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> Anyway, the vast majority of climate scientists and economists don't think that civilization will collapse. Do we really know what they think? I suppose we k
by hotpotamus 3y ago
> Anyway, the vast majority of climate scientists and economists don't think that civilization will collapse.
Do we really know what they think? I suppose we know what they say. To the question of the article, let's say that one or more of them are actually fairly certain that collapse is coming within a few decades - what would be the point of telling anyone that?
- slibhb 3y agoI think being hailed forever as the genius who predicted some cataclysm before it happens is a pretty big reward, especially for an academic. But anyway, the whole idea that scientists can predict the collapse of civilization is wrong. At some level this is a question of optimism vs. pessimism. That's not a question of models, it's a question of taste or, as the kids say, "vibes".
- flagrant_taco 3y agoIf civilization collapsed, it seems reasonable that anyone predicting it wasn't wouldn't be remembered. Anyone left standing after a collapse would have bigger things to worry about, and the medium in which predictions where published could very likely be lost in the collapse. If someone were of the honest opinion that broad scale collapse was imminent I can only expect they would also not expect fame afterwards. Anyone sharing this opinion disingenuous is more likely to be sharing it for gain before the collapse that may never come, via book sales or speaking engagements for example.