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Kim Stanley Robinson cutting it a little too close here...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future



I learned about the wet bulb temperature from his book.

Wet bulb temperature measures heat and humidity at the same time.

It's the lowest temperature that can be achieved through evaporative cooling, measured using a thermometer covered in a water-soaked cloth to simulate the cooling effect of evaporation on the surrounding air.

If the wet bulb temperature stays above body temperature for a long time, you will die since there's no way to cool off.

The book speculates that even when tens of millions of Indians die from the heat, that won't be enough to get nations and corporations to fix the problem.

In his narrative, the only solution is a global clandestine black-ops campaign of sabotage and assassination to target the powerful individuals blocking progress to protect their own wealth.


“The only way to prevent this scary thing is regime change.”

This narrative sounds familiar.


By definition.

------

regime, noun

1) a regular pattern of doing something

2) a method of rule or management

3) a system of principles, rules, or regulations

4) a governmental or social system


If he's cutting it a little too close, perhaps that's because society/civilization is, too.


The first chapter of his book (covering the heat wave) is incredibly chilling. The rest of the book is quite meh and not very good.


Still only a quarter of the way through, so can't judge the entirety yet, but totally agree on chapter 1.

It was suffocating - I couldn't wait to go out for a walk that single-digit Celsius rainy day


I feel the same. In fact, it felt like a bunch of background research for a novel, interspersed with some early drafts of the novel. I really found it to be the worst thing he's written.


I disagree with you there. I think the book paints a plausible way out of the crisis we are in, and shows what systemic changes need to happen to create a positive future for humanity. It's one of the few books that paints a realistic path away from the horrific future that capitalism is driving humanity towards.


this was my thought as well




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