Revolution & Tech

So, anyone else digging Revolution?

I’ve only seen the first episode, but generally I enjoyed it. It actually reminds me quite a bit of that S.M. Stirling series…I don’t remember the title, just the first book (Dies the Fire), where physics go wonky and nothing electrical works.

Revolution has its share of militias, warlords, and Folks With Agendas, plus the requisite post-apocalyptic landscape. Naturally I got a kick out of it, even if the lead is kind of dry.

One thing I’ve never quite understood is the sheer number of folks who think the world would be better off if we completely lost all of our technology. I watched Revolution with a couple of friends, both of whom started talking about How Awesome Things Would Be if our tech just stopped working.

Now, I’ll give them some credit and assume they were only thinking small: no need to face a morning commute or a growling boss, and we’d probably all be a lot fitter because we’d be hunter-gatherers. Yes, it’s fun to think about galloping down overgrown highways on a horse (I wouldn’t miss LA traffic) and how clear the air would be and how ~beautiful and natural~ the world would seem…except it would kind of suck.

Just off the top of my head – the basic necessities we’d lose: Microwaves, cars (no long-distance travel – and suddenly that five-mile jaunt to the grocery store is long distance), no way to get to work or anywhere else, severe curtailing of water heating/general temperature control…

No fun stuff: iPods, computers, televisions, radios, phones, Starbucks (NO, NOT STARBUCKS!), e-readers…

Important stuff: Access to medicine and medical professionals would be severely curtailed. If your meds need refrigeration…well, better hope you’ve got an icebox. How the hell is the average person supposed to track down family and friends when we’re all so spread out? Food will run out quick. Can you grow corn?

And so on and so forth.

I voiced some of my thoughts aloud and got a blank stare from one of them. “You are totally overthinking things, dude. We’d get bows and arrows and shit.”

“Wait,” I said. “Have you ever taken an archery class?”

There was a pause. “No.”

“So how are you going to learn?”

“On the go. You know, I’ll learn things. By hunting. And being in danger.”

I’m not sure it’s best to learn how to use a bow and arrow when the bear is charging you, but whatever works. I’m sure the ratio of people who figure it out successfully will be roughly equivalent to those who become proficient in firearms during the zombie apocalypse.

I’m toast.

 

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