We live in the last human civilization that will use and control technology for its comfort and success; we live in the last technical age for the planet Earth.
This is the premise that I plan to examine as the site grows. The arguments that we are living in the final technical society are based on the observation that our extraction of minerals has removed most of the “easy to get” deposits. No society that emerges from a future dark ages (one with no technical activity for 300 or 400 years) will find resources lying about as our ancestors did. Rocks with veins of copper, iron, or coal will not be sitting on the surface. They will not have petroleum bubbling up from the depths. They will not have tools to resume deep mining as we do now, because all such tools will have been dismantled for parts, destroyed, and (or) oxidized to dust.
I think there are indications that we are turning away from technology. Perhaps it is only the local American society I live in. Or, is it World culture? If we lose intellectual traction, our world will slip into the fire storm of whirling blood feuds, prejudices, witch burnings, and constant warfare. I see trends that have spanned decades, at lest; our technical sophistication is withering.
Charles J. Armentrout
Blogs are personal attempts at communication, and here is my background. I grew up at the beginning of the space age (which I date as the late 1950’s). I am well trained in the physical sciences and this discussion will reflect that. My career started with fusion energy research experiments and ultimately moved to solutions for manufacturing issues. It has teaching as its bookends – at its start and end I taught undergraduate physics and math. I write with a very personal viewpoint.
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Charles J. Armentrout, Ann Arbor
2010 Jul 10
This is listed under Basis, and is the reason for LastTechAge
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The Last Tech Age 