Art students on the future of money

Matt "Warchalking" Jones's students from the RCA Design Interactions course on The Future of Money have posted their projects to a class site. There's some really fascinating little noodles on the future of valuta here -- like Daisy Ginsberg's Early Exit, shown below:

Would you trade Alzheimer's for breast augmentation or a luxury cruise?

With an ageing population and an overextended NHS, you may find yourself alone, geriatric and diseased in your home, discovering new forms of "Care in the Community", ordering your food by rescanning barcodes on empty tins of spam and using a webcam to be diagnosed by your GP.

So why not choose a cash windfall and a shorter life? Post Credit Crunch, Genetic Credit has given us unprecedented purchasing power. Gamble on your risky future, and opt for Early Exit: you can eliminate the risk of inherited disease and receive a refund for all the expenses you would have run up.

Your life might be enhanced - but at what cost?

Link (Thanks, Matt!)

[#1 posted by bcsizemo , June 17, 2008 6:08 AM]

Are you kidding me?! I would so do it. Having watched several grandparents go through the "fun-ness" of being old, I can say, "Do not want.". Not saying there isn't something dignified about growing old, but you cross a threshold at some point. A point, where it doesn't really matter if you didn't live life and do what you want, because you can't do it now.

If someone came to me and said, "Based on your family history and current physical condition we expect you to live to X, this will incur a rough cost of Y. We are willing to give you a percent of Y, if you say we can send you on your way at a certain time." Depending on what "time" that might be, I might be interested.

I guess some would say that's selfish and greedy, I think it's realistic and making the best out of a crap situation. You're lying to yourself if you say you actually WANT to end up in an old folks home.

[#2 posted by Gilbert Wham , June 17, 2008 7:51 AM]

Could you not do that right now, simply by taking out as much credit as possible, spending it and then offing yourself?

[#3 posted by freeyourcrt , June 17, 2008 8:17 AM]

The very first scam is fiat money. It's been said that government is the only entity that can take a commodity like paper and lower it's value by printing on it.

[#4 posted by Bob Doles Communist Doppelganger , June 17, 2008 8:30 AM]

Isn't asking art students about money a little like asking eunuchs about sex?

[#5 posted by Neon Tooth , June 17, 2008 9:10 AM]

"Art students on the future of money"

Hopefully our parents won't stop giving it to us. The End.

[#6 posted by rebdav , June 17, 2008 9:44 AM]

And what if... you change your mind when death day comes?

And what if... once everyone is used to this concept it becomes compulsory?

And what if... We do this to those we think are possibly not happy like the disabled or brain damaged? of course if they are an orphan who would you pay?

And what if... Jews and Gypsies are a considered a menace to society and also eliminated.

Slippery slope once the Department of Homeland Civil Execution is instituted.

[#7 posted by sbarnes2 , June 17, 2008 11:35 AM]

This reminds me of the premise for the novel "Boomsday." It was basically the exact same concept, except the money came as a reward for promising to kill yourself at age 70 to lessen the burden of social security.

[#8 posted by freeyourcrt , June 17, 2008 11:42 AM]

I was surprised the notion that money makes slaves of us wasn't really explored. Maybe that theme it to worn out.