NationStates Jolt Archive

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?

Lose the bombs.

I would pass on the Riemann Hypothosis. Maybe they'll be able to prove it.

Evolution, so they don't get full of themselves.

I would pass on the Riemann Hypothosis. Maybe they'll be able to prove it.

My fear about that is people would not try to solve it, but instead make some cult about it and attack anyone who tries to solve "The great mystery"

well if we dont do ourselves in (in which case none of our ideas are worth passing on) i would recommend the scientific method. its not obvious and its very powerful.

Islam. If they start from there they would be heading in the right direction.

My fear about that is people would not try to solve it, but instead make some cult about it and attack anyone who tries to solve "The great mystery"

LOL religions have been founded on worse! And it may turn out to be Godel-unknowable anyway, in which case, they'd be right!

well if we dont do ourselves in (in which case none of our ideas are worth passing on) i would recommend the scientific method. its not obvious and its very powerful.

And WAY better than Soviestan's suggestion :p

Islam. If they start from there they would be heading in the right direction.

That would only work if Islam was religion of peace of some other such nonsense. If you read the Quar'an cover to cover, you'll find instructions for mass religious genocide, a state religion, and no beer.

I would pass on, not Christianity insomuch, but the idea of a loving God (vs. the view of a vengeful God from Islam) which it is based on. An idea that, if correctly applied, would prevent some of the embaressing blunders caused by the Christian Church in the past.

Love everyone and everything and do as little harm as possible.

Music, gooooood music.

In the words of Bill and Ted; "Be Excellent to Each Other".

Islam. If they start from there they would be heading in the right direction.

I could say something about this but in the spirit of friendship, I am not going to.

Cooperation beats religion all to Hell. Learn to work together instead of fighting and God (if he/she exists) will love you a lot more than if you follow some idiot dogma.

Permaculture.

This is an excellent question, imo. I'm gonna be pondering this on the back burners of my brain for a while.

Of the things said here so far, 'Be excellent to each other' is really the best one. There are always going to be religious and cultural and national and racial differences and therefore problems, especially a few years (decades) after the human race is reorganized and begins to grow out of control again. The simplicity and the positive that comes from this particular quote can hopefully make things go smoother than it has. If society is running a touch more smoothly, then they'll be able to make their own scientific and religious progress a bit faster than if they were fighting amongst themselves like we've done so far.

Anything we give them will be turned into a focus, the one single thing that they look at and meditate over and base everything in their lives on. I've seen enough sci-fi movies to know that! hehe. If we give them a piece of technology or a declaration of religion/faith or a political ideal then they will follow that without questioning it, exploring it or earning it on their own. All three of those things need to be questioned and explored by everyone, throughout their whole lives, and we'd cripple a future society by putting it forward. They can figure that stuff out on their own.

I'm gonna think about this more over the next little while and see if I can't come up with something other than Ted's insightful musing, but for now, it fits into all my logic and emotional circuits.

The scientific method. From that, all other inventions can be derived, given time and dedication.

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.


I would tell them to not even try to recreate a civilization. Civilizations only create problems.

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.

Either a complete-as-possible history of our own civilization or some sort of technology that will ensure the new civilization's extinction. The exact choice depends on how nihilistic I'm feeling at the time of the cataclysm.

The scientific method. From that, all other inventions can be derived, given time and dedication.

Wouldn't it just be simpler to give them Descartes "I think, therefore I am." Because, technically, the scientific principle can be derived from that.

Wouldn't it just be simpler to give them Descartes "I think, therefore I am." Because, technically, the scientific principle can be derived from that.

But then they might end up with the rest of the Meditations too, and frankly giving them something that will force college philosophy students to go through it and pick it apart time and again (and let's be honest, after about half way through Meditation 2 it gets awesomely easy) is not such a great thing. It's so boring!

But seriously if you really can derive the scientific method from that then it'd be pretty awesome, because then you can get the whole philosophy racket going, and with science and philosophy on the strong it's not long before you've got a intellectually functioning civilisation.

Bread.

Anonymity.

