On another forum I participate in, one which encourages 'slushing'
spec-fic, someone recently posted a short in which the premise was that
the protagonists were an investigation team for an organization that
reacts to reports of endangered species (similar to several agencies
under the US Department of the Interior). On an interstellar level.

They get a report that on Earth, _humanity_ is the endangered species,
and the team is assigned to find out why and protect it. They go to
investigate on an Earth that is uninhabitable outside the domed
habitats/cities.

To spoil the dramatic reveal of the climax, it's determined that the
cause is, in essence, that virtual reality got "too good", and living in
virtuality was preferable to living wholly in reality. I should note
that the people of Earth were not as far gone as in books such as John
Barnes's /Finity/; they knew they had to eat, and did, but the virtual
reality was able to change the gloop/protocarb/mealpaste/CHONfood/etc.
into magnificent banquets (and a 'chef' was one who was skilled in
creating the virtual banquet, rather than in actually preparing the
food). The team goes on to determine what the virtuality was capable of,
and responds with a solution that they believe will work. (Not gonna
spoil the denouement.)

For discussion: Can virtuality get that good, and does it on any of the
high-tech worlds in any of the decently supported Traveller settings?
What sort of social effects do you see varying quality levels of
virtuality having (starting with the low level represented by a
hypothetical multiplayer version of The Sims or Second Life)?

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