Reading nineteenth-century critiques of then-cutting-edge technologies like telegraphs and railroads reveals striking parallels with contemporary fears of technology’s impact on our minds and our society. Still the Same — Real Life reallifemag.com Nineteenth-century critiques of technology show how longstanding many current concerns are
Bark beetle infestations and persistent droughts have tested the survival of the extremely long-lived bristlecone pine trees of the Great Basin. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-27/drought-and-bark-beetles-now-threaten-earths-oldest-trees Photos from The Long Now Foundation’s post
Over the past 300,000 years, humans have diversified and adapted to life throughout the globe. Now, the frantic appetites of globalization threaten to reduce the beauty and resilience of diverse cultural and ecological practices. Globalisation lessens our world but we do have alternatives | Aeon Essays aeon.co Frantic human activity has reduced both cultural and
China aims to become carbon neutral by 02060. Can it electrify its infrastructure fast enough to achieve this long-term goal? China Is Racing to Electrify Its Future www.wired.com The country wants electric vehicles to make up 40 percent of new cars sold by 2030—but first it has to figure out how to keep them charged.
MYR, a new art exhibition at the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, uses human perspectives to reflect on the vastness of deep time. https://longnow.org/ideas/02022/07/13/myr-explores-deep-time/ Photos from The Long Now Foundation’s post
Taking on society’s most pressing issues and creating opportunity for those who need it most requires long-term thinking. Next week: End Poverty in California founder Michael Tubbs joins us for a Long Now Talk followed by a Q&A hosted by PolicyLink President Michael McAfee. Tickets available now: When this happens, it’s usually because the owner
Evidence from an archaeological site 40 miles North of Austin, Texas reveals the 15,000-year-old Indigenous roots of contemporary Tex-Mex food. Long Before Tex-Mex, a 15,000-Year-Old Cuisine Left Its Mark www.atlasobscura.com An archeological site contains many of the foods Texans still eat today.
Proponents of the extended evolutionary synthesis argue that we urgently need to reconsider the very foundations of evolution and incorporating different mechanisms of selection in addition to natural selection. Do we need a new theory of evolution? www.theguardian.com The long read: A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory needs an urgent overhaul.
Edward Slingerland’s latest research is a deep dive into the alcohol-soaked origins of civilization — and the evolutionary roots of humanity’s appetite for intoxication. “Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization” elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends that surround our notions of intoxication to provide a rigorous, scientifically-grounded explanation
Drinking for 10,000 Years: Intoxication and Civilization – Edward Slingerland Read More »
More than one hundred million pieces of human-made space debris currently orbit our planet, most moving at more than 10,000 mph. Every year their number increases, creating a progressively more dangerous environment for working spacecraft. In order to operate in space, we track most of this debris through a patchwork of private efforts and government
Space Debris and The Kessler Syndrome: A Possible Future Trapped on Earth – Creon Levit Read More »
