4 ms·

Long enough that most of humanity would die very quickly. Without tools to grow food to satisfy our current population, we couldn't make enough. Couple that wit

by mcav 18y ago

Long enough that most of humanity would die very quickly. Without tools to grow food to satisfy our current population, we couldn't make enough. Couple that with lack of heating for cold regions, general lack of knowledge of survival skills, and the realization that we must first get metal before we can even create decent tools... I'd say we'd be goners.

agotterer 18y ago
Sure a lot of humanity would be wiped out. But the strong will survive. The resourceful ones would be left standing in the end. People in cold regions would work there way to warmer ones or stay warm with fire and making clothing. I'm not sure the scope of the original question. Whether we are starting from pre-language times or we wake up tomorrow as is with no technology. But assuming we aren't starting from scratch and still have basic communication and enough skills to irrigate and hunt we could survive.
dctoedt 18y ago
Don't forget to stir in another factor: Localized conflicts would soon break out over scarce food and other resources, It's an interesting question whether the people most likely to prevail in such conflicts (and thus most likely to avoid near-term starvation) would be those possessing the skills to recreate even rudimentary technologies.
khafra 18y ago
Also, we've used up a good deal of what got us started the first time. Unless the metal ores were returned to their starting places in the ground when the technology disappeared, the quantities reachable and usable without high technology simply aren't there anymore--a chicken and egg problem. We'd also have far less runway to wean ourselves off fossil fuels this time; coal would be useful, but whale oil would be a more workable solution than petroleum. So even if when technology disappeared we lost the need for food and water, we still might never make it back.

by mcav 18y ago

agotterer 18y ago

Sure a lot of humanity would be wiped out. But the strong will survive. The resourceful ones would be left standing in the end. People in cold regions would work there way to warmer ones or stay warm with fire and making clothing. I'm not sure the scope of the original question. Whether we are starting from pre-language times or we wake up tomorrow as is with no technology. But assuming we aren't starting from scratch and still have basic communication and enough skills to irrigate and hunt we could survive.

dctoedt 18y ago

Don't forget to stir in another factor: Localized conflicts would soon break out over scarce food and other resources, It's an interesting question whether the people most likely to prevail in such conflicts (and thus most likely to avoid near-term starvation) would be those possessing the skills to recreate even rudimentary technologies.

khafra 18y ago

Also, we've used up a good deal of what got us started the first time. Unless the metal ores were returned to their starting places in the ground when the technology disappeared, the quantities reachable and usable without high technology simply aren't there anymore--a chicken and egg problem. We'd also have far less runway to wean ourselves off fossil fuels this time; coal would be useful, but whale oil would be a more workable solution than petroleum. So even if when technology disappeared we lost the need for food and water, we still might never make it back.