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'''Life is wonderful.'''
'''Life is wonderful.'''


[[Image:GreatArch.png]]


Imagine there still are intelligent beings alive on this planet in a billion years. And always are from now until then, one learning from the other.  
Imagine there still are intelligent beings alive on this planet in a billion years. And always are from now until then, one learning from the other.  
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[[Milliongenerations:About milliongenerations.org|milliongenerations.org]] invites you to think about the conditions required for [[civilization]] to exist on the earth while the sun provides a suitable environment. To help identify the [[conditions of sustainable civilizations|requirements for lasting civilizations]]. This knowledge would make it easier to find [[Actions to be taken to achieve a sustainable civilization|ways]] to create the right conditions.
[[Image:GreatArch.png]]
 
 
[[Milliongenerations:About milliongenerations.org|This site]] invites you to think about the conditions required for [[civilization]] to exist on the earth while lfe is possible i.e., while the sun provides a suitable environment. To help identify [[conditions of sustainable civilizations|requirements for lasting civilizations]]. This knowledge would make it easier to find [[Actions to be taken to achieve a sustainable civilization|ways]] to create the right conditions.
 
 
'''[[Motivation|Why?]]'''
:To help finding ways for civilization to continue. Perspectives on the survival of civilization on this planet for even a few hundred more years tend to be pessimistic. History provides plenty of examples of collapsed civilizations and we have consumed most easily accessible resources, significantly alter our environment and posess or develop means for potentially disasterous conflicts or mishaps, make ourselves superfluous with technology and our "monoculture" is vulnerable to "parasites".
:Existing methods have so far failed to provide obvious and attractive solutions that are widely adopted. The current crises demonstrate that neither some wise organization nor any automatic mechanism ensures everything will be all right. Better ways need to be found.
:The advent of online collaboration pioneered prominently by [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia] opened new ways to gain and share insights. Together we might succeed to develop viable visions that increase the chances for all possible future generations to enjoy the benefits of knowledge. 


How? Let us [[assumption|assume]] here that [[civilization|civilizations]] of intelligent and self aware individuals continue while a biosphere supporting life in any form exists on this planet. For the latter, let us assume at least one billion years, forty million generations for current humans. Let us discuss [[questions|what follows from this assumption]] to clarify some [[conditions of sustainable civilizations|conditions of lasting civilizations]]. If you want to help, you can improve this and most other pages on this site now: click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page. If there's no edit tab, create an account and log in and the edit tab should appear (only some special pages are protected). Please check the [[Help:Contents|help pages]] and [[Milliongenerations:Guidelines for contributions|guidelines]] first. It also helps to know about which [[Related topics |relevant thoughts exist]] or which [[Special:Allpages | structures exist on this site]].  
'''[[Questions|How?]]'''
:Let us [[assumption|assume]] here that [[civilization|civilizations]] of intelligent and self aware individuals continue while a biosphere supporting life in any form exists on this planet. For the latter, let us assume at least one billion years, forty million generations for current humans. Let us discuss [[questions|what follows from this assumption]] to clarify some [[conditions of sustainable civilizations|conditions of lasting civilizations]]. The fewer assumptions we make, the more valid our conclusions will be, no matter how such civilization will look like.  


[[Motivation|Why?]] To help finding ways for civilization to continue. Perspectives on the survival of civilization on this planet for even a few hundred more years tend to be pessimistic. History provides plenty of examples of collapsed civilizations and we have consumed most easily accessible resources, significantly alter our environment and posess or develop means for potentially disasterous conflicts or mishaps, make ourselves superfluous with technology and our "monoculture" is vulnerable to "parasites". Current methods have so far failed to provide obvious and attractive solutions that are widely adopted. The advent of online collaboration pioneered prominently by [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia] opened new ways to gain and share insights. Together we might succeed to develop viable visions that enable life for all possible future generations.   
:[[Milliongenerations:About milliongenerations.org|This site]] '''invites everyone''' interested to think out of the box and '''look from a different perspective''' i.e., to look back from an assumption rather than to predict the future or change the present. To leave pressing and important issues such as climate change, resources, inequality, and conflicts for what they are for a while and to focus here exclusively on the constraints placed by the [[assumption]] that [[civilization|civilization(s)]] continue for millions of generations. To develop positive concepts for possible futures and create ideas for [[sustainable|sustainability]] and [[resilient|resilience]] rather than reducing unsustainability or just hoping everything is going to be all right. For example, let us realize how much we can consume and what materials we can use if there still are millions of generations after us. If this perspective helps some of us to come up with viable visions or inspiring ideas, we may hope for beneficial feedback to current affairs.   


To this end, [[Milliongenerations:About milliongenerations.org|milliongenerations.org]] invites everyone interested to think out of the box and look from a different perspective i.e., to look back from an assumption rather than to predict the future or change the present. To leave pressing and important issues such as climate change, resources, inequality, and conflicts for what they are for a while and to focus here exclusively on the constraints placed by the [[assumption]] that [[civilization|civilization(s)]] continue for millions of generations, i.e. there still is at least one [[civilization]] on this planet in a billion years that evolved from today's. To develop positive concepts for possible futures and create ideas for [[sustainable|sustainability]] and [[resilient|resilience]] rather than reducing unsustainability or just hoping everything is going to be all right. If in this process some of us can come up with viable visions or inspiring ideas, we may hope for beneficial feedback to current affairs.  
:Various organizations dedicated to influencing the here and now in one way or another already exist. The '''focus on this site should firmly remain in the long term''', no matter how (or if) we believe it can or should be reached. If you're looking to '''do something else''', you could check out initiatives listed [[Related topics|here]] or actions discussed [[Actions to be taken to achieve a sustainable civilization|here]].


