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Don't laugh, someday a terrorist or hacker may engineer a fast-eating critter, and half our stuff will become useless in a year. Termites learned to work with g
by tabtab 3y ago
Don't laugh, someday a terrorist or hacker may engineer a fast-eating critter, and half our stuff will become useless in a year. Termites learned to work with gut microbes to speed up wood munching, a home-owner's biggest nightmare.
- izzydata 3y agoThat's still kind of funny in a existential hysteria kind of way.
- hansvm 3y agoHumans are pretty adaptable. If half our stuff did become useless do you think that might put a damper on rampant consumerism?
- hanniabu 3y agoIt would increase consumerism since everything would need to be replaced on a periodic basis
- BizarroLand 3y agoWith new plastics full of chemicals that the bugs won't eat.
- digging 3y agoEverything? I think instead, we'll just stop making most things out of plastics. We have longer-lasting, more durable materials than plastics already, for when you want something that will actually survive decades or generations. They're metals and woods and stones. Some things, like wire coatings, will still likely need to be plastic and will become disposable. But most uses of plastic for long-lasting goods will just stop using plastics. Goods will get much heavier, but more durable.
- ars 3y agoWoods? If wood can survive so can plastic in this hypothetical world. Just keep water away from the plastic.