The first thing that comes to mind when looking at this is the fragility of seemingly robust civilizations. We can only imagine a lifetime, or fractions thereof

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at this is the fragility of seemingly robust civilizations. We can only imagine a lifetime, or fractions thereof. Much of the world seems unchanging and we assume that our society is robust. Constant. It cannot perish. Yet every great civilization on before us has perished. It isn't that I think our cities will disappear, and with them, the people who live in them. But we take our stability and robustness for granted. We take democracy for granted. Even as it is eroding before our very eyes. In the entire world, democracy is in retreat. Totalitarianism is on the rise. New generations of politicians join politics, not to accomplish results, but to have polarising arguments, spout ideology and division, and to take selfies in front of the resulting chaos. All the best bits of the world I grew up in are lesser now.