How do you define impossible?

One day a young woman was walking down the street when she saw a beautiful and ornate bottle discarded on a pile of rubbish. Without really thinking she picked it up and gave it a clean with her sleeve.

*PUFF*

From the bottle a huge billow of smoke burst forth and a Genie magically appeared,

"Thank you for releasing me from my captivity" he said with a smile, "To show my gratitude I shall grant you a wish"

"Well" replied the woman in shock, "let me think for a moment"

After a short pause she reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled old map of the Middle East,

"I would like you to bring peace to this region" she said while pointing to the map

"I'm sorry", replied the Genie, "but I am from the Middle East and those conflicts stretch back centuries. The hatred and fear is so deeply rooted in the religious, political and cultural practices of the people that this would prove impossible, even for me"

After a moments thought the woman replied,

"O.K. then how about this. My husband is so selfish in the bedroom that he never thinks about my needs. I would love it if he would think about my satisfaction every once in a while"

The Genie paused for a moment,

"Let me see that map again"

 

You can tell a lot about a society by listening to what the consensus is regarding the possible and the impossible. In Western Society there is talk about the developments of mind-boggling nanotechnology, biotechnology, military hardware and the coming Singularity. We are told that we can potentially achieve anything from interplanetary travel to abolishing mortality. But then ask something like giving young people in deprived areas an education that works to get them out of poverty and we get nothing but excuses and opposition from various political bodies.

Working out what our society judges to be possible and impossible can help to uncover our underlying values, desires and prejudices.