If the state of the world these last few years has left you feeling that the apocalypse looms, you might not be alone.
The U.S. Sun reported that Japanese developers N-Ark have plans for a giant floating city that could house 40,000 people during a catastrophic global event.
Judging by the name they have adopted, these aspirational developers have found incentive in the Old Testament story of the Great Flood (Genesis 6:9-8:19). One wonders, however, whether perhaps they should be looking to the New Testament, in particular to the Tribulation detailed in the Book of Revelation.
N-ARK envisions 'dogen city' as a floating and smart healthcare city that follows an economic model dubbed 'NEW OCEAN'. https://t.co/j5lL3wPpDv pic.twitter.com/ZFuymaWLFO
— designboom (@designboom) June 9, 2023
Those who anticipate Jesus Christ’s second coming are not alone. Belief in Christ’s inevitable return has deep roots in Christian history.
Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) example happened in the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century, when Baptist minister William Miller attracted thousands of followers by predicting that Christ would return sometime within the period between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844.
In his essay, “The World’s Last Night,” C.S. Lewis described the scene as only he could: “Thousands waited for the Lord at midnight on March 21st, and went home to a late breakfast on the 22nd followed by the jeers of a drunkard.”
There is no reason to suspect that the Japanese developers are a bunch of modern-day William Millers.
On the other hand, we may yet have cause to laugh at them, albeit for reasons unlike those of the playful drunkard.
According to the Sun report, the new floating city “would be resilient to an apocalypse.”
Furthermore, it would feature a “range of buildings, including a sports stadium,” along with “an undersea data [center] and medical research facilities.” In the new city, named “Dogen City,” everything would float. Buildings could be relocated easily by sailing them from one area to another.
“N-Ark’s development roadmap currently earmarks the year 2030 for completion, and designers see the city as a sea-based version of Elon Musk’s SpaceX,” the Sun reported.
The developers’ breathtaking vision, awash in the human venture for innovation, deserves no pretense.
As for the apocalypse-defying claims, let the sneering start.
Readers might remember that in 2014 the European Space Agency landed a probe on a comet. To someone who fails half the times he tries throwing shriveled up papers into a waste basket, a successful rendezvous with a heavenly object moving at a high rate of speed seemed an particularly impressive accomplishment.
I remember thinking that way at the time. Alas, I do not remember thinking much about the comet.
This thought should give pause to those who believe their creations will be “resilient to an apocalypse.”
On the subject of the End Times, as on most related subjects, it might be best to give C.S. Lewis the final word.
“The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that we do not and cannot know when the world drama will end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment: say, before you have finished reading this paragraph,” Lewis wrote.
The Japanese startup "N-ARK" came up with a concept called "Dogen City", which is a self-sustaining city floating in the ocean, which offers a unique solution to the challenges of overpopulated cities and climate change. pic.twitter.com/mYV6450SiG
— Sprinter (@Sprinter99880) June 14, 2023
Dogen City – The floating cityhttps://t.co/cbPGFC7S41 pic.twitter.com/KR7seZYWxH
— Joseph Mallozzi 🏴☠️ (@BaronDestructo) June 16, 2023
Dogen City is planned to be built by 2030, but you don't have to wait that long – build your floating settlement today in Havendock 🌊 #Havendock #DogenCity #indiegames #cozygame #colonysim https://t.co/E7z5EM926K pic.twitter.com/aYaIRclhjH
— Havendock 🏝️ (@HavendockYYZ) June 13, 2023
