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JMars
| | Joined: 10/14/2006
Msg: 6 | |
| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/28/2010 11:12:02 PM | Well, this would basically take a catastrophe vast (or lucky) enough to wipe out every single person with any degree of metallurgical knowledge. Heck, even with the simple idea of metal and it's manipualtion, well, necessity is the mother of invention. We'd already be a step up on the ancient trialblazer's of metal working; for whoom metallurgy was entirely unprecedented.
A number of people would undoubtedly fall back to the Stone Age. In fact, they'd fall much further lacking even the barest of essential survival skills and ALL of the knowledge that was common knoweldge to Stone Age man, but in the big picture metallurgy would persist. And ultimately spread. | |
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yna6
| | Joined: 1/21/2007
Msg: 8 | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/29/2010 7:17:04 PM | I can’t possibly think of a possible way for that to ever happen since if that were to happen, all existence of humanity would have to be erased. Not to mention that if all of humanity was erased (nuclear explosion for instance) and began life all over again on a different planet in a different place in the galaxy, everything would be different since all the variables here (oxygen, proximity to other planets etc…) would also be different.
So I think that no it is not at all possible in the least. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/29/2010 7:29:58 PM | Perhaps after a big catastrophe, which we survived, we would be so busy fighting for food and survival that it would take a generation or two before we start climbing again. After that amount of time, a lot of the knowledge we now have would be lost. We may not have had time to teach the new generations how to read even.
I do find it highly improbable though. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/29/2010 7:46:00 PM | I do agree that your scenario is highly improbable and even if that catastrophe was to happen, as we would adapt to that new reality, we would still remember what we know today so of course, it would only be a matter of time before we were back to where we are today (just as you point out!).
But your original post mentioned if humanity “fell back to the stone ages…” which is different that what you are saying now. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/29/2010 7:51:05 PM | Is it even possible?
Dunno... But based on our history as a species, it's probable...
If we take the history of mankind and fast-forward the entire video, a pattern may emerge...
We've been like performers clutching one another in a weird dance... Sort of an odd conga line whose pace, for the most part, has been "one step forward; two steps back"...
Occasionally, a collective brain-fart propels us many squares forward... A temporary change in rhythm... Keeping us from backsliding prematurely into the brink... | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/30/2010 4:29:07 AM | Heres a question few ask themselves, what if you had no power tomarrow?
Ever heard the term peak oil? Alberta would have you believe that by producing 5 million barrels a day by 2030 we will become global leaders, with an enhanced quality of life. Consider that by 2016, globally we will be using 100million barrels of oil per day.
So Boohoo, alternative power to the rescue right? Wrong, alternative power is oil derived. Don't believe me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSQ0KtnaMVc
http://www.canadasoilsands.com/en/forum/topic.aspx?id=160
http://www.collapsemovie.com/
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
The answer is yes, its happening right now. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/30/2010 1:53:35 PM | | In some ways it might not be so bad for oil reserves to become depleted. Many of us would return to living on little homesteads in the country. We'd milk a few cows, grow an organic vegetable garden and use horses for transportation. Our country communities would be small and close. Out of necessity, families would hold together better. In case of fire our insurance would be each other. Wisely growing a bush lot would give us our fuel-wood for heat and lumber for our buildings. Our way of life would likely be more pioneer style than stone age. I'm quite sure we might find our days rewarding and ourselves, on the main, relatively happy. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/30/2010 2:18:39 PM | In a perfect world, maybe.
The problem with this is few of us still have this knowledge, and the political ramifications of global oil depletion are going to make this sort of lifestyle difficult.
On top of that, little soil is good for harvesting without using some sort of oil derived chemicals to boost output to feed our massive oil-bloated population, which has grown by billions since the advent of oil.
These things would all be possible if the world was a nice happy place, and wasn't bent on greed and economics, but the greed economics world is where we live, and becauseof the nature of economics, society is going to have a very hard adjustment, that because all of our knowledge relies on simpler oil based technologies and ideas, we may in fact sink back to the stoneage without modern technology to accomplish the things we do.
How many people do you know that can go out, build a cabin, and start living? | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/30/2010 3:02:27 PM | "How many people do you know that can go out, build a cabin, and start living?"
I certainly agree with you that a re-adjustment to a more primitive way of life would be tough sledding for most of today's people. We would more likely experience a lot of violence and a murderous depopulation first. However, after those ugly days pass, the people remaining will hopefully be co-operative and teachable by the older ones who have not completely lost the simple, practical skills of a bygone era.
On the other hand, maybe we can make a successful transition to alternative energy without such a radical backward societal change. Maybe the only real threat to our way of life is nuclear war, which surely would bring about incomprehensible changes making the stone age seem as an oasis to us then. | |
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| Would it really be possible for humanity to be falling back to the stone age and, if so, how?
Posted: 1/30/2010 3:45:21 PM | It wouldn't be that hard. After all, the Roman Empire fell, and the area of the world it inhabited forgot 90% of its knowledge. Its knowledge was mainly revived from Muslim sources of knowledge. But that took 1000 years for Europe to re-establish knowledge on a large scale.
It's not the only time this has happened either.
All it would take is for the slow collapse of Western society, much like the Roman society did. | |
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