How we can navigate false value

False value exists as part of our culture and economy. We can ask questions and make choices that limit it.

I took this photo years ago on a walk around Boston. I liked the way the sun seemed to burn the rust and grime away. It felt appropriate for this piece.

This is the third post in a series on false value. You can read the first post here and the second post here.

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A friend posited over Diet Coke that most people fell into one of a handful of camps: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, or Superheroes.^¹

I myself dabble in most of these camps. In the case of Star Trek, I’m a Next Generation and Voyager fan, with the former proffering episodes that often serve as thought experiments to explore different cultural or scientific ideas. 

One of the less-hyped inventions in the Star Trek universe is synthehol. According to Commander Data, it's an “alcohol substitute which is now normally served aboard starships. It simulates the appearance, smell, and taste of alcohol, but the intoxicating effects can be easily dismissed.”

The starship crews determined that the negative effects of alcohol outweig…