Sunday, May 15, 2011

Century of Disasters

I liked this new piece on Slate stemming from the current crop of disasters, which seemed exceptionally balanced in its approach.

In the same way that the 20th century was the century of world wars, genocide, and grinding ideological conflict, the 21st will be the century of natural disasters and technological crises and unholy combinations of the two. It'll be the century when the things that we count on to go right will, for whatever reason, go wrong.


Gloomy, but admit it--weren't you already beginning to suspect it? Read on if you want to put the whole situation into some kind of larger perspective.

14 comments:

  1. Maybe this belongs on one of your other blogs, but is it a coincidence that scat and eschatology sound as if they just might share an origin?
    ==========================
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll give it a look, Peter. Though it may be awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Better not wait too long. Who know much time we h

    ReplyDelete
  4. ave left.
    ==========================
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I guess it's all over tomorrow if some folks are to be believed...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Each time the world is about to end, I always try to remember to look out for what the doomsayers say when the next day dawns, and they're still here. I never remember to do so, though.

    I suppose those folks are too busy counting the money they've made to care.

    Besides, the world ends in 2012.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Slate magazine has apparently been wondering much the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Slate's conclusions are not as neat as the author seems to think they are. Some of those analogies are weak. But the article is interesting. Thanks.

    I also had the idea that someone who wakes up on May 22 still in this world might despair that he has been left behind as one of the sinners.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have to admit I only sort of skimmed it.

    The OUP blog has a lot of fun bide your time till the end activities.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This blog's name takes on new meaning at 6:01 p.m. EDT Sunday for those of us still able to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't know; the sinners left behind will still want to stay in touch with their friends online.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Their raptured friends? Because that a hard role for even our most cutting edge technology to fulfill.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yeah, think of the roaming charged.

    ReplyDelete