MIT Predicted the Collapse of Today's Society in 1972. And We're Right On Track.
interestingengineering.com
A new study by a director of KPMG reveals that a 1972 model by MIT researchers predicting the collapse of society in the 21st century is on track.

A new study by a director of one of the world's largest accounting firms, KPMG, reveals that a 1972 model by MIT researchers predicting the collapse of society in the 21st century looks to be worryingly on track, a report by Vice explains.

The 1972 model, called World3, was created in the '70s using empirical data, and it was published in a book called 'Limits to Growth'.

Essentially, the model aimed to answer the question of what would happen if humanity keeps pursuing economic growth, no matter the societal and environmental cost? It concluded that, without drastic change, industrial society was headed for collapse.

  • Totalscrotalimplosio [he/him,any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I'm reading this with my 3 year old beside me, and her birthday is coming up. She sees the balloons on the guys back in the article and is now heckling me about balloons and cake for her birthday while I try and figure out how much longer human society will exist.

    Cool.

    Anyways, how much longer we got? Gotta learn this kid how to forage for berries and use a variety of weapons before we enter Mad Max world.

    • Mardoniush [she/her]
      ·
      3 years ago

      You're better off trying to learn the kid how to make integrated climate-resistant industrial-scale agriculture and infrastructure systems using only resources and supply chains that can be found within 100km of the place she lives.

      Hunter-gatherers are probably the first to go when the weather turns angry. They can survive in harsh climates, sure, but they need to be consistently harsh. You get 2 failed hunting seasons a decade, max. We're looking at 5-6 by 2100.

      Which is to say, don't give up, make your daughter a strong, smart, capable person with specialised and useful skills. The only way out is FALGSC, not An-Prim.

            • SiskoDid2ThingsWrong [none/use name]
              ·
              3 years ago

              I mean, whats the dif between me pulling it on a comrade instead of some normie ass Becky? It's a terrible decision to make regardless.

              • GnastyGnuts [he/him]
                ·
                3 years ago

                In my view, because it's not in the spirit of solidarity to treat a person's already born child like their life is purely a tragedy/ mistake and like the parent is bad for doing something that comes naturally for everybody that hasn't specifically contemplated anti-natalist rhetoric or climate disaster stories.

      • Totalscrotalimplosio [he/him,any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Unprotected sex leads to kids and my girlfriend did not opt for an abortion. I supported that and now I'm trying to be the best dad I can given the circumstances. Why are you being a derisive asshole?

        • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          This whole argument has real liberal vegan energy. Just the idea that personal decisions are something that matter removed from societal context.

          People have kids, it's a normal function of life and society. Especially because right now we still have surplus food production in most prosperous and moderately prosperous nations. People either have kids because they aren't starving or because they need labor power. Ideology has nothing to do with it.

            • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
              ·
              3 years ago

              Present conditions are significantly more impactful on decision making than future conditions. Even when those future conditions are pretty clear.

              E.g. every day millions of people get in cars even though they know that it will lead to thousand of them dying.

            • s0ykaf [he/him]
              ·
              3 years ago

              our ancestors bred for farm hands, we are breeding for post-apocalyptic communist super soldiers responsible for creating a new mankind from the ashes of the old

        • Totalscrotalimplosio [he/him,any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Shit happens. And fine for you but it seems the alternative is to give up hope and just end human existence, which is way more depressing to me than explaining our predicament to my daughter and trying to prepare her for it.

            • Totalscrotalimplosio [he/him,any]
              ·
              3 years ago

              I don't mean human existence would end because we'd stop reproducing but it's more of a mindset. If I thought that depopulating the Earth was the way to solve climate catastrophe, I'd probably have to be an ecofascist and encourage genocide. That's just me though.

              And yes, people are wildly unconcerned; mostly the chuds who are popping out children to preserve ytness.

        • jabrd [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Society has collapsed numerous times throughout earth's history. We're only here today because someone DATEDIFF(NOW(), collapseDate)/365.25 years ago decided to have a kid even though the Roman/Mayan/Indus River Valley empire was in the midst of collapse