NB: When writing a history, the hours spent in research tend to outweigh those spent shaping the narrative itself. Along the way, you collect all kinds of material — primary sources, theoretical reflections, marginalia — that never make it into the final cut. These “Chapter Notes” are for readers who want to know more about the people and events behind the story, and who don’t mind wandering down a few adjacent corridors.
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Notes for this chapter include two media pieces regarding the events and themes of the chapter, as well as internal communications from both the New Covenant Order and Gaiamesh.
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Here’s the full text of the news article which coined the term “Gunlock Massacre” — I alluded to this story at the end of the chapter.
From “Seven Dead in Southern Utah Water Dispute; Network Activity Under Scrutiny” — Rachel Jensen and Caleb Parke, Deseret News, October 15, 2034:
“ST. GEORGE — Officials are investigating a deadly confrontation near the Gunlock Reservoir that left seven people dead and three others injured early Saturday morning, in what some are already calling the ‘Gunlock Massacre.’
“The incident appears to stem from a disputed water diversion effort involving members of the New Covenant Order, a separatist religious group unaffiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“According to early reports, tensions escalated when Gaiamesh, an ecologically focused cognitive network overseeing regional watershed protocols, initiated a controlled burn near contested land. Members of the New Covenant Order, citing religious and territorial claims, reportedly responded with force…
“No formal statements have been released by either system. Local officials have not confirmed who fired first.
“The Church has not issued comment, but a regional authority reiterated Sunday that ‘revelation must be tempered by accountability, and inspiration is not a substitute for priesthood order.’
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Here’s a transcript from an episode of the podcast Making Sense with Sam Harris, in which Harris interviews Andy Clark, whose book “The Experience Machine” was quoted in the chapter.
Transcript excerpt from “Are Networks Becoming Minds?” — Making Sense with Sam Harris, guest Andy Clark; Episode 660; Aired May 12, 2031:
SAM HARRIS: Let’s talk about one of these cognitive networks? Suppose you’ve got a million people connected in real time through one of the Google Groups. They’re collaborating, maybe voting, maybe even working toward shared goals. Sure, they’re fast, maybe even coordinated. But that doesn’t make them sentient, does it? There’s no inner life there. No someone home. So what are we actually claiming?