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.

well we don't have to assume, the oil will run out and a number of other things are on the horizon, ecological colapse on a scale that we'll be lucky to survive it at all if we don't wake up and start using the good sense to avoid it.

either disease and starvation, or we learn to reduce our collective fertility in some completely impartial and nonbiased manor.

so with or without great drama and tragidy, much of what we currently take for granted WILL be gone forever, and those of us still arround will be the happier and wiser for it.

i don't think everything will be forgotten. nor that we'll be completely restarting from scratch. i think that's something of a fantasy that the slate can ever be wiped that clean. but i do think there can come a time when there are once again few enough of us for the rivers to run clean and that sort of thing.

so what would i pass on? pretty much the idea of live and let live. that whatever else exists or may come to, what exists that is greater then ourselves, and whatever we may collectively and or individualy ourselves come up with, that it remains up to us to avoid screwing everything up for each other. i really think that far outways whatever bennifit there might otherwise be to the vested interests of any kind of priesthood, whether political, economic or of belief.

we need to really remember that life itself comes from the land and the well being and coexistence of the diversity of that existence itself.

i think everyone, all of these sensible people sees that. right now it's just that sensible people aren't in charge and i don't know of any way of ever guaranteeing that they will be. after all it isn't the sensible people who allways seem to want to bully their way into being in charge.

i think maybe never allowing authority to be invested in any one individual or even committee of them might be a good plan, though i don't know how to exicute it, or prevent absolutely all situations where having someone in charge might be useful. but i do know that nature, and even ourselves, could get along just fine if no one in a general political sense ever were.

specialized activities of course need to be led by those having expertese in the pertinent areas. here i'm talking about tangable infrastructure, which is my area of interest. other then that, i don't really believe we need hierarchies. there ARE other and better ways to keep people from beating each other over the head or starving.

i think whatever happens, those who survive it, will have learned by doing so, more and better then anything i, or any of the rest of us, are ever likely to be able to teach them.

=^^=
.../\...

I would leave them a book of good pie recipes.

Scientific method as mentioned earlier followed by making beer.

I could say something about this but in the spirit of friendship, I am not going to.

So your contribution would be diplomacy. :)

the structure of the atom - and that everything consists of these little buggers.

Failing that, porn.

The internet.

In the words of Bill and Ted; "Be Excellent to Each Other".
And "Party on, Dude".

So long as they remember those two phrases, they'll get far.

I'd tell them to avoid religion. In the situation outlined there would be much scope for the Church to take an unreasonable degree of control, plunging us back into oppressive Dark Ages values.

Be Excellent To Each Other :)


edit: oh damn, beaten to it :(

Finish the job and kill each other. Maybe the next species won't be so self-destructive.

Be Excellent To Each Other :)


edit: oh damn, beaten to it :(

Great minds and all that.


Party on dude!

And "Party on, Dude".

So long as they remember those two phrases, they'll get far.

Excellent!

Oops, Whitemane Gryphons was me. I was under the wrong nation.

I third or possibly fourth 'Be Excellent To Each Other" as it's... well... it works!

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.

Starting from scratch.
None of this bullshit.

Hmmmm.
Morally, I would like to pass on the whole "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" thing. I dont anyone will argue that is a bad.


Or,
"Being 'Right' at the expense of kindness and compassion is wrong."


For the sake of the future, I would want to try impress upon the idea of planetary stewardship, not possession. This is not "our" world, we are this world's residents. Dont shit where you eat.

But as general concept that encompasses this idea I am not educated enough to name one.

Compassion.

i would have to make them think i am thier God and make them pay tribute to me.

I can not decide between Kant's Imperative and the scientific method...

In the words of Bill and Ted; "Be Excellent to Each Other".

... and if that leaves any doubt, "be impeccable in your word."

I.E, don't take the piss, ever.

"Why not?"

I would pass on a little poem that was written on the wall of the library:

There are two little words
that open every door with ease;
One little word is Thankyou,
The other little word is Please.

Now if everyone was nice and polite to each other people everything would be so much nicer :D

Assume that some great cataclysm (ie-ice age, nuclear war or the like) and all of human progress over the last several millenia were to be eliminated, along with most of the population, but eventually a new civilization would re-emerge and start from scratch.

If you had to pass one idea or one concept on to them, what would it be?



This is not my own, but it was asked to some Nobel Prize winner whose name I am drawing a blank on.

Evolution as someone said previously. Maybe that would prevent them from creating loony religions and instead focus on scientific process from the beginning.