[extropy-chat] 'History' and the fulcrum of 1945

[Keith Henson]

At 03:53 PM 09/02/05 +0100, Eugen Leitl wrote:
On Wed, Feb 09, 2005 at 09:11:07AM -0500, Keith Henson wrote:

 >> *Something* has to keep population in balance with the productivity of the
 >> ecosystem.  Since human have no predators, when the future looks bleak we
 >> have to be our own predators.

 >Autopredation is also what made us human (those not smart enough winding up
  >in the digestive tract).

 >Grim indeed, but it's also our past. As long as we have an operating system
 >for societies which contains our neolithic firmware, we're safe. Problems
 >being when it breaks down, and we fall back to feral mode.

You are going to have to tell me what you mean by such terms as "firmware" 
and "neolithic."

The standard measure of neolithic starts about 8000 BC.  That's not nearly 
enough time to have induced changes in the genetic based psychological 
traits if that's what you call "firmware."  Everything since farming is 
cultural, software.  Works *great* as long as the human population is not 
under stress, particularly as long as it does not see harsh times 
a-coming.  Once lots of people do see a bleak future, they spread memes (or 
some meme gets loose) that dehumanized some a of strangers and off the 
warriors go to kill that group.  (Or round them up and gas them the way the 
Nazis did.)

Keith Henson