POSSIBLE FUTURES

Page description: The title “POSSIBLE FUTURES” is inside a grid with many sizes and shapes of rectangles, some of which have bits of images selected from the works within the zine. The bottom half contains the author names and some description text.

A COMMUNITY-CREATED ​
ZINE FROM DAIR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NUREDIN​ 2
NATHAN​ 4
ALEX​ 5
NYALLENG​ 6
MIKE​ 7
ADRIENNE​ 8
ADIO​ 11
MILA​ 12
KATHLEEN​ 13
SOPHIE​ 14
SANDRA​ 15
KRYSTAL​ 16
CHRISTIE​ 17
DYLAN​ 18

POSSIBLE FUTURES ZINE ISSUE 01

Nuredin: Untitled

The image consists of two separate photos placed diagonally from each other. The top left image shows a satellite view of a large swirling hurricane over the Earth, with parts of a satellite visible in the corners. Overlaid on the bottom of this image is a caption that reads: “Instead of farmers in developing countries being at the receiving end of climate change challenges,”. The bottom right image shows a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat crouched in a green vegetable field, tending to crops. There is a pink watering can to her right. Overlaid on the bottom of this image is a caption that reads: “How about a future where farmers in these countries are supported by technology towards more effective farming so the countries can sustain economically instead of depending on western aid.”

Image by EcoSikh, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Image by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nathan: Untitled

The image features two photos of mushrooms growing on the forest floor, surrounded by moss and natural debris. On top of each photo are text boxes with a green background containing writing. The top text box reads: “For some reason (lately) I have been feeling nervous, scared, daunted, hard to proceed – hard to make sense out of things, hard to have a plan, disempowered. A very typical thing around me is to say things like ‘no way out but through,’ that if we keep talking and building relationships and signing petitions and canvassing and writing and reading we will carve our way out of this moment –”. The lower text box reads: “but im maybe more reassured by the image of mushrooms, a weird growth emerging in weird places – a cliche symbol that no matter what, and even in decay and death, there will be something living at the end of that; that there will be something new no matter how much we are afraid of the process to create it or how worried we are that this is the end”.

The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC) (Reidun Braathen, Even W. Hanssen), CC BY 4.0
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Alex: Untitled

On the top:
This is a piece of blackout poetry created from a news article. The heading is blacked out except for “research referencing sexual orientation and gender identity”. The author line says “By Corinne Purtill Karen and Kaplan, Jan 31 2025, 5:58 PT.”

In the body of the article, text is blacked out such that the remaining text displays:

Agencies were ordered to
promoting a view of gender

Researchers began
days ago
urging members of the community to make
the CDC website.

Websites on HPV vaccinations, data on high schoolers’ health habits, information on programs to end violence against women and girls; All began
This week, as agencies scrambled to
“gender ideology”

On the bottom:
HPV vaccinations high schoolers’ health programs violence women girls agencies gender ideology

The image contains several colored rounded rectangles of text with the following content:

"Been thinking a lot lately about the trap of visibility and mass state abandonment.
Someone online said that we’re living now in a patchwork society, where people are trying to make due in places where the state has completely left.”

“The state has always been unable to provide fully for people in the margins–Black people, undocumented people, trans people–and those at those intersections. Thinking now, how much of mass state abandonment has become a de facto policy, etched in executive order. Would we still have to be visible to receive any state benefits? Or rather, is there a future where invisibility is fine and encouraged?

“Thinking about how the people in Altariens were setting up mutual aid networks and that a group of disabled folks who were doing mask distributed were asked to donate masks to the City of Los Angeles.”

“What is the role of the state, then? What would the state be in the future? Statecraft after all is a technology?”

These rounded rectangles are superimposed on a picture of three attached surveillance cameras with spiky shapes blocking their viewing screen. “do not perceive” is in white text at the bottom of this image.

Below this is an image of Divine from Pink Flamingos, a curvaceous figure in a red mermaid dress and glamorous make-up and hair, who holds a gun in the right hand and has the left hand propped on the left hip.

Article: "CDC scrubs research databases referencing sexual orientation and gender identity," Los Angeles Times, January 31, 2025.
Image: "Surveillance video cameras, Gdynia" by MOs810, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Image of Divine from Pink Flamingos (1972), likely under copyright. Used under fair use for transformative purposes.

Nyalleng: Building for Safety

On top:
The image contains a block of text that begins with a light-colored sketch of large frowning man with his arms spread wide and various sketches of stick figures running away from his shadow. On the right of this is the quote: "They are content to be brushed like flies from the path of a great man."

On the bottom are two paragraphs that are blacked out except for:

“I’m
safe, I’m chatting with you

stay
.

Image from Public Domain Image Archive. No known copyright restrictions.
Article: Matt Burgess, "Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Keeping Modern Slavery Compounds Online," Wired. Available at:
https://www.wired.com/story/starlink-scam-compounds/.

