There’s a new book out that talks about rebuilding civilization from scratch. I think about this topic all the time; it’s a moving target, and it is a hard problem because it’s not a single question but rather a series of optimization exercises. I’ve got a project in the vault on the topic, and my understanding, gleaned from sources I can’t find on google now, is that this is a common engineering thought experiment. Research for that project is also where I first encountered the notion that building a lathe would be a critical step on the path.

So I’m psyched that there’s a book on the subject.  I’m always momentarily bummed that there’s a project that summarily disposes of a question that animates one of my projects, but this time around I see how narrow this book is, and where my own work on and approach to the topic diverges.  That seems like some kind of personal growth, which is itself worth celebrating.