TIL a steady transfer of rare earth metals from China is necessary for all of the computers of today to continue working. Is it like a subscription. Rare earth pass, subscribe now.
It won’t be hermitage for us, it will likely be death from starvation and disease. Global supply chains, including those for food production and distribution required modern technology. If you’re going back to pre-computer world you have to roll the clock back for how much of a population the world was able to support. The first transistor was made in 1947, which is arguably the beginning of modern electronics (a few vacuum tube computers existed before this time).
World population a few years later in 1951 was 2,536,927,035. The world population today is 8,231,613,070. So your suggested change will kill off about 5,694,686,035. Even Marvel’s Thanos was only trying to kill off half of the population, and here you are suggesting Thanos wasn’t going far enough where you want about 70% of everyone dead.
To think either one of use would survive is hubris.
Oh no, that argument about current capabilities ruins my whole schtick, let me pick up a PS so I can counter argue a red herring…
You must be from the US
edit: more than half of the people in the world live in Africa/Asia, I don’t see those regions being particularly affected by rare earth metal restrictions. Microsoft, OpenAI and Apple et al might be fucked though, and that means that scenario would be a good thing.
So no modern electronics or computers then? So back to maybe basic transistors at best? You’re cool with that?
TIL a steady transfer of rare earth metals from China is necessary for all of the computers of today to continue working. Is it like a subscription. Rare earth pass, subscribe now.
Otherwise, ya, hermit life FTW
It won’t be hermitage for us, it will likely be death from starvation and disease. Global supply chains, including those for food production and distribution required modern technology. If you’re going back to pre-computer world you have to roll the clock back for how much of a population the world was able to support. The first transistor was made in 1947, which is arguably the beginning of modern electronics (a few vacuum tube computers existed before this time).
World population a few years later in 1951 was 2,536,927,035. The world population today is 8,231,613,070. So your suggested change will kill off about 5,694,686,035. Even Marvel’s Thanos was only trying to kill off half of the population, and here you are suggesting Thanos wasn’t going far enough where you want about 70% of everyone dead.
To think either one of use would survive is hubris.
Nice MO (besides the voting manipulation)
Oh no, that argument about current capabilities ruins my whole schtick, let me pick up a PS so I can counter argue a red herring…
You must be from the US
edit: more than half of the people in the world live in Africa/Asia, I don’t see those regions being particularly affected by rare earth metal restrictions. Microsoft, OpenAI and Apple et al might be fucked though, and that means that scenario would be a good thing.