Text preservation in the post-industrial age

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

The post-oil, post-industrial-age world will arrive (details TM), with much unrest, by 2160 (or 2260 if ice-methane extraction works out). Lack of fertilizers will lead to famine and a big drop in population. Raw materials like plastics, copper, and lithium too will be rarer. Machines - let alone computers - will be scarce. So, electronic data will be ephemeral.(5)

How then to best preserve our knowledge (physical and spiritual) and texts?

Listed some ideas at https://vishvasa.github.io/notes/knowledge-preservation/ .
If you think of other ideas, please let me know.

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Vishvas /विश्वासः

[Arun]

The future is highly uncertain, and we should consider other scenarios as well. For example, most AI experts believe that there's a 50/50 chance of human-level artificial intelligence within the next 100 years. This would be transformative for our scientific and engineering knowledge and also has its own great risks. One paper making the rounds recently has argued that the timelines involved are much shorter and that the geopolital tensions around it could increase enormously very soon.

Otherwise, long-term preservation is the kind of the work the Long Now Foundation has been exploring for some time, and their work on material, locations, etc. for preservation might be worth exploring.

In the very short term, we need to commuciate a basic situational awareness that this era of human life is uncertain and short-lived, and that preservation occurs only with great effort. We might use देश-काल-वस्तु-परिच्छेदः as a framework and think of how to de-risk by देश, काल, and वस्तु.

Arun

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 at 22:02, Arun <aru...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

Otherwise, long-term preservation is the kind of the work the Long Now Foundation has been exploring for some time, and their work on material, locations, etc. for preservation might be worth exploring.

This is very useful - thanks! (Many things to check out there, esp their 10k yr optimism)

If someone knows of similar such efforts, please let me know.

The future is highly uncertain, and we should consider other scenarios as well.

Indeed so. Certainties exist though due to thermodynamics, stellar lifecycle, finiteness of resources etc.. - the current rate of growth in energy consumption cannot go on for long; collapse will be voluntary or forced (most likely). 

 

For example, most AI experts believe that there's a 50/50 chance of human-level artificial intelligence within the next 100 years. This would be transformative for our scientific and engineering knowledge and also has its own great risks. One paper making the rounds recently has argued that the timelines involved are much shorter and that the geopolital tensions around it could increase enormously very soon.

It could indeed be that the collapse in energy consumption will be accelerated and forced by AI.

 

In the very short term, we need to commuciate a basic situational awareness that this era of human life is uncertain and short-lived, and that preservation occurs only with great effort.   

Very much agree with this. Very few are aware of the fragility of the industrial age and big-city-life. Particularly, traditional keepers of knowledge should be made to understand the need to return to rural areas. Reminds me of https://vishvasa.github.io/kalpAntaram/vishvAsaH/kriyA-nishchayaH/meta-ritual/presentations/praJNA-dhArAH_saMskRtaM/?printLayout=1&includeStyle= which I presented at a local school. Must polish it and be proactive about presenting such in schools.

 

We might use देश-काल-वस्तु-परिच्छेदः as a framework and think of how to de-risk by देश, काल, and वस्तु.

 

You mean just have strategies specific to/ taking advantage of variations in these parameters?

PS: As an aside, a few friends are considering setting up an agrarian H colony in Latin America (rough logic - It has low population density, plenty land+water. India- dense pop. Famine + war looming post-oil-collapse (150 yrs). Interested folks contact me.

 

Arun

On Friday, June 14, 2024 at 8:21:14 PM UTC-7 Vishvas Vasuki wrote:

The post-oil, post-industrial-age world will arrive (details TM), with much unrest, by 2160 (or 2260 if ice-methane extraction works out). Lack of fertilizers will lead to famine and a big drop in population. Raw materials like plastics, copper, and lithium too will be rarer. Machines - let alone computers - will be scarce. So, electronic data will be ephemeral.(5)

How then to best preserve our knowledge (physical and spiritual) and texts?

Listed some ideas at https://vishvasa.github.io/notes/knowledge-preservation/ .
If you think of other ideas, please let me know.

--

--
Vishvas /विश्वासः

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[Arun]

> You mean just have strategies specific to/ taking advantage of variations in these parameters?

Yes. काल and देश are not easy but they are straightforward, i.e replication in a long-term medium across multiple areas with uncorrelated levels of risk (climate, economy, sustainability, geopolitical stability, ...). By वस्तु I mean the form of presentation, since if traditional knowledge isn't presented attractively and accessibly, most people will be either ignorant of it or indifferent to it. Engaging people through an attractive medium is important for growing a supportive community, which in turn further de-risks preservation and increases access to resources and other strategies.