4 ms·

Pandora's Seed: The Costs of Civilization

26 points by roqetman 16y ago

clistctrl 16y ago
That was a really great article! A thought that has been swirling around my mind for a while that i'm reminded of again as I was reading. Technological innovation seems to be on an exponential curve, as well as consumption (and I believe population) the earth being what it is these rates by any sane persons measures cannot continue indefinitely. How does nature find a balance?
- MichaelSalib 16y ago
  innovation seems to be on an exponential curve, as well as consumption (and I believe population) the earth being what it is In technologically advanced societies, the birth rate tends to decline, often below the replacement rate. Check out birth rates for most of western Europe for example. Having many many children is not actually pleasant for most people and when they have modern medicine that reduces child mortality, they typically choose to have a small number of children. Cultures don't change instantaneously, so sometimes these changes take a generation or two, but they do seem to happen.
tjmaxal 16y ago
Society is changing too Fast! We're all doomed! Technology = Bad , but book sales = Very good! This kind of intellectual conservatism is tantamount to asking the whole world to stick their fingers in their ears and pretend that we would be better off as tribal hunter gathers. It's a bunch of unsupportable nonsense designed to sell this guy's book.
- CodeMage 16y ago
  It would help to read the article carefully before leveling an incorrect accusation like that.
- ovi256 16y ago
  I don't think that's a fair review of the article. He seems very well on the side of accepting progress, he is a scientist after all. He is simply saying: "Well, there are these problems we should do something about, and it looks to me they were caused by sedentarization and invention of agriculture". Hardly reactionary.
0ffworlder 16y ago
If technology continues to increase at the current rate will global warming (if it is even caused by humans) and diseases caused by a westernized culture be an issue? Think about the ~1.5 degrees possible surface temperature change on the earth versus the possibility for space travel and colonization.

26 points by roqetman 16y ago

That was a really great article! A thought that has been swirling around my mind for a while that i'm reminded of again as I was reading. Technological innovation seems to be on an exponential curve, as well as consumption (and I believe population) the earth being what it is these rates by any sane persons measures cannot continue indefinitely. How does nature find a balance?

MichaelSalib 16y ago
innovation seems to be on an exponential curve, as well as consumption (and I believe population) the earth being what it is In technologically advanced societies, the birth rate tends to decline, often below the replacement rate. Check out birth rates for most of western Europe for example. Having many many children is not actually pleasant for most people and when they have modern medicine that reduces child mortality, they typically choose to have a small number of children. Cultures don't change instantaneously, so sometimes these changes take a generation or two, but they do seem to happen.

tjmaxal 16y ago

Society is changing too Fast! We're all doomed! Technology = Bad , but book sales = Very good! This kind of intellectual conservatism is tantamount to asking the whole world to stick their fingers in their ears and pretend that we would be better off as tribal hunter gathers. It's a bunch of unsupportable nonsense designed to sell this guy's book.

CodeMage 16y ago
It would help to read the article carefully before leveling an incorrect accusation like that.
ovi256 16y ago
I don't think that's a fair review of the article. He seems very well on the side of accepting progress, he is a scientist after all. He is simply saying: "Well, there are these problems we should do something about, and it looks to me they were caused by sedentarization and invention of agriculture". Hardly reactionary.

0ffworlder 16y ago

If technology continues to increase at the current rate will global warming (if it is even caused by humans) and diseases caused by a westernized culture be an issue? Think about the ~1.5 degrees possible surface temperature change on the earth versus the possibility for space travel and colonization.