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Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

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Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#91

Post by slver »

bndw wrote: post #72
keithwhor wrote: post #61

What's really striking to me about timelapse videos of the Earth is how, at a grand enough scale, the growth of human settlements on Earth really looks no different than the growth of bacterial and fungal colonies on Petri dishes. We think of ourself as special, as having conquered environments, technology and more - and when zoomed out you could explain everything we've built and accomplished as the achievements of…

Joe Rogan talks about the idea in an old clip: I think human beings are just a very complicated form of bacteria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyc12-neTjM

We do precisely what bacteria does, albeit at a much more complicated level. And I'd argue bacteria does what basic particles do, albeit at a much more complicated level. There are vast number of parallels in the behavior of systems from the microscopic to the macroscopic.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#92

Post by ajmurmann »

ditegashi wrote: post #74
detritus wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only difference being that we can understand the impact we're having. And yet...

If we REALLY understood it then maybe we would stop doing it. My bet is that we don't really get it.

Because individual motivation and macro-behavior aren't necessity aligned, individual understanding might not be enough to changes behavior of the system as a whole. Maybe individual bacteria understand the impact they might have on a host system and are concerned about outcomes as well.

I sometimes think that it is a valid mental model to think of us as not much different from ants in a hive who think they possess more control and freedom than they do

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#93

Post by system16 »

nullifidian wrote: post #4

>unfold and witness nearly four decades of planetary change. four decades of meaningless uncontrolled overpopulation, destruction of pristine nature and its ecosystems, a march of techno-globalism across the planet. Every time I see these timelapses it depresses me quite a bit.

While I don't disagree, you're not exactly a spectator. If you're on a computer in a western country, you are in the top percentage of the world contributing not so insignificantly to this problem.

People sitting in traffic complaining about traffic or cancer cells complaining about the devastation caused by cancer sounds a bit silly.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#94

Post by OrbitRock »

ditegashi wrote: post #74
detritus wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only difference being that we can understand the impact we're having. And yet...

If we REALLY understood it then maybe we would stop doing it. My bet is that we don't really get it.

We understand it but humans are composed of a variety of minds and what the rational one wants isn’t necessarily what we do.

Although conservation probably has more to do with reality looking different depending on your own local observations, to a Brazilian cattle rancher or Indonesian logger at the frontlines of the biodiversity crisis, things look different. For a consumer of those goods and materials, they likely don’t realize the connection.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#95

Post by crazygringo »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #17
hawk_ wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there headsets other than HTC Vive and Oculus Rift that work with it?

It works on all the usual suspects (anything that supports SteamVR). Valve Index, HP Reverb G2, WMR headsets, Oculus Quest (via link cable or wifi streaming) etc

I can't find any way to get it to work with the Quest on my Mac. (Short of installing Bootcamp that is.)

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#96

Post by lotsofpulp »

daemoens wrote: post #13
nullifidian wrote: post #4

>unfold and witness nearly four decades of planetary change. four decades of meaningless uncontrolled overpopulation, destruction of pristine nature and its ecosystems, a march of techno-globalism across the planet. Every time I see these timelapses it depresses me quite a bit.

Overpopulation isn't really a problem currently.

If you assume total consumption is a problem, and you assume that total consumption will not go down because consumption per capita will not go down, then the conclusion you end up with is overpopulation.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#99

Post by OrbitRock »

system16 wrote: post #93
nullifidian wrote: post #4

>unfold and witness nearly four decades of planetary change. four decades of meaningless uncontrolled overpopulation, destruction of pristine nature and its ecosystems, a march of techno-globalism across the planet. Every time I see these timelapses it depresses me quite a bit.

While I don't disagree, you're not exactly a spectator. If you're on a computer in a western country, you are in the top percentage of the world contributing not so insignificantly to this problem. People sitting in traffic complaining about traffic or cancer cells complaining about the devastation caused by cancer sounds a bit silly.

A problem like a traffic jam needs systemic coordinated action though to be able to solve. Complaining about the lack of perceived ability to get everyone acting is legitimate.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#100

Post by Grimm1 »

keithwhor wrote: post #61

What's really striking to me about timelapse videos of the Earth is how, at a grand enough scale, the growth of human settlements on Earth really looks no different than the growth of bacterial and fungal colonies on Petri dishes. We think of ourself as special, as having conquered environments, technology and more - and when zoomed out you could explain everything we've built and accomplished as the achievements of…

You can say the same thing about ant colonies. I think it's probably just what anything that groups and branches around resource deposits looks like. If I recall slime molds are optimal planners regarding surrounding resources so it just sounds like a natural optimality to me.

I'd be more interested in what you think it "should" look like for an "advanced" species besides optimal?

Looking at it is disparagingly is weird to me, when the conclusion is maybe humans in aggregate are optimal with regards to finding and using resources to grow.

Not that we're growing unbounded either because that would be bad, we're in population decline across many major nations right now and are working towards a greener future in multiple industries to avoid resource collapse.

The level of doom and gloom and misanthropy is generally unwarranted if you look around at the steps we're taking to better ourselves as a species and every time I read things like this I can't help but think people revel in the supposed helplessness of our potential destruction and inability as some perverted pleasure.

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