We have already seen that humanity is not prepared to live without the internet, but it can survive for some time without electricity. Observing this, and playing around with my imagination a little, I ask the question: if overnight everything created by humans disappeared, returning humanity to the Stone Age, do you think we would survive or would we end up becoming extinct as a species?

3 months ago · 👍 bavarianbarbarian, ashnar, mathpunk, user6702822

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i don't wanna have that experience to die from parasites or an infected bee sting. but i think all in all i will make it longer that people from the big cities.. i can hunt game, smoke it, cook some primitive medicine from herbs, call me bavarian hillbilly. but not sure if that's the way i want to live... · 3 months ago

I feel like people who are used to using technology for stuff like coding, making digitalart, etc, would have some trouble doing something without technology. I would personally have withdrawals since I'm so used to expressing myself through my art and thoughts online/offline. · 3 months ago

I see serious discussions akin to this especially in line with 'primitivist' ideologies and I think one thing that it often fails to consider is that plenty of disabled people rely on modern technology to heal, manage or accomodate their conditions, and that many would die with the loss of technology and civilisation. · 3 months ago

There are communities of bushmen and tribes that wouldn't bat an eyelid. Life for them would continue much as it has done for however long.

As for the rest of us? It's perversely amusing to wonder how we would descend into chaos and self-destruction. But it's also unfortunate that we don't have the capacity to dream about the removal of these technological shackles and replace it with a hope for the future.

Well, we do. But the default seems to be "aaargh it's the end of the world like the walking dead!". · 3 months ago

Agree with Ruby. If all technology disappeared overnight, at least some of us would survive. I believe that, as a species, we thrive under pressure more than we think we do. · 3 months ago

I think that if everything vanished overnight then some portion of humanity would have the skills to survive, and we wouldn't go extinct.

If it was a more gradual process though, and people could still fight over what remained of technology...it'd be game over, we'd wipe ourselves out to the very last person trying to retain what we had. · 3 months ago

i can make an axe out of stone, without internet, call me neanderthaler ;) https://freeimage.host/i/20250821-200613.K9VBuCF · 3 months ago

Why do you ask? · 3 months ago