View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-recognize-a-dystopia-alex-gendler

The genre of dystopia – the ‘not good place’– has captured the imaginations of artists and audiences alike for centuries. But why do we bother with all this pessimism? Alex Gendler explains how dystopias act as cautionary tales – not about some particular government or technology, but the very idea that humanity can be molded into an ideal shape.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by TED-Ed.