Pro & Con of Technology with Mary Pearson + Contest!

To read my review for The Fox Inheritance, scroll down!

Yan asked me if I would talk about technology and some of its pros and cons, so I’m conducting a little interview with myself (maybe the other Biogel me?)

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Mary1!

Mary1:  Are you an expert on technology?

Mary2:  Not by a long shot.  Sometimes I seriously can’t even get my TV set turned on. But I do pay attention when I hear about technology in the news, especially new medical technology.

Mary1:  But there’s all kinds of new technology in The Fox Inheritance.  Where did that come from?

Mary2!

Mary2:  I went to the library and read magazines and journals on some of the newest technology and what scientists were hoping to come up with and then I kicked it up several notches.  For instance, I read about paint, fabrics, and “smart clothing” that are imbedded with computer chips and those are already being developed.  It wasn’t a stretch for Locke to have shoes that change color and shape on command.  Wouldn’t it be great to have one pair of comfy shoes that changes color to match whatever you’re wearing?  Women’s closets around the country would cheer at the extra space.

Another technology area I knew I would have to address in the story was transportation.   I don’t think cars and freeways will ever go away (alas, no flying cars) but I read about improvements in transportation that engineers are working on, and to a small extent, some cities already have in place, and voila!  Transgrids are born in The Fox Inheritance that can get someone across the country in just a few hours and the car does all the driving.

Mary1:  But that’s not as glamorous as being instantly teleported in a million little bubbles.

Mary2:  No, it isn’t, but it’s way more realistic.  Every piece of modern technology I have in The Fox Inheritance I think could be possible in 260 years.

Mary1:  What about that little tattooey think you gave to Locke?

Mary2:  The iScroll?  Yes! Absolutely.  One of my biggest peeves is I’m always misplacing my cell phone.  Sometimes I can’t even find it in my own purse! They are making microchips as small as dust now—what if they could imbed them in something as thin as a liquid tattoo that could fit right in the palm of your hand?  You’d never miss a call again.  And 3D holographic projection already exists, so it’s just a matter of time before it’s included on phone apps—probably sooner than we think.

The iScroll!

Mary1:  Of course the con of that tattoo technology is that you have something attached to you that could be tracked.

Mary2:  I knew you would get to the cons.  Yeah.  I won’t say when or how, but Locke’s little tattoo does get him into some trouble.  I think most technology can be abused.  But it’s not really the technology that’s the problem—it’s the people who misuse it.

Mary1:  Is there any kind of technology that you wish had never been invented?

Mary2:  YES!@#!!%!  Automated calling systems!  If a real person doesn’t have the time to call me, then the real me doesn’t have time to listen.  Whoever invented that piece of technology should be whipped with a thousand curly telephone cords.

Mary1:  Do those still exist?

Mary2: At the Smithsonian.  I’m sure they would let us use them for a good cause.

Mary1 and Mary2:  Thank you Yan, for having both of us as a guest on your blog!

Tomorrow The Fox Inheritance blog tour will take Mary to the Story Siren blog  for ~*Publication Day*~ and Mary will answer some tough questions about bioethics.

For previous blog stops and the full tour schedule, go to Mac Teen Books

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Thank you Mary(s) for a great interview/guest post! I would love to get a pair of shoe that changes color and shape! Imagine all the money I'll save the pain I'll never have to experience trying to break in a new pair.