Guy makes a knife from scratch. He has to make a smelter first.

Post by btilly » Mon, Jun 13, 2011, 2:28 AM UTC

toddh wrote: post #49

RomP wrote: post #47

I sometimes wonder how long would it take for the civilization to re-create the current level of technology, if all the material artifacts disappear one day: books, computers, robots, factories, even hammers. If all that remains is the current level of knowledge in the heads of 7bln people, how long would it take from the stone age to Core i7, heart transplants and Boeing 787s? And how much different the world would…

A question I've had about this is where are the ready supplies of materials that could be used in the recreation? Could we spread across the hills and still find iron and copper deposits? Aren't these all played out by now? We would need to shift to another economic base from new materials I think rather than recreate what we had before, because that's gone.

Post by chc » Mon, Jun 13, 2011, 3:02 AM UTC

ars wrote: post #77

InclinedPlane wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pasta is an amazing invention. It's functionally similar to hard tack except it can be prepared to an edible state very quickly with merely boiling water and also tastes much better.

Can you make pasta with whole grain flour? I'm not sure milling techniques available in those days were able to make the right kind of flour. Also without fortifying the flour pasta is calories without nutrients. It's useful as a suplement, but dangerous to live on it long term.

Post by lzm » Mon, Jun 13, 2011, 4:02 AM UTC

ramchip wrote: post #72

I remember a cooperative online game, with a mostly text-only interface, in which you could build smelters and tools and climb gradually the tech tree. It was very detailed and interesting but I lost track of its name and URL. Does it ring a bell for anybody?

Post by kragen » Mon, Jun 13, 2011, 4:25 AM UTC

gaustin wrote: post #71

WalterBright wrote: post #60

I'd like to see someone make a knife without using any modern technology precursors whatsoever. That means starting from using ones hands and what is available from nature in its natural form. I think it'd be quite an accomplishment.

People already do this. Some only go so far as stone blades, or allow modern tools for certain steps. Others bootstrap the whole process from stone-age to steel. I've never done it. It's incredibly time consuming but satisfying, from the first hand accounts I've read. You can cut hours or days off of your work time by using modern tools for some of the most seemingly trivial steps.

Post by IsaacL » Mon, Jun 13, 2011, 5:03 AM UTC

ramchip wrote: post #72

I remember a cooperative online game, with a mostly text-only interface, in which you could build smelters and tools and climb gradually the tech tree. It was very detailed and interesting but I lost track of its name and URL. Does it ring a bell for anybody?