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Twin Nuclei Problem: Difference between revisions
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The '''Twin Nuclei Problem of Cell and Atom''' is the recognition that having gained the power to manipulate cellular and atomic nuclei between 1952 and 1953, humanity is now in possession of unprecedented destructive power, and thus capable of self-extinction. All of human civilization is now one correlated experiment, and any sufficiently large event may be enough to end it, limiting its long-term future. That such an event has not yet occurred is largely a function of growth and luck. Since the early 1970s, growth has stagnated in all but a few economic activities, and as evidenced by the coronavirus pandemic, luck is fragile and running out. [[Eric Weinstein]] | [[File:Ivy Mike atmospheric nuclear test - November 1952 - Flickr - The Official CTBTO Photostream.jpg|right|thumb|Mushroom cloud from the first detonation of a Teller-Ulam staged-fusion device.]] | ||
The '''Twin Nuclei Problem of Cell and Atom''' is the recognition that having gained the power to manipulate cellular and atomic nuclei between 1952 and 1953, humanity is now in possession of unprecedented destructive power, and thus capable of self-extinction. All of human civilization is now one correlated experiment, and any sufficiently large event may be enough to end it, limiting its long-term future. That such an event has not yet occurred is largely a function of growth and luck. Since the early 1970s, growth has stagnated in all but a few economic activities, and as evidenced by the coronavirus pandemic, luck is fragile and running out. [[Eric Weinstein]] introduced the idea to a wide public audience in his [[On Fake News, Trump, and the Mathematical Mind - Eric Weinstein (YouTube Content)|first appearance]] on [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdKr0Bgd_5saZYqLCa9mng The Rubin Report] on January 6, 2017. | |||
== Preconditions == | == Preconditions == | ||
The conditions for the Twin Nuclei Problem began at the end of World War II, with the use of atomic fission bombs on the cities of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima Hiroshima] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki Nagasaki] to force Japan's surrender. <!-- Duck and cover still plausible with fission, pressure to develop a greater weapon because cold war, hydrogen fusion bombs change everything. 1952 Ivy Mike detonation. --> | The conditions for the Twin Nuclei Problem began at the end of World War II, with the use of atomic fission bombs on the cities of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima Hiroshima] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki Nagasaki] to force Japan's surrender. <!-- Duck and cover still plausible with fission, pressure to develop a greater weapon because cold war, hydrogen fusion bombs change everything. 1952 Ivy Mike detonation. --> | ||
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''During this period Derek de Solla Price discovered that science was on an unsustainable exponential. | ''During this period Derek de Solla Price discovered that science was on an unsustainable exponential. | ||
''He published 'Science Since Babylon' (1959?) predicting an end to scientific growth. | ''He published '[[Science Since Babylon]]' (1959?) predicting an end to scientific growth. | ||
''Science is upstream of technology which is upstream of markets. And the predicted end came around 1972. | ''Science is upstream of technology which is upstream of markets. And the predicted end came around 1972. | ||
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''During the 1945-1972 era, institutions built in assumptions about their future growth. | ''During the 1945-1972 era, institutions built in assumptions about their future growth. | ||
''Those Embedded Growth Obligations or E.G.0.s are now unsustainable. | ''Those [[Embedded Growth Obligations]] or E.G.0.s are now unsustainable. | ||
''This has caused nearly all institutions to be headed by people willing to lie to keep the institutions alive. | ''This has caused nearly all institutions to be headed by people willing to lie to keep the institutions alive. | ||
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* [[Science Since Babylon]] | * [[Science Since Babylon]] | ||
* [[Kayfabe]] | * [[Kayfabe]] | ||
* [[Nuclear Testing]] | |||
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