Mike: universal access

This is a piece of blackout poetry. Stacked on top of it is a portrait-format picture of white staircases across two floors and a landscape-format image of a colorful (pink, green, white, and purple) glassy, gridded, gradient image. Most text is blacked out such that the remaining text displays:

A
archive
for
students, researchers, and readers
millions of books

Free
Universal
for
anyone

Kate Knibbs, "The Internet Archive Loses Its Appeal of a Major Copyright Case," Wired, September 4, 2024, 1:55 PM. Available at:
https://www.wired.com/story/internet-archive-loses-hachette-books-case-appeal/.
hackername, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
fotnmc, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Adrienne: Are You Nuttier Than a Tech Bro MadLib

Are You Nuttier Than a Tech Bro
Mad Libs

“One day when I was ___________, my parents warned me against __________ with __________. So I took a
box of __________ behind a __________ and started __________ them.”

“When I ask for ____________, you fucking give it to me.”

“Step ____________ should be to ____________ the requirements. Make them less ____________ and
____________, because all requirements are somewhat ____________ and ____________. And then
____________, ____________, ____________.”

“Is it better to __________ in a world where everyone is __________ all the time, even if that ____________ is
artificial? Do you wish for ____________ and ____________ all the time? Are you sure?”

“I wonder why ____________ evolved. I’m not saying we should amplify ____________, of course. I think we
should try to ____________ it. But none at all? Hmm. There might be a reason for ____________.”

“____________ will ____________ you.”

“… even if there’s the zombie apocalypse, you’ll still be able to ____________ throughout the country using the
____________ ____________ charging system.”

“It’s true that if they see the ____________ out on the ____________, the ____________ are going to be
motivated. Wherever ____________ was, that’s where his ____________ would do best. Even if I don’t do
anything but ____________…”

“No. No. NO. No ____________, no ____________, no ____________.” “I’m the law!”

“Comradery is dangerous. It makes it ____________ for people to ____________ each other’s ____________.
There is a tendency to not want to ____________ a __________ under the ____________. That needs to be
avoided.”

“I would like to ____________ on Mars. Just not on impact. Ideally, I’d like to go for a ____________, come
back for a while, and then ____________ there when I’m like ____________ or something and then just
____________ there.”

“Do you think I’m ____________?”

Tech Bro
Actual Quotes

“One day when I was young, my parents warned me against playing with fire. So I took a box of
matches behind a tree and started lighting them.”
“When I ask for something. You fucking give it to me”
“Step one should be to question the requirements. Make them less wrong and dumb, because
all requirements are somewhat wrong and dumb. And then delete, delete, delete.”
“Is it better to live in a world where everyone is happy all the time, even if that happiness is
artificial? Do you wish for world peace and happiness all the time? Are you sure?”
“I wonder why hate evolved. I’m not saying we should amplify hate, of course. I think we should
try to minimize it. But none at all? Hmm. There might be a reason for hate.”
“Vacations will kill you.”
“… even if there’s the zombie apocalypse, you’ll still be able to travel throughout the country
using the Tesla supercharging system.”
“It’s true that if they see the general out on the battlefield, the troops are going to be motivated.
Wherever Napoleon was, that’s where his armies would do best. Even if I don’t do anything but
show up …”
“No. No. NO. No mirrors, no pedals, no steering wheel.” “I’m the law.”
“Comradery is dangerous. It makes it hard for people to challenge each other’s work. There is
a tendency to not want to throw a colleague under the bus. That needs to be avoided.”
“I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact. Ideally, I’d like to go for a visit, come back for a
while, and then go there when I’m like 70 or something and then just stay there.”
“Do you think I’m insane?”

Source: Politico Staff, "The 199 Most Elon Musk Things Elon Musk Has Ever Said." Politico Magazine, January 24, 2025. Available at:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/01/24/199-elon-musk-quotes-00199008.

9

Adio: A manifesto for informed democracy

Incompetence and deception no longer shape the course of nations. Politicians do
not rise through manipulation but through merit, because the electorate is no longer
uninformed, no longer swayed by empty rhetoric and false promises. The chaos of
kakistocracies, broligarchies, and kleptocracies; where ignorance fuels corruption,
has been left in the past. Here, democracy is not a reckless gamble but a system
where knowledge is power, and every vote is cast with informed intent.
This world is built on universal civic education, where every citizen learns not just
their rights but their responsibilities. A mandatory voting exam ensures that
elections reflect wisdom, not manipulation. The process is fair, inclusive, and
adapted to diverse needs; whether one is literate or not, the knowledge is made
accessible. No one is excluded from learning, but only those who engage in the
process shape the future. In this world, political charlatans have no foothold, and
leadership is earned, not won through deceit.
Now, politicians serve rather than rule. Accountability is the norm, corruption an
anomaly, and the electorate understands that democracy is a tool, not a weapon
turned against itself. The cycle of ignorance and exploitation is broken, replaced by
a society where governance is not a spectacle but a contract of trust, upheld by an
informed and empowered people.

