When healthcare costs are going up.
Thats a consequence of a world in which older people outnumbered younger one. The older one is, the more advanced medical aid this one need. In the current state of affaires, there is simply nothing we can do about it. It's just the old market mechanism: More demand means higher prices.
I'm unsure if this piece belongs in a group called "science". Its more about philosophy or arts, at least if you ask me.
The idea of a Matrixlike state is as old as the first human thoughts.
That is not the same situation as Cypher in Matrix. Cypher wants himself to be fully ignorant about the fact that something like the Matrix even exist. He wants a "normal" life within the Matrix.
In other words: He wants the exchange of a unpleasant reality for a lie. And this is the reason he is the true antagonist of the movie. The machines (eg. Agent Smith) are the evil ones, sure. Yet he is the one who makes a choice like Neo. Neo wants to beginn this heros journey with his new found mentor, while Cypher wants to go back in the old situation and even forces Neo and the others back.
Even within the structur of the story, the movie makes a strong statement againt Cypher's approach.
I don't understand this one.
That implies that in this reality lies deeper meaning and significance.
If we assume this is true, then the inference is unavoideble. What about a state of doubt? Maybe it would still follow, maybe not.
Any fictioal book or movie or video game is a kind of this experience pill. Therefor, we already know that people are willing to take the pill if they stay in contact to the reality and don't forgot the truth.
My intuition tells me, the two reason we favore reality over a experience pill are: