The quiet death of human civilization

[Bug-Eyed Earl]

Let's assume that 99% of humanity died in a plague, and was forced to relocate into several large population centers in order to start to rebuild the human race.

What happens in the following months to the abandoned cities? I imagine vegetation will grow wild, eventuall coming up from cracks in the concrete, making it very hard to get through by automobile. So what would the abandoned cities be like in 10 years and beyond?

While we're on the subject, what would you do before our mighty urban centers crumble? Loot? Destroy property with no consequences?

[Raptor 597]

I would conserve what I can from the works of scince and history or be a watckeper of a grand museum for the future as the population centers hopefully can regroup and regrow. Earth's resources would not be a problem but minus the death of urban sprawl how will the wildlife react to a one man and he restrengthed comes back to take his land?

[CaptainChewbacca]

Probably not loot TOO much, if society has crumbled, no electronics would work.

[Gandalf]

I think we'd need to keep the remnants of humaniy in one city, as we'd breed up, then move to the next one.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

I would take all of the best stuff and start selling it. I wouldn't steal from the living, but anything that isn't already claimed, MINE! I would trade goods, set up a stock market kind of thing, and make sure to be indespensable (sp?) to the world (or at least nation...maybe state if I don't get too far) economy when we all move back out of the mass people-grouping centers..

Oh, and Chewie, why the hell would electronics be dead just because society is?

[Gandalf]

I would take all of the best stuff and start selling it. I wouldn't steal from the living, but anything that isn't already claimed, MINE! I would trade goods, set up a stock market kind of thing, and make sure to be indespensable (sp?) to the world (or at least nation...maybe state if I don't get too far) economy when we all move back out of the mass people-grouping centers..

Oh, and Chewie, why the hell would electronics be dead just because society is?

Possibly because it takes people to run the power plants.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

*snip*

Possibly because it takes people to run the power plants.

Well, you'd think the people who grouped into the population centers would think to include facilities to produce power in their plans, but I guess its possible that they can't produce enough power or something....

[Gandalf]

*snip*

Possibly because it takes people to run the power plants.

Well, you'd think the people who grouped into the population centers would think to include facilities to produce power in their plans, but I guess its possible that they can't produce enough power or something....

I would think a power plant takes some skill to run.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Possibly because it takes people to run the power plants.

Well, you'd think the people who grouped into the population centers would think to include facilities to produce power in their plans, but I guess its possible that they can't produce enough power or something....

I would think a power plant takes some skill to run.

So noone who knows how to operate a power plant will be left after the plague? That does make it pretty complicated then.... I am sure people can learn tho, there has to be textbooks, etc. detailing how to do stuff like that.

This just occured to me: Anyway, people could just use their portable generators! That takes just about... no skill to run. They couldn't be on all the time, but it's something.

[Gandalf]

So noone who knows how to operate a power plant will be left after the plague? That does make it pretty complicated then.... I am sure people can learn tho, there has to be textbooks, etc. detailing how to do stuff like that.

This just occured to me: Anyway, people could just use their portable generators! That takes just about... no skill to run. They couldn't be on all the time, but it's something.

There's a thought, but how long could generators hold out?

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

So noone who knows how to operate a power plant will be left after the plague? That does make it pretty complicated then.... I am sure people can learn tho, there has to be textbooks, etc. detailing how to do stuff like that.

This just occured to me: Anyway, people could just use their portable generators! That takes just about... no skill to run. They couldn't be on all the time, but it's something.

There's a thought, but how long could generators hold out?

As long as fuel is available... If one breaks, there's a lot more to go grab (remember, 90% of the population is gone, there will be a lot of spare things for everyone)

[Gandalf]

As long as fuel is available... If one breaks, there's a lot more to go grab (remember, 90% of the population is gone, there will be a lot of spare things for everyone)

Now we just have to hope competent people are left.

[Hyperion]

Go read Eternity Road, that book covers just this scenario. Granted it is from a point roughly 1000 years after the race falls in about 2100 or so. Really kickass book.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Let's assume that 99% of humanity died in a plague, and was forced to relocate into several large population centers in order to start to rebuild the human race.

What happens in the following months to the abandoned cities? I imagine vegetation will grow wild, eventuall coming up from cracks in the concrete, making it very hard to get through by automobile. So what would the abandoned cities be like in 10 years and beyond?

While we're on the subject, what would you do before our mighty urban centers crumble? Loot? Destroy property with no consequences?

We must have a telepathic link, Ive been thinking about the same question over the last two days. I was really interested in what would have to all the urban landscaping and such. Where I live, unwatered grass would die out within a year. But what about all the trees we have planted. Some are hardy enough to survive, but I bet quite a few would die.

If 99% of Fremont died, that would leave 2080 people for 92 square miles. I think there is enough empty land in the form of parks, vacant lots, and a really big historical farm, to supply the needs of that many people. So food production , I dont think would be nightmare assuming we could all get along and cooperate.

I would imagine tough that fire would be a huge issue. If a fire breaks out who is going to stop it from rolling across the city with all the dead vegeatation around. Fresh water might be a problem but I think Alameda creek and the surrounding lakes could supply enough water for that much people.

[Enforcer Talen]

the squirrel armies from the unknown forest move onto stage 2 in their quest to take over the planet.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Go read Eternity Road, that book covers just this scenario. Granted it is from a point roughly 1000 years after the race falls in about 2100 or so. Really kickass book.

There is a good book written about the fall of humanity. Its called Earth Abides and was written in the 40's I think. A lot of the story takes place in the SF Bay Area. I wont add any spoilers for those that might read it.

[neoolong]

I remember that book. I think I read it just because it was set here.

[TrailerParkJawa]

I remember that book. I think I read it just because it was set here.

IIRC, the main character is a professor from UC Berkeley. Basic premise is a plague kills 99% of humanity.

[neoolong]

I remember that book. I think I read it just because it was set here.

IIRC, the main character is a professor from UC Berkeley. Basic premise is a plague kills 99% of humanity.

A grad student actually.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

It depends on who is included in this 99 percent that dies. If all of the 1% that survives includes scientists, and other overall supergeniuses that know how to operate stuff and work together, then they can come together in cities close to them, and form a community, with some people elsewhere to operate power generators and grow food. After a few decades, they will have reproduced, and slowly move out.

[aphexmonster]

Hopefully i die in the plague ^_^ ... but ... in the event that i dont, i would probably go around collection hand held electronic devices and magic cards walking the earth dueling people with their life on the ante pille....


it would be like highlander only instead of sword battles, the fights would consist of nerdy card games.

[Rye]

I'm fairly sure that women would be instantly subjigated in groups larger than 10, probably being raped often in order to make babies.

supermarkets are looted...volvos become the main car of choice.

eventually we probably get tribalism a la mad max, or a weird pseudo-christian war thing a la Steven King's The Stand.

Be quite cool shortly afterward at any rate.

EDIT: later on itd stink though, from all the rotting corpses.

[Lonestar]

eventually we probably get tribalism a la mad max, or a weird pseudo-christian war thing a la Steven King's The Stand.

.

The Best kind of Apocalypse is the Steven Kingesque ones.

That said, anyone read Y:The Last Man? It's about every mammel with the Y chromosome on Earth dies expet for Yorich, and the Capuchin he was training as a Helper Monkey.

Great Comic series. Somehow, I suspect it would be remarkably similiar to what happens in the book. (Everyone thinks it's a plague, but since everyone died at once, it's probaly magic. And 2 Astronuats on the ISS survive too)