Mila: A haiku for Luigi M.

This is an image of a light blue wall of a house on a corner. On it is the text:

Abolish the rich
They control our lives and tech
Luigi M was right

Image: Almost blank wall, Paignton, by Geograph contributor, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Available via Wikimedia Commons.

Kathleen: Connected for Disconnection

This is an image of a blue sky on top, a red couch in the middle, and a black and white checkered floor at the bottom.

White sans-serif text with a white stroke is on the top, middle, and bottom:

Would you be here? Had
tech not been personalized…
Not just next to me.

"Alone Together" by mendezmendez (2024). Mixed digital media, part of The Present collection. Image used under fair use for commentary/analysis.

Sophie: An Erasure Poem

This is a piece of blackout poetry. Most text is blacked out such that the remaining text displays:

help arrived last summer.
thousands every day.
safe,
rescued

Article: Matt Burgess, "Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Keeping Modern Slavery Compounds Online," Wired. Available at:
https://www.wired.com/story/starlink-scam-compounds/.

Sandra: 3/28/2500 Diary Entry

Dear Diary,
Today is March 28th, 2500 and it is my birthday. Today is a special day,
but not only for me, for everyone! Everyone around me is happy, celebrating
something special to them. There are no worries, no concerns. Only
celebration and success. I see smiles and hear laughter, no more tears, no
more frowns. I see families out and about, children playing and laughing. I
see no more “paying bills or providing a fun day” decision, I see no more
"buying food or paying for gas” decision. There’s no dreading financial
decisions floating around.
Today is a special day, even if it is my birthday, it is special for
everyone. Everyone around me cheers and hugs, regardless of whom they are.
No matter their appearance, no matter their background, no matter their
status. Everyone is mixing and everyone is talking. All I see is a
beautiful palette of colors. All I hear is a soundtrack of the world. A
true representation of everyone.
Today, March 28th, marks a special day for me, but I do not celebrate it
alone. I celebrate it with everyone. I walk one way and meet with some
friends. I walk the other way and meet with some of my family members. I
walk and walk and walk until I meet with others. Everyone different, I
acknowledge it, but everyone is also the same. This world is different,
this borderless world.
Today is my birthday, and I do not recall for a better wish than a modern
society of all good things. I remember the days though, when race, class,
and power dominated our lives. That is my only wish for today, to never go
back. I know soon, I won’t remember what those are.

Krystal: What a Wonderful World

This is an image of a spray painted yellow wall with a red peace sign and a blue-green hand with two fingers thrown up in a peace sign. On top of it, in a white square is black text saying:

Equality, Peace
Society is as one
No more politics

Image from Marko Kafé, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Christie: Repair

This piece has two columns, both with blackout poetry. In the background of the blackout poetry are images of weaving and hands tying bracelets.

This is a piece of blackout poetry. Most text is blacked out such that the remaining text displays:

The
laws
give people
their own choosing
New York
to
Wisconsin
not
victory for
owners – well
planet

a cultural revolution
community
change for
nowhere
waste
.

repair
growing
discard
the
crisis
weather
the lifespan

a love affair with
their
fullest and longest possible life

Source: Right-to-Repair Milestone Is a Win for Tech
Owners Everywhere -- and the Planet, CNET

Missvain, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Satbir Singh, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Article: "Right-to-Repair Milestone Is a Win for Tech Owners Everywhere -- and the Planet," CNET, by Katie Collins, published on Feb. 27, 2025.

Dylan: no new plastic

The image features four images placed closely together: a plant growing out of a rice cooker, a large sun-dappled tree, a hedge with a grey sky, and a row of plants receiving sunlight from a window. There is a black line squiggle and green filled squiggle on the images. The text is arranged in four lines around and on top of the images, with white text and a dark green background.

The text reads: "in my dream technofuture

it's understood that to heal nature is to heal ourselves

it's understood that to heal ourselves is to heal nature

and there is no new plastic"

Jason Knauer, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Eugene Kim from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Rob Oo from NL, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
jmettraux, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Back Cover

In the same gridded style with small images as the cover.
In large capitalized text is OUR FUTURE. Around this are many small words:

ABUNDANT
BRAVE
HEALTHY
GROWTH-AGNOSTIC
JUST
CARING
FREE
HUMANE
CREATIVE
RESTFUL
BORDERLESS
ETHICAL
KIND
NAPS
PEACE
HAPPY
DIGNITY
SUSTAINABLE
GENTLE
CLEAN AIR
HEALED
FUTURE
ACCESSIBLE
DECOLONIAL
RESTFUL
EQUAL
AUTHENTIC
EGALITARIAN

A ZINE FROM THE DISTRIBUTED AI RESEARCH INSTITUTE (DAIR-INSTITUTE.ORG)