Foundation Series

[Muffled]

It appears the philosophy of Foundation is that civilization should be saved.

So, believing that this world will end as it is in fire, wouldn't it make sense to preserve science and art in a deep cavern in hopes that a new civilization could be built upon it?

 

[ChristineM]

It appears the philosophy of Foundation is that civilization should be saved.

So, believing that this world will end as it is in fire, wouldn't it make sense to preserve science and art in a deep cavern in hopes that a new civilization could be built upon it?

There are time capsules buried and hidden in many places on this earth. It's all fine and dandy if a future civilisation is a/ human and b/ able to comprehend the contents of those capsules.

 

[rocala]

A reasonable idea one would think. However, we live in a very polluted world that is brimming with nuclear weapons and witnessing species extinction at an astonishing rate. Wars continue without a break. We don't have a clue how to handle our rapidly aging populations or in the face of technology how employment levels can be maintained. Those are just a few of our problems.

So it does not seem that people are very good at learning from the past, neither does it seem we have much right to preach.

 

[sun rise]

Wars continue without a break.

Actually we're in the longest period of relative peace in history. Yes wars continue but the scale has decreased since WWII. Korea and Vietnam were smaller and more local wars and the scale has diminished since then.

But I do agree about the level of species extinction, aging population, employment being issues.

 

[Revoltingest]

Actually we're in the longest period of relative peace in history...

A problem...
Nuclear warfare is rather unpredictable.
We've narrowly avoided it with the USSR many times in
the last half century. (I've covered this extensively before.)
Why?
Technical glitches & political brinksmanship. The 1st factor
has likely been ameliorated. But the 2nd continues.
Nuclear warfare is rather like playing Russian roulette, ie,
it's perfectly injury free until random chance makes it deadly.
So avoid inductive reasoning about such things....be afraid.

 

[Brickjectivity]

It appears the philosophy of Foundation is that civilization should be saved.

So, believing that this world will end as it is in fire, wouldn't it make sense to preserve science and art in a deep cavern in hopes that a new civilization could be built upon it?

Here is in my opinion the proper order of importance of all knowledge to be preserved. From these all the rest of art and technology will be reborn:

1. musical instrument construction
2. basic textile production
   
3. food recipes
4. holistic medicine
5. navigation
   
6. medical chemistry
   
7. child psychology and theories of thought
   
8. basic surgical procedures
9. color and dye technology
10. electrical theory
11. steam and gas theory
12. bearings and seals
13. mining
14. botany
15. television & broadcast tech
16. instant seamonkeys from a packet
17. shrinky dinks
18. how to drive stick
    
19. slinky technology

 

[sun rise]

A problem...
Nuclear warfare is rather unpredictable.
We've narrowly avoided it with the USSR many times in
the last half century. (I've covered this extensively before.)
Why?
Technical glitches & political brinksmanship. The 1st factor
has likely been ameliorated. But the 2nd continues.
Nuclear warfare is rather like playing Russian roulette, ie,
it's perfectly injury free until random chance makes it deadly.
So avoid inductive reasoning about such things....be afraid.

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Dune

 

[Revoltingest]

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Dune

I said be afraid....not fearful.

 

[sun rise]

I said be afraid....not fearful.

I see zero difference between being afraid and being fearful.

 

[Revoltingest]

I see zero difference between being afraid and being fearful.

You really don't see different spelling?
Dogs....not as smart as bears.

 

[Sedim Haba]

Here is in my opinion the proper order of importance of all knowledge to be preserved. From these all the rest of art and technology will be reborn:
...

1. instant seamonkeys from a packet
2. shrinky dinks
3. how to drive stick
   
4. slinky technology

Were you just counting on no one getting that far?
But really, stick will be around as long as there are 18 wheelers, but it's pretty extinct in autos.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Were you just counting on no one getting that far?
But really, stick will be around as long as there are 18 wheelers, but it's pretty extinct in autos.

Yes you are right I think. Even I drive automatic, now. No more cool roll backs at stop lights. No more doughnuts in the snow. No more popping the clutch when the battery is dead.

 

[Sedim Haba]

Yes you are right I think. Even I drive automatic, now. No more cool roll backs at stop lights. No more doughnuts in the snow. No more popping the clutch when the battery is dead.

And the lasts a true shame. No need for jumper cables if ya can get someone to push ya up to a decent speed. I even trained my (then future) wife how to do it.

 

[Revoltingest]

And the lasts a true shame. No need for jumper cables if ya can get someone to push ya up to a decent speed. I even trained my (then future) wife how to do it.

When the temperature fell below 20F, that's the
only way I could start my Velocette. Had a nice
hill in front of the house.
I should'a kept this bike.

 

[Muffled]

A reasonable idea one would think. However, we live in a very polluted world that is brimming with nuclear weapons and witnessing species extinction at an astonishing rate. Wars continue without a break. We don't have a clue how to handle our rapidly aging populations or in the face of technology how employment levels can be maintained. Those are just a few of our problems.

So it does not seem that people are very good at learning from the past, neither does it seem we have much right to preach.

However it took us a long time to get electric power. We are living in an electric age that could all go away.

 

[Muffled]

Here is in my opinion the proper order of importance of all knowledge to be preserved. From these all the rest of art and technology will be reborn:

1. musical instrument construction
2. basic textile production
   
3. food recipes
4. holistic medicine
5. navigation
   
6. medical chemistry
   
7. child psychology and theories of thought
   
8. basic surgical procedures
9. color and dye technology
10. electrical theory
11. steam and gas theory
12. bearings and seals
13. mining
14. botany
15. television & broadcast tech
16. instant seamonkeys from a packet
17. shrinky dinks
18. how to drive stick
    
19. slinky technology

#1 The internet. How will we ever survive without it?

 

[Muffled]

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Dune

I believe it is lot easier to say that when one has that much power. Jesus said he could have called a host of angels to defend HIm but He was not afraid of the suffering the cross entailed.

 

[Brickjectivity]

#1 The internet. How will we ever survive without it?

It would be impossible. In the beginning was the internet, and the internet was without form and void (except for Geocities and Livejournal and Yahoo) until AOL fooled a bunch of people into signing up for services they did not understand. And Lo did the internet make a noise when an email was received.

 

[Kooky]

It appears the philosophy of Foundation is that civilization should be saved.

So, believing that this world will end as it is in fire, wouldn't it make sense to preserve science and art in a deep cavern in hopes that a new civilization could be built upon it?

One of the characters in the show actually made a good point early on (which was then immediately dropped because the book author never thought of it that way) that all preservation fundamentally comes down to a selection process that is reductive, and ultimately hostile to the exact diversity that makes a living civilization worth preserving in the first place.

 

[Muffled]

One of the characters in the show actually made a good point early on (which was then immediately dropped because the book author never thought of it that way) that all preservation fundamentally comes down to a selection process that is reductive, and ultimately hostile to the exact diversity that makes a living civilization worth preserving in the first place.

I believe our history is that civilizations come and go and who remembers what the Atlantis civilization was like. Maybe Edgar Cayce but that is less memory and more spirit guide. Who is to say that a lost civilization is a bad thing? Just if one were going to preserve why would one leave out the Roman and Greek civilizations and others less familiar to us in the west.