Science and Inquiry discussion

The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future looks really interesting. It's fiction, written by the same people who wrote Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. One of a new breed of books called "cli-fi" -- similar to sci-fi, but focusing on climate issues -- it's written as though it were history written a few hundred years in the future, exploring the reasons for the collapse in the 21st century. Sounds really interesting.

Here is a review: http://grist.org/climate-energy/how-w...

Those do look interesting, Betsy. Thank you for bringing them to my attention.

Adding it to my reading list. Thanks, Betsy!

Thanks Betsy!

Would like to check it out. Thank you!

Climate change and energy/food/water resources should be the top scientific issues for this century. I doubt whether the planet can sustain 8 of 9 billion people. The movie "Soylent Green" maybe a far more accurate picture of the future than anyone could have imagined.

It's all about recycling. :)

Has anyone tried J. Diamonds's

'Collapse how modern societies choose to succeed or fail'

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

I disagree with the view of 'Soylent Green' it could be used as a metaphor perhaps [ ppl beeing treated as organic garbage] but in no way does it hold any Scientific principles, or an idea that 'future generations' will look upon, in our age for instance!

Some cultural fad, I could do without

Dan's wrote: "Has anyone tried J. Diamonds's

'Collapse how modern societies choose to succeed or fail'

I disagree with the view of 'Soylent Green' it could be used as a metaphor perhaps [ ppl beeing treated ..."

We now face two huge problems: the 6th Mass Extinction as the human population increases to 9 billion and the looming possibility of rapid climate change.

Quote about the destruction of other species: ""One of the many unintended consequences of the Anthropocene has been the pruning of our own family tree. Having cut down our sister species—the Neanderthals and the Denisovans—many generations ago, we’re now working on our first and second cousins. By the time we’re done, it’s quite possible that there will be among the great apes not a single representative left, except, that is, for us.”
― Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

No great apes will be left...

I ain't an expert in the field, but I've been told, that the neandertals were 'slaughtered' by the Cro magnon [ not the other way around]
Then our gene pool took off from there, oouh important detail and ate their remains... haven't read about the Deisovans, but all I have to say is
That civilisation progress from [small!?!] mass extinctions, civilisations crumble and fall, fragments found here and there, are enough to ensure some sence of continuity, but I imagine it's more to the way geologists find rock sediments, after a major catastrophe, a mass wipe off event [ like the K/S catastrophe]

I ain't trying to say, that humanity stubmles from one catastrophe to another, this is undoubtly true. But life diversity could really prosper from our demise, what do you think of that Re?

Re wrote: By the time we’re done, it’s quite possible that there will be among the great apes not a single representative left, except, that is, for us.”
a part I think seems quite fitting in this discussion

my thoughts on 6th Extinction*

'She answered yes, the sum, was right or wrong, what is the worth of a sum, a number, he thought when he was all alone, it is always an estimate, ther is no *ideal* number, only Nazis believed in right {adequate?} numbers and the professors of elementary mathematics, only secretaries, those pyramid madmen, the tax collectors {may god wipe them all out}, the -numerologists- who could foresee the future for nickel and dimes, those were the ones who believed that there should be a correct number.

Scientists on the other hand knew that all numbers were an aproximation .The great physists, the great mathematicians, the renowed chemists and also the publishers were simply 'dancing' in the dark.


* simply about the choise of that title

Funny how they always predict the collapse of the Western civilisation but no one seems concerned about the Eastern or Southern, as if these were intrinsically sturdier.

Codex, I wouldn't be surprised if it's because of what many people associate "eastern" and "western" with. Western brings to mind industrialization, technology, and science. Eastern brings to mind nature, ancient knowledge, and spirituality.

When the civilization supposedly collapses, it'll be the westerners that go down first due to the so called dependency on technology.

When of course in reality, we both know that's not accurate at all.

Nature - ancient knowledge - tell that to the Da'esh! Well, we may or may not see the collapse of western civilization, but in case (Middle) Eastern civilization goes first, it may turn out that climate change was not such a bad idea after all ...