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If anything I think the global pandemic has shown how unprepared we are to come together globally and utilize technology to solve hard problems. Maybe something

If anything I think the global pandemic has shown how unprepared we are to come together globally and utilize technology to solve hard problems. Maybe something good will come from all of this in that direction and we will learn from our mistakes.

scsilver 6y ago
Has Nature even been so forgiving?
- drivebycomment 6y ago
  No. Life is a constant struggle against the encroaching entropy and I suspect keeping civilization going will never get easier. That said, coronavirus is not even close to being a threat to human civilization. Compare this to 1918 Spanish flu and the contrast can't be clearer. Despite enormous growth in human population and much higher connectivity, we are managing global death toll an order of magnitude lower. We absolutely can be much better but we can't ignore 100 years of progress either.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    Yes, but we're stretching our global economies thin in the process. At this point in our civilizational development, it's the systems that are important. If this or a future pandemic pushes most economies past breaking point, the death toll will very quickly skyrocket from a mere million to a bit larger billions dying in wars and starvation.
  - defterGoose 6y ago
    That's a weird way to see it though. Historically some humans have struggled to acquire the basics of survival, but actually the planet we live on is a bastion of low entropy in a sea of chaos precisely because of "life". Better to go a little hungry and keto than be constantly choking on noxious fumes and fishing nothing but old boots and cans out of the ocean.
bparsons 6y ago
Outside of the US and Brazil, I have been really impressed by the ability of people to come together and deal with a massive collective action problem. If anything, it has shown that people have the capacity to pull together when they need to.
- dehrmann 6y ago
  > Outside of the US and Brazil Have you seen how things are looking in the UK, France, and Spain right now?
  - bjelkeman-again 6y ago
    Or India. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-is-in-denial-about-the-covid-19-crisis/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-is-in-denia...
    - dehrmann 6y ago
      I forgot about India. Its lockdown was thought through very poorly and made the spread worse.
      - mercer 6y ago
        To be fair, it's much more difficult to have an effective lockdown a country that has people tightly packed together and that isn't a WEIRD individualistic society.
  - collyw 6y ago
    Lots of cases here in Spain but hospitals are generally coping fine (with Madrid being a bit of an exception at present in that hospital numbers are rising as well, but are currently manageable).
ricksunny 6y ago
>how unprepared we are to come together globally . . . to solve hard problems. Ain't that the truth.

scsilver 6y ago

Has Nature even been so forgiving?

drivebycomment 6y ago
No. Life is a constant struggle against the encroaching entropy and I suspect keeping civilization going will never get easier. That said, coronavirus is not even close to being a threat to human civilization. Compare this to 1918 Spanish flu and the contrast can't be clearer. Despite enormous growth in human population and much higher connectivity, we are managing global death toll an order of magnitude lower. We absolutely can be much better but we can't ignore 100 years of progress either.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  Yes, but we're stretching our global economies thin in the process. At this point in our civilizational development, it's the systems that are important. If this or a future pandemic pushes most economies past breaking point, the death toll will very quickly skyrocket from a mere million to a bit larger billions dying in wars and starvation.
- defterGoose 6y ago
  That's a weird way to see it though. Historically some humans have struggled to acquire the basics of survival, but actually the planet we live on is a bastion of low entropy in a sea of chaos precisely because of "life". Better to go a little hungry and keto than be constantly choking on noxious fumes and fishing nothing but old boots and cans out of the ocean.

bparsons 6y ago

Outside of the US and Brazil, I have been really impressed by the ability of people to come together and deal with a massive collective action problem. If anything, it has shown that people have the capacity to pull together when they need to.

dehrmann 6y ago
> Outside of the US and Brazil Have you seen how things are looking in the UK, France, and Spain right now?
- bjelkeman-again 6y ago
  Or India. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-is-in-denial-about-the-covid-19-crisis/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-is-in-denia...
  - dehrmann 6y ago
    I forgot about India. Its lockdown was thought through very poorly and made the spread worse.
    - mercer 6y ago
      To be fair, it's much more difficult to have an effective lockdown a country that has people tightly packed together and that isn't a WEIRD individualistic society.
- collyw 6y ago
  Lots of cases here in Spain but hospitals are generally coping fine (with Madrid being a bit of an exception at present in that hospital numbers are rising as well, but are currently manageable).

ricksunny 6y ago

>how unprepared we are to come together globally . . . to solve hard problems. Ain't that the truth.