The Old Man in the Cave

When I was a kid I saw an episode of The Twilight Zone titled “The Old Man in the Cave.” The story took viewers to post-apocalyptic America. A nuclear war has devastated society. Cars are pulled by horses. There is little food. People live at the subsistence level. The citizens of a small town find a cache of food and wonder if they can eat it or if it is contaminated by radiation. The Mayor of the town, named Goldsmith, goes to a mysterious figure called The Old Man in the Cave, who examines the food and finds it is contaminated. The people of the town have apparently depended on the Old Man in the Cave for many years. Viewers get the idea that this figure possesses insight no one else has and is always right.

A group of soldiers, led by Major French (played by a young James Coburn) enters the town and tries to take it over. They immediately come into conflict with Goldsmith and scoff at the idea that there is an Old Man in the Cave. Eventually, the soldiers and townspeople find out that the Old Man in the Cave is a computer, which the people destroy. They eat the food (except for Goldsmith) and all die.

Reviews said the episode was a warning against greed and lack of discipline and in the dangers of questioning one’s faith in “forces greater than oneself.” But the faith in this tale is not in God or Truth. The higher power one is to have faith in is what we often call Science, incarnated by the computer.

The plot has a few flaws. Why didn’t Goldsmith simply tell the people he owns a computer than can do analysis on things and help them survive? Why does he create a myth? If there is no electric power in the town (there does not seem to be), how does the computer operate? Further, why do the people destroy it? They might be angry with Goldsmith for deceiving them, but one would think they would have the common sense to say, “A computer! Why didn’t you tell us in the first place? Great! This will enhance our chances of survival.”

The Old Man in the Cave--idea of a computer in 1963,

I think the answer lies in the theme of the episode, which is, You have to worship Science.

An old man in a cave is a trope from religion:  the prophet, the guru, the hermit-saint, the oracle, the Sybil (female in this case) who can foresee the future all live in caves. They possess special divine power. Their word is not to be questioned or challenged.

The computer has “saved” the people of the town. Religions, especially Christianity, use the term for being rescued from sin and from God’s wrath. In this case, it is salvation from death. A higher power is delivering the people in in the town from destruction, and they should be thankful (worshipful?) for this.

But the people are gullible, stupid, impetuous, and greedy. They are “sinners.” They destroy the computer and devour the food. In contrast to them, Goldsmith is quiet and saintly. He is like the faithful priest, displaying circumspection, self-control, and knowledge, in contrast to unenlightened mob of shallow-minded folk who destroy the computer.

When they disobey the Old Man in the Cave, they all die. 

Major French dead after eating contaminated food.

Many such stories like this one could be seen in the 1950s and 1960s. The idea such stories advanced suggested that science could save the world. Technology was salvation. The future and the survival of the human race depended on allegiance to (worship of?) Science.

Of course, the irony is that Science created the very things—atomic weapons—that would have caused the scenario depicted in “The Old Man in the Cave.” Such wonders as biological warfare, weapons of mass destruction, and drones are the product of scientifically advanced technology. The Old Man in the Cave—Science—can and has caused as much trouble, or more, than any deity on a throne in the sky, be it Zeus, Odin, the Lord, or Ravana. 

In writing, one must be careful to recognize the destructive potential of technology and not to worship it in the way this episode of The Twilight Zone suggested a society should. Like religion, Science has done a great deal of good but also has perpetuated innumerable evils.

This is especially true for those who write science fiction. The same technologies that make space travel possible can also create weapons. Science is a neutral force that can be used for good or evil depending on the morality of those who use it.

It is fascinating that much of fantasy takes place in pre-technological societies where there were no weapons of mass destruction. Much paranormal literature is staged in modern times, but the technological features of today are merely the backdrop for conflict of a more primal nature. Vampires and werewolves may own computers, but it all still comes down to fangs and claws when the final conflict arrives.

Even sci-fi writers should avoid the trope of worshipping Science. The wonders of technology can easily be contrasted with the horrors of technology.

More on this in my next blog.