As various organizations dedicated to influencing the here and now in one way or another already exist, the focus of milliongenerations.org should firmly remain in the long term, no matter how (or if) we believe it can or should be reached. If you're looking to do something else, you could check out initiatives listed [[Related topics|here]] or actions discussed [[Actions to be taken to achieve a sustainable civilization|here]].
:If you want to help, you can improve most pages on this site now: click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page. If there's no edit tab, create an account and log in and the edit tab should appear (only some special pages are protected). Please check the [[Help:Contents|help pages]] and [[Milliongenerations:Guidelines for contributions|guidelines]] first. It also helps to know about which [[Related topics |relevant thoughts exist]] or which [[Special:Allpages | structures exist on this site]]. Note that all the blue text are links that you can follow.




In the long run we are all dead, as was famously observed by John Maynard Keynes. Life, however, should be possible on earth for several billions of years, and it would be a shame not to have civilizations while life is possible. To let civilization continue warrants a sincere effort, everything within our control. Even if we fail, we could better understand the gift we have. And we might yet be standing in a line that continues for millions of generations with individuals who realize life is wonderful.
 
''In the long run we are all dead'', as was famously observed by John Maynard Keynes. Life, however, should be possible on earth for several billions of years, and it would be a shame not to have civilizations while life is possible. To '''let civilization continue''' warrants a sincere effort, everything within our control. Even if we fail, we could better understand the gift we have. And we might yet be standing in a line that continues for millions of generations with individuals who realize life is wonderful.




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'''Criticism of this project'''
'''Criticism of this project'''
* [[Milliongenerations:Criticism | Criticism]] for disapproval or faults of milliongenerations.org and warnings about its dangers
* [[Milliongenerations:Criticism | Criticism]] for disapproval or faults of milliongenerations.org and warnings about its dangers
----
Sorry that this is so much text and all the blue links need a long time to go through. We hope that you'll stretch your attention span and find that it's worth it. If you know how to say all this shorter, please do, and make this site better.

Revision as of 00:37, 25 June 2009

Nederlandse versie


Life is wonderful.


Imagine there still are intelligent beings alive on this planet in a billion years. And always are from now until then, one learning from the other.

Now imagine you could help to make this possible. Is there a greater ambition?


GreatArch.png


This site invites you to think about the conditions required for civilization to exist on the earth while lfe is possible i.e., while the sun provides a suitable environment. To help identify requirements for lasting civilizations. This knowledge would make it easier to find ways to create the right conditions.


Why?

To help finding ways for civilization to continue. Perspectives on the survival of civilization on this planet for even a few hundred more years tend to be pessimistic. History provides plenty of examples of collapsed civilizations and we have consumed most easily accessible resources, significantly alter our environment and posess or develop means for potentially disasterous conflicts or mishaps, make ourselves superfluous with technology and our "monoculture" is vulnerable to "parasites".
Existing methods have so far failed to provide obvious and attractive solutions that are widely adopted. The current crises demonstrate that neither some wise organization nor any automatic mechanism ensures everything will be all right. Better ways need to be found.
The advent of online collaboration pioneered prominently by Wikipedia opened new ways to gain and share insights. Together we might succeed to develop viable visions that increase the chances for all possible future generations to enjoy the benefits of knowledge.

How?

Let us assume here that civilizations of intelligent and self aware individuals continue while a biosphere supporting life in any form exists on this planet. For the latter, let us assume at least one billion years, forty million generations for current humans. Let us discuss what follows from this assumption to clarify some conditions of lasting civilizations. The fewer assumptions we make, the more valid our conclusions will be, no matter how such civilization will look like.
This site invites everyone interested to think out of the box and look from a different perspective i.e., to look back from an assumption rather than to predict the future or change the present. To leave pressing and important issues such as climate change, resources, inequality, and conflicts for what they are for a while and to focus here exclusively on the constraints placed by the assumption that civilization(s) continue for millions of generations. To develop positive concepts for possible futures and create ideas for sustainability and resilience rather than reducing unsustainability or just hoping everything is going to be all right. For example, let us realize how much we can consume and what materials we can use if there still are millions of generations after us. If this perspective helps some of us to come up with viable visions or inspiring ideas, we may hope for beneficial feedback to current affairs.
Various organizations dedicated to influencing the here and now in one way or another already exist. The focus on this site should firmly remain in the long term, no matter how (or if) we believe it can or should be reached. If you're looking to do something else, you could check out initiatives listed here or actions discussed here.
If you want to help, you can improve most pages on this site now: click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page. If there's no edit tab, create an account and log in and the edit tab should appear (only some special pages are protected). Please check the help pages and guidelines first. It also helps to know about which relevant thoughts exist or which structures exist on this site. Note that all the blue text are links that you can follow.


In the long run we are all dead, as was famously observed by John Maynard Keynes. Life, however, should be possible on earth for several billions of years, and it would be a shame not to have civilizations while life is possible. To let civilization continue warrants a sincere effort, everything within our control. Even if we fail, we could better understand the gift we have. And we might yet be standing in a line that continues for millions of generations with individuals who realize life is wonderful.


Quick links

Content and debate


Editing


Community: improving and enabling this site


Criticism of this project

  • Criticism for disapproval or faults of milliongenerations.org and warnings about its dangers


Sorry that this is so much text and all the blue links need a long time to go through. We hope that you'll stretch your attention span and find that it's worth it. If you know how to say all this shorter, please do, and make this site better.

Retrieved from "https://www.milliongenerations.org/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=1239"