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Ok so there are many ways to negotiate with The Void and I guess this is mine?
It’s really good though.
You find this dialectic throughout The Collapse of Complex Societies:
Complexity :: centralization :: carrying capacity up
Collapse :: decentralization :: carrying capacity down
Complexity :: centralization :: carrying capacity up
Collapse :: decentralization :: carrying capacity down
...A challenging thought to grapple with, given my 51% p2p cypherpunk decentralized localist climate-resilient goat farm inclinations.
Centralization has inescapable returns to scale.
Centralization has inescapable returns to scale.
Networks are also a form of centralization.
Collapse forces the proliferation of different survival strategies. You go from one hegemonic strategy to many localized ones.
...at the expense of massive loss in carrying capacity, art, literature, life, so it’s not a “strategy” you want to pursue.
...at the expense of massive loss in carrying capacity, art, literature, life, so it’s not a “strategy” you want to pursue.
Tainter’s definition of collapse:
Lower degree of social stratification and differentiation.
Less economic and occupational specialization.
Less centralized control.
Less behavioral control.
Less investment in architecture, art, literature.
...
Lower degree of social stratification and differentiation.
Less economic and occupational specialization.
Less centralized control.
Less behavioral control.
Less investment in architecture, art, literature.
...
Less information flow between individuals, groups, center and periphery.
Less sharing, trading, redistribution of resources.
Less coordination between individuals and groups.
Less sharing, trading, redistribution of resources.
Less coordination between individuals and groups.
Tracks with takeaways I’ve gleaned from Complexity Economics:
Increased carrying capacity comes from specialization.
Trade increases total carrying capacity AND inequality.
Cities increase carrying capacity AND inequality.
Returns to scale.
Networks scale via centralized hubs.
Increased carrying capacity comes from specialization.
Trade increases total carrying capacity AND inequality.
Cities increase carrying capacity AND inequality.
Returns to scale.
Networks scale via centralized hubs.
The causal mechanism is maybe that these networks stop being useful because enforced cooperation breaks down. But loss of the networks must accelerate the loop?
Can’t help but wonder if a resilient internet might make our global society more resilient. https://twitter.com/gordonbrander/status/1264573078224302080?s=21 https://twitter.com/gordonbrander/status/1264573078224302080
Can’t help but wonder if a resilient internet might make our global society more resilient. https://twitter.com/gordonbrander/status/1264573078224302080?s=21 https://twitter.com/gordonbrander/status/1264573078224302080
Social collapse happens at all levels of social complexity, from hunter-gatherer on up. So there’s not really a clear morality tale to tell about the hubris of growing too complex.
Goat farms won’t save you. Always vulnerable to collapse at every level.
Goat farms won’t save you. Always vulnerable to collapse at every level.
