What's Expected of Us
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| "What's Expected of Us" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Ted Chiang | |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Nature |
| Publication type | Magazine |
| Publication date | 6 July 2005[1] |
"What's Expected of Us" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ted Chiang, initially published on 6 July 2005 by Nature.[2] The story was also included in the 2006 anthology Year's Best SF 11 and in the 2019 collection Exhalation: Stories.[3][4][5]
A small device, the Predictor, looks like a remote control. It consists of a button and a big green LED. When you press the button, the light flashes. However, it flashes a second before you click on the button — by receiving a signal a second from the future. Millions of these devices have been sold. The Predictors create a dystopic world by providing evidence that free will is actually a myth — the future is predetermined and fixed. As a result, people become lethargic and just stop eating entirely.
