Now here is a perfect example of something conceived in science that could make a great science fiction story.
Plans are being drawn up for a “Doomsday ark” on the moon containing the essentials of life and civilization. A basic version of the ark would contain hard discs holding information such as DNA sequences and instructions for metal smelting or planting crops. It would be buried in a vault just under the lunar surface.
I can see the drama of the build, the horror of the collapse, and something akin to Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders when they found the ancient AI that helped rebuild civilization. As great as it sounds....could it work? Look at how fast knowledge can fade away. Often the same thing is invented several times, there is ample evidence in history to support this claim. I suspect that if a life ending event happens on Earth, the ability to run the machinery or maintain the machinery that would retrieve this information would quickly pass. The knowledge that is saved would still be lost. If not retrieved and implemented almost immediately, I suspect that within a century there would be no one left who would understand how it all functioned. Look at how much was almost lost when the Egyptian empire collapsed. They left the records, but the ability to decode the writings was lost. Great fiction, not practical.
click here for the complete article from the Times Online
Plans are being drawn up for a “Doomsday ark” on the moon containing the essentials of life and civilization. A basic version of the ark would contain hard discs holding information such as DNA sequences and instructions for metal smelting or planting crops. It would be buried in a vault just under the lunar surface.
I can see the drama of the build, the horror of the collapse, and something akin to Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders when they found the ancient AI that helped rebuild civilization. As great as it sounds....could it work? Look at how fast knowledge can fade away. Often the same thing is invented several times, there is ample evidence in history to support this claim. I suspect that if a life ending event happens on Earth, the ability to run the machinery or maintain the machinery that would retrieve this information would quickly pass. The knowledge that is saved would still be lost. If not retrieved and implemented almost immediately, I suspect that within a century there would be no one left who would understand how it all functioned. Look at how much was almost lost when the Egyptian empire collapsed. They left the records, but the ability to decode the writings was lost. Great fiction, not practical.
click here for the complete article from the Times Online
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