FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website 6 days ago
It took centuries to get to disposable contact lenses while trying to figure out the physics, both in optics and in manufacturing any sort of spectacles, at the same time.
Will the survivors of the apocalypse be able to pick up where we left off or will they essentially start from scratch? That depends on the apocalypse and on the survivors. Do documents and knowledge survive, perhaps in a stash or in digital form? Do the survivors include an optician or a material engineer? Chances look good if that’s the case. If no, life will get a lot harder for many people.
TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 6 days ago
Restarting production chains and manufacturing facilities is going to be the biggest bottle neck.
If we imagine something like climate change wiping out 99% of the population, there just aren’t enough people to do all that. It’s going to be all hands on deck just to produce enough food for everyone. It will take a few centuries of rebuilding to get to that point.
WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
for less people you need less manufacturing capacity
TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 5 days ago
That is also true, but low output production doesn’t get the benefits of economies of scale. That means that the number of people we need per amount of stuff produced will be higher if we do things small scale. If we have a city of a million people, you can totally arrange various things in a more centralized way, which brings the benefits of large scale production.
Ever wondered why waste water purification or energy production tends to favor large scale facilities? Same applies to farming wheat, grinding it to flour and baking bread.
If you have only small towns, everyone will just focus on making the basic necessities happen. Who has the time to design new electric motors, when you need to spend your time milking your sheep and harvesting berries for next winter.