tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8262015410550800861.post7935870712203350506..comments2023-12-22T21:41:28.524-05:00Comments on The Engineer`s Pulse: Ascent Towards a Type I CivilizationThe Engineerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05080325091689417696noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8262015410550800861.post-86063154232739807582013-06-22T12:20:24.847-04:002013-06-22T12:20:24.847-04:00When Humanity migrated from burning wood & wha...When Humanity migrated from burning wood & whale blubber for energy to the much greater energy densities of coal & oil, our society took a number of profound steps forward not just in technological terms, but in social and moral ones, too. in 1899 20% of the american population was completely illiterate, today it's .6%. in 1899, less than 1% of households had electricity in their houses or central plumbing for toilets. Today, all houses in America have these technologies; hell. The Toilet ALONE is one of the SINGLE BIGGEST contributors to the dramatic increase in health in America. in 1899, a person of color could be shot to death in the lower 1/2 of the country just for using the wrong drinking fountain or looking at a white person in a way they didnt like. Rape was still considerd a "woman's fault", and if you were Gay & found out, you'd probably be killed. There was absolutely NO regard or thought for protecting the environment like there is today; companies would literally just dump chemicals like cyanide into a stream, river, or the back of their property.<br /><br />The point im making is, while we have ALOT of problems in 2013, we have made ENORMOUS improvements over the last 120+ years, and it directly correlates to our increased generation of electicity & thermal energy for industrial purposes.<br /><br />If we want to end the problems we face today, and keep the many improvements to our Society going, we need to increase our electricity & thermal energy generation by 1 million times, but in a way that doesn't generate CO2.<br /><br />"Renewables" will NEVER get us there, they are far too energy diffuse & intermittent.<br /><br />We need Gen IV Nuclear Fission reactors, ideally fluid fueled instead of solid fueled, and using the Thorium Fuel Cycle instead of Uranium.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9M__yYbsZ4Iainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08838785313320997697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8262015410550800861.post-7191498032931754732012-09-28T22:53:41.427-04:002012-09-28T22:53:41.427-04:00"Ascent Towards a Type I Civilization" t...<i>"Ascent Towards a Type I Civilization"</i> touches upon a very philosophical question: how advanced can the mankind become, and what kind of effect that advancement will have. Sometimes one thinks how great will it be: controlling weather, being the masters of the Earth, maybe, even making of our time machines!.. At the same time, indeed, no one can predict the consequences of our progress. Referring to some similar examples in science fiction, such as <i>'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow'</i> by Kurt Vonnegut, we can observe how evolution, in fact, transforms into devolution. In brief, the story is telling how people were able to invent a medicine, called Anti-Gerasone, that halts aging process and allows you to live as much as you want until you are consuming the medicine. Anti-Gerasone is made out of mud and dandelions; it is inexpensive and wildly available. One can look at this situation with a sense of excitement and impression in how far medicine has advanced; however, on the other hand, we can look at how the invention of Anti-Gerasone resulted in overpopulation (imagine 22 people living in a three-room apartment!), using up of resources (gasoline, furniture, etc.), and shortages in food supplies - almost everyone ends up eating processed seaweed and sawdust! In other words, everybody can live longer, but nobody is happy. Was that really worth it?..<br />Also, referring to <i>'Robot Dreams'</i> of I. Asimov, in which people, while making androids, themselves became android-like: they've lost pity, compassion, as if they were possessing the positronic hearts.<br />As to establishment colonies on other planets, one can remember <i>'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'</i> by Philip K. Dick: people colonized Mars, but they still weren't enjoying life there too much.<br />Therefore, I suppose, we can ask ourselves a question: if the time of Type I civilization occurred, would the civilization be able to handle all the progress and responsibility? :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11513552656056046533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8262015410550800861.post-83841458667710247932012-09-28T11:52:55.940-04:002012-09-28T11:52:55.940-04:00Your passion on the topic comes through Chelsea......Your passion on the topic comes through Chelsea...<br /><br />I have optimism that man will make it to Type I, but not before some near extinction events. It has everything to do with our maturity as a global population... Our world leaders and all citizens need to work together to buy time for our scientists to do their thing.<br /><br />I know it is hard to have faith in humanity, considering our track record. But, without hope, we essentially throw in the towel. There is nothing wrong with being a pessimist, but let us act in a way that is productive, even if those actions are small.<br /><br />I relate to your frustration. Mankind can be so irresponsible, yet at times, so noble and good. Let us hope that, over time, our collective responsibility improves so that our virtues begin to define us.The Engineerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05080325091689417696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8262015410550800861.post-7832244359921490992012-09-27T14:40:59.451-04:002012-09-27T14:40:59.451-04:00This is an interesting as well as a frustrating to...This is an interesting as well as a frustrating topic of discussion for me. To begin, I can’t seem to align a Type 1 civilization with being a good thing, simply for the horrendous path we’re taking to get there. Yes, it would be great to live sustainably and to harness the planet’s natural powers in a healthy manner, but there’s no way of doing this without destroying the environment and all life first (there is a way but human’s would never go through with it as they always need immediate gratification), which then removes any chance of actually becoming a Type 1 civilization. As a species, we don’t have the common sense, logic, maturity, or compatibility with each other to ever reach this Type 1 stage.<br />History shows us that civilizations wipe themselves out time and time again. Self destruction. Easter Island, WWII, genocide…wait until the water wars! Any discoveries that we believe to be astonishing or miraculous are, in my view, cancelled out by our ridiculousness. The power struggle to reach a Type 1 civilization will kill us; there will always be the haves and the have not’s. The very nature of human beings is to search and destroy, search and destroy, always looking for the next best thing. It’s unfortunate that the #2 option you present of eradicating technology and reverting back to a more primitive lifestyle isn’t an option for humans as a whole. We always need something more, something to relate to, another living being out in space, something to affirm that we aren’t alone and that we’re here for a reason. Why can’t we just be? Like you said, <br />“the risk of extinction does not necessarily increase as a civilization matures beyond Type I. We are currently in greater peril than were our ancestors some millenia ago, but if we manage to make it to Type I, our situation will likely improve.” <br />True, but it’s more likely that a big oooops will happen before then, and humans will have to kiss this beautiful planet that they endlessly take advantage of goodbye. What can I say, I’m a pessimist!Chelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02818339759847922753noreply@blogger.com