[Chicagoan]

An Arcology is based on Paolo Soleri's concept of the development of compact 3-D alternatives to existing urban sprawls, combining more efficient use of land and resources. In the future, mankind will be pressed closer and closer together in a vast urban sprawl. As society is deals with a rise in population and population density, while having to deliver a much more efficient use of resources, use of the arcology will become commonplace.

http://www.arcology.com/

[Laurasia]

Hi Chicagoan: What do you think of the Arcosanti Project? Before I found out about Peak Oil, Arcosanti looked like my definition of Paradise (under construction of course!) I still WISH that we could live in beautiful, airy, compact, well-planned cities, or beautiful ethereal colonies on Mars or the Moon, but I've had to get practical in my old age! I notice there were links to that Japanese project Sky City. But there's way too much construction there - too much to go wrong -even though, once again, I'm attracted to futuristic stuff like that. By the way, have you seen the following site? My " old self" liked that site, and that concept, a LOT.

http://www.thevenusproject.com/

Regards,

L.

[Chicagoan]

Engineers like to design huge construction projects. But I don't think that is the only form of arcology. It probably would be easier to have a ten story building sorrounded by enough farmland and wilderness to support its population indefinately. This certainly would be easier to do then colonize space.

I do not think this kind of stuff is likely to ever happen. But if society can be convinced that it must evolve, then there is a chance. This is one of those classic sci-fi "if all goes well" moments in our history.

[lowem]

I thought that's sci-fi. Wasn't constructing an arcology an option in SimCity?

[Chicagoan]

Arcosanti is actually under construction. It is an amazing place.

http://www.arcosanti.org/project/main.html

[ThunderSnow]

What would happen if we suddenly went extinct?



This is a here today gone tommorow scenario. Diseases, famine and natural disasters could potentially lead to nuclear conflict invalidating this scenario.

[Dezakin]

fun Sure would love to be there to see it all.

If you live long enough you'll get to see the reverse. Eventually glass and steel as far as the eye can see. It will be beautiful.

Pity there are so few that appreciate the harsh beauty of civilization.

[quizz]

The DMZ zone between North and South Korea is flourishing. With a swath of no-man's land, birds, animals, trees are not under human pressure. Makes you think.

[NEOPO]

<does his best "beavis" impersonation> nuclear conflict invalidation!! yeah yeah!!

[seldom_seen]

If we're gone, then all that's left is the other animals, and they don't appreciate what they have

haha, and we do? you cwazy dood.

[Omnitir]

There’s a very important part missing from this timeline, perhaps sometime between 1,000 years and 50,000 years:

Giant asteroid collides with Earth, turning the sky to fire and wiping out 99% of life on the planet. The natural environment is devastated far more severely then civilization ever could come close too.

In the long run, the best chance the environment has is for humankind to continue advancing.

[seldom_seen]

There’s a very important part missing from this timeline, perhaps sometime between 1,000 years and 50,000 years:

Giant asteroid collides with Earth, turning the sky to fire and wiping out 99% of life on the planet. The natural environment is devastated far more severely then civilization ever could come close too.

In the long run, the best chance the environment has is for humankind to continue advancing.

Sorry dude, you're going to die. Someday the earth will die as well, and we're not advancing anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, time is no linear but circular.

That being said, I don't understand the headlong rush to destroy the earth and ourselves. I say we give each other another 50,000 years.

[BrownDog]

I presume this is the source of that graphic (image link is at the bottom):
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2399972.html

And the larger report that the times references:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19225731.100

[Omnitir]

seldom_seen,

Sorry dude, you're going to die.

Uh, wow, what a revelation

Someday the earth will die as well

Yes, but long before the planet is consumed by the sun, it will be bombarded by another asteroid large enough to destroy almost all life (possibly even all life). The destructive power of this collision will be far greater then humans can achieve, even with the entire worlds nuclear arsenal. And in geological terms, this collision is about due to occur any time now.

Now, is there any chance what-so-ever of avoiding this disaster? With advanced civilizations on the planet, yes, there is a chance. Without humans around, no, not a chance at all.

Which is why the best chance life on earth has of surviving long term is for civilization to survive long term, contrary to visions of nature taking back the planet without people around.

That's not to say we don't need to change our ways. However we do need to survive, advanced civilization needs to survive, if we want life to survive long term.

we're not advancing anywhere

Oh come on, how can you possibly argue that we aren’t advancing? Are you a hunter gatherer?

Contrary to popular belief, time is no linear but circular.

What do you mean? Of course time is linear. Who thinks it’s circular? Tomorrow is not going to be yesterday.

[seldom_seen]

What do you mean? Of course time is linear. Who thinks it’s circular? Tomorrow is not going to be yesterday.

There is no tomorrow or yesterday. Those are just words that live in your head and allow you to get to work on time. The idea that time is linear is one of the many fallacies of the Newtonian/Cartesian worldview of which our civilization is designed around.

The earth is not flying through space in a straight line from point A to point B. It is revolving around the sun, always coming back to right where it started.. The sun is twisting in a circular fashion through the universe. Electrons spin around the nucleus of the atom. A flower blooms, then fades back in to the soil where it sprouted from. A civilization blossoms, and decays back in to the earth. Spring gives way to summer, fall, winter and back to spring again.

We're all individually and collectively headed back to exactly where we came from. This is the circular nature of life and time. The idea of "advancing" in to the universe is just a wish for immortality. The universe is right here, there's nowhere to advance to.

The linear timekeeping that we've developed is just a mental construct that innaccurately reflects how the universe works. Kind of like a map of the landscape. The map is not the landscape though.

“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” -Albert Einstein

[rogerhb]

There is no tomorrow or yesterday. Those are just words that live in your head and allow you to get to work on time. The idea that time is linear is one of the many fallacies of the Newtonian/Cartesian worldview of which our civilization is designed around.

I assure you that they are sequential, tomorrow will not be before yesterday.

[JustinFrankl]

“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” -Albert Einstein

All models are wrong. Some models are useful. The linear-time model is useful in getting to work, so that you may get paid, so that you may have food, clothing, and shelter.

The circular-time model is useful to physicists who desire to reconcile various theoretical inconsistencies, because they enjoy doing so. And because their ability to do so impacts their getting paid so that they may also have food, clothing, and shelter.

According to linear time theory, adequate planning and preparation need to be done today to avoid problems tomorrow.

Personally, I'd like to believe in the circular time theory where tomorrow doesn't exist, because I enjoy being hungry, cold, and wet.

[Tyler_JC]

I think BosWash is beautiful.

If we can figure out a way to fill up Connecticut with more buildings, we can finally complete our Megacity.

Eventually, all green space between Portland, Maine and Richmond, Virginia will be gone. It will be possible to walk on concrete for across the entire Northeast Corridor.

In terms of population, we are kicking Bajalta's butt! (44 million to 24 million)

If we can figure out fusion, Project Civilization may one day cover the entire globe.

If Phoenix can exist in the middle of the desert for no apparent reason, why can't we build a thousand Las Vegases in the Sahara?

The possibilities of free energy are endless...

Where's JohnDenver when you need him?

[rangerone314]

I don't think I've seen much attention paid here to arcology...