Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 28: Problem 22

What do you think will set the limit on the lifetime of our technological civilization? Explain your reasoning.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The limit on the lifetime of our technological civilization could potentially be set by the depletion of natural resources, negative impacts of technology on environment and human health, hurdles in societal structures and education, and unforeseen catastrophic events.

Step by step solution

01

Analysis of Natural Resources

Consider the availability and sustainability of natural resources. Our technological civilization heavily relies on various natural resources for energy production, manufacturing, and other technological processes. Once these resources start depleting, it could potentially limit the lifetime of the technology-dependent civilization.
02

Examination of Technological Impacts

Assess how various technologies are affecting the environment and human health. If the negative impacts significantly outweigh its benefits, that might set a limit on the civilization's life span.
03

Evaluation of Societal Structures

Evaluate the role of societal structures in maintenance and progress of technological civilization. Issues such as unequal distribution of technology, lack of education in managing technology etc, could pose a challenge in the long run.
04

Potential Unforeseen Circumstances

Mention that unforeseen circumstances like a catastrophic natural disaster, interstellar events, or technological disasters (like a nuclear war or a severe cyberattack) could abruptly end the technological civilization.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

The late, great science-fiction editor John W. Campbell exhorted his authors to write stories about organisms that think as well as humans, but not like humans. Discuss the possibility that an intelligent being from another world might be so alien in its thought processes that we could not communicate with it.

How do you think our society would respond to the discovery of intelligent messages coming from a civilization on a planet orbiting another star? Explain your reasoning.

Science-fiction television shows and movies often depict aliens as looking very much like humans. Discuss the likelihood that intelligent creatures from another world would have (a) a biochemistry similar to our own, (b) two legs and two arms, and (c) about the same dimensions as a human.

Like other popular media, the World Wide Web is full of claims of the existence of "extraterrestrial intelligence"namely, UFO sightings and alien abductions. (a) Choose a Web site of this kind and analyze its content using the idea of Occam's razor, the principle that if there is more than one viable explanation for a phenomenon, one should choose the simplest explanation that fits all the observed facts. (b) Read what a skeptical Web site has to say about UFO sightings. A good example is the Web site of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP. After considering what you have read on both sides of the UFO debate, discuss your opinions about whether aliens really have landed on Earth. NM2e,

The Drake Equation. Access the Active Integrated Media Module "The Drake Equation" in Chapter 28 of the Universe Web site or eBook. (a) For each of the terms in the Drake equation, choose a value that seems reasonable to you. How did you choose these values? Using the module, what do you find for the number of civilizations in our Galaxy? From your calculation, are civilizations common or uncommon in our Galaxy? (b) Using the module, choose a set of values that give \(N=10^{6}\) (a million civilizations). What values did you use? Which of these seem reasonable to you, and why?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Fluids

Read Explanation

Electricity and Magnetism

Read Explanation

Thermodynamics

Read Explanation

Force

Read Explanation

Physics of Motion

Read Explanation

Electric Charge Field and Potential

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free