Collapse

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This is the place for discussing the potential collapse of modern civilization and the environment.

Collapse, in this context, refers to the significant loss of an established level or complexity towards a much simpler state. It can occur differently within many areas, orderly or chaotically, and be willing or unwilling. It does not necessarily imply human extinction or a singular, global event. Although, the longer the duration, the more it resembles a ‘decline’ instead of collapse.

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Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by eleitl@lemm.ee to c/collapse@lemm.ee

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[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In 2014, Ursula Le Guin accepted the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, saying: “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.”

Harfoush reflects on this quote often. It underscores the fact that “this world we’ve created is ultimately a choice”, she says. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

[–] eleitl@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

Like in statistical thermodynamics, the collective choice of an ensemble is not a choice at all. Individually, we do have degrees of freedom. The larger the aggregate, the less degrees of freedom.