 6 floors below and six floors above the water'south surface. It is being billed every bit a research platform with exceptional stability and accessibility both above and below. Success with the SeaOrbiters, it would seem, is a critical stepping stone to securing the funds and general glam that success in the larger floating city project needs.

There is not much talk notwithstanding as far every bit bodily power for the metropolis — just that information technology will be sustainable. Presumably that would entail some form of renewable marine power using wave-pumped hydraulic pressure level heads driving rotating turboelectric machinery. Some successes in this area have already been accomplished elsewhere using a serpentine system of linked buoys that flex and wiggle with the motions of the bounding main. Nosotros might compare the full general concept to a giant groundwork energy harvester, which instead of rectifying radio waves or separating charge using ambient heat, channels the whims of the waves into electric power.

1 can only promise that their energy program entails more than mere harvesting whatever they might find effectually around them, particularly during what might be expected to be an ongoing or even open up-ended structure phase.

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There is certainly no shortage of like-minded efforts on different continents. Peter Theil, for example, put over $1 million into The Seasteading Institute a while back. Among their many proposals is one that could potentially business firm 300 people by 2020 using various assemblages of a bones physical platform pattern.

The Urban center of Mériens, on the other hand, might be looking at a timeline a little closer to 2050. While the actual location may not exist known, the proposed system of governance would be based on United Nations standards. Undoubtedly the world will be a much different place past then, only it seems like the floating city is an idea whose time has come up.