What technology will survive the coming collapse of civilization?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Wood powered.

[GunMaster357]

Collapse of civilization? How?

Since we are around 7 billions human beings on earth, it won't be easy to take it down save for an event that will drastically reduce the population.

Yet, once this event has occured, life will be harsh. Never forget that we're not so far from the barbarians that once defeated Rome.

As for our technology, a lot of it requires tremendous quantities of energy, either electrical or chemical (mostly petroleum).

For example, take a car.

It require chemical energy to run (gasoline, diesel or possibly wood). How many people know how to create those? Yeah, wood grows alone, but you still have to cut it down. By what means? And do you know how to make the apparatus that will convert it into a gas usable by the car?

It also need tyres to run smoothly, grease to lube the engine. Speaking of that last item : how is it made? Steel, aluminium, etc... All things that require energy and technology to produce.

Of course, just after the collapse and the reduction of population, a lot of those things will be just lying around. How long before they decay?

Technology, as I once saw it defined, is based on a tool to make a tool to make a tool to make a tool to make a tool to make a tool... ...to achieve the desired effect.

Another problem is that the first needs to satisfy in such a situation are food, shelter and security whith very little consideration for everything else. You can look it up in the 'Pyramid of Maslow'. It is true of almost all human beings.
Education comes a long way after that. And you need to have education to create technology.

And as we are quite prompt to revert to barbarians, at first, it will be kill or be killed...

[HungLikeJesus]

The killin' box will survive.

[tw]

Legacy of mankind will be many herbicide resistant weeds.

[footfootfoot]

It won't do the weeds much good if mankind is no longer around to manufacture the herbicides though...

[mbpark]

TW,

The legacy of mankind, ironically, will be Monsanto and its GM crops.

Ironic in that the basis for the company's existence will outlive civilization itself, and possibly mankind, and continue to evolve, unlike Monsanto.

[GunMaster357]

Originally Posted by mbpark

TW,

The legacy of mankind, ironically, will be Monsanto and its GM crops.

Ironic in that the basis for the company's existence will outlive civilization itself, and possibly mankind, and continue to evolve, unlike Monsanto.

Legacy? I don't think so.

More like humanity downfall. In order to stay in business, they sell seeds that are infertile.

Yes, your crop will grow and you will be able to get a harvest.

No, you won't be able to use the harvested seeds to grow another crop the next year.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Since glyphosate in Round-Up, is weakening the plants immune system (think plant AIDS) we'll have trouble growing enough food.

But that's kind of moot, since this "Collapse of civilization" would most likely disrupt supplies to the grocery store, which would be empty in a day or two.
Without any food, next years crop is just a philosophical discussion.


And those deer that come down to drink in my back yard, are in deep shit.

[GunMaster357]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Since glyphosate in Round-Up, is weakening the plants immune system (think plant AIDS) we'll have trouble growing enough food.

But that's kind of moot, since this "Collapse of civilization" would most likely disrupt supplies to the grocery store, which would be empty in a day or two.
Without any food, next years crop is just a philosophical discussion.


And those deer that come down to drink in my back yard, are in deep shit.

I agree. To obtain food at the store, the barbarian will come into play...

And, yes, vegans are toast

[tw]

Originally Posted by mbpark

The legacy of mankind, ironically, will be Monsanto and its GM crops.

The GM crops will immediately disappear. GM crops do not replicate themselves. But herbicide resistant plants are arising about one a year. Already ragweed and pigweed are herbicide resistant due to too many using only Roundup rather than rotating their weed control solutions.

So when a new amphibian species rises from the oceans to become the dominant predator, they must culture ragweed as a food source. And will not worry about Gluton free products.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by tw

The GM crops will immediately disappear. GM crops do not replicate themselves. --snip

Not so, sir.

That they absolutely *do* replicate is precisely the source of conflict between the factory farmers who use such technologies and the organic farmers downwind whose livelihood is in jeopardy from contamination by the "non-virginal" replicators of the same species.

[Clodfobble]

Maybe. The vegans I know already grow a lot of their own food. They'd at least have something.

On the other hand, the McDonald's patrons who don't understand that food doesn't naturally grow in packages also will have ample body fat stores to help them last through the winter. So they've got that going for them.

[DanaC]

Grindstone technology will survive.

[sexobon]

I'll still have my sonic hammer ... take that Doctor Who!

[footfootfoot]

he may be thinking about the terminator gene