Ebook archive in case of the apocalypse?

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Of course. If 1 in 10 people were to die (which is what being "decimated" means), why wouldn't the remaining 90% survive?

Originally Posted by rblover

Of course mankind will survive being decimated. To decimate is to kill 10%...which leaves 90% still alive. The big doomsday will kill 90% in the event, and the rest in the aftermath....no survivors.

Let's not confuse etymology and contemporary meaning. The origin of the word decimate is a latin word that meant take one person in 10 (for instance of a rebellious army) and kill them as an example. Since then, the meaning of the word has evolved. Language changes. According to Merriam-Webster, decimate also means "to reduce drastically especially in number", or "to cause great destruction or harm to", which has no precise number attached but would certainly mean more than 10%.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

If said archive exists, I hope they stockpile plenty of spare pairs of glasses.

Me too.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by livingenzyme

Yeah, and if after the apocalypse we find out that we can't read a single of those ebooks that survived because of DRM's, I will seek out surviving publishers and shove red hot pokers up their butts.

Originally Posted by Adoby

From my solar cells and the windmill. Or even from the generator on a bicycle. Don't need much ...

Solar cells won't work, too much dust in the atmosphere

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Solar cells won't work, too much dust in the atmosphere

Hey, I'm writing this story, and in MY version solar cells work just fine.

And my reading glasses survive, too, safe in the pocket of my kevlar jacket.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Hey, I'm writing this story, and in MY version solar cells work just fine.

And my reading glasses survive, too, safe in the pocket of my kevlar jacket.

In that case then we shall all carry with us readers in every shape and hue that will between them read each and every story book there has and will ever be

.... And surgeons will surgically and permanently improve our vision so spectacles will not be needed (do the same for hearing too please)

[queentess]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I believe it is in Svalbard, the cold is used as a shield of protection. I don't think its existence is based on some concept of apocalypse but rather to avoid gradually extinguishing various species.

Yes indeed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

[queentess]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

The people will be too busy trying to not die to worry about pampering books. If the power grid goes out, or WWIII happens, the majority of paper books will be moldy, sodden lumps or ashes within one or two generations. Anyone who thinks that, post-apocalypse, digital books will disappear and paper books will be alive and well either isn't thinking or is pushing an emotional argument.

Have you read Earth Abides by George R. Stewart?

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by queentess

Yes indeed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

That vault is for seed, I thought we were discussing electronic media ....

[GeoffC]

The British Library and other Countries' Institutions may become increasingly electronic-minded and hence have storage/backup facilities/plans. The British Library has been slowly increasing its catalogue over the years; and then, of course, there is Google !

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

That vault is for seed, I thought we were discussing electronic media ....

Didn't somebody print the whole bible on a grain of rice once?

[queentess]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Didn't somebody print the whole bible on a grain of rice once?

I bet I could fit 10,000 angels on the head of a pin. Or something.

[GhostHawk]

Even if the original event wipes out 1 person in 10 currently living.
Even if famine takes another tenth, and disease takes 2 more.
Even if looting takes yet another, and another tenth expire due to lack of medicine.
Even if the population is reduced to 1 survivor out of 100 people, that is a lot of people.

Even if we have to reinvent the tools to make the tools to make the desired object.

Eventually someone would find a way to read cd's/dvd's, flashdrives, sd cards.
Some of it will survive, and eventually trickle back into the population.

In the meantime as long as there are solar chargers, people will find a way to charge battery's. Not to mention wind, hydro, and manpower.

Imagine 20 years after said event, a small tribe of 40 including adults, adolescents, and children gather after the evening meal. The sun has gone down, the "reader" brings out a charged ebook reader and reads aloud to the group. Be it JRR Tolkien, Dan Brown, or David Drake the group would be spellbound, educated, and entertained all at the same time.

[Kumabjorn]

Sounds like you have the seed for a story, now go harvest it.

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

If said archive exists, I hope they stockpile plenty of spare pairs of glasses.

And batteries!

Originally Posted by Adoby

I can agree about the Mad Max thing. But the rest?

If there is an aftermath, survivors after the initial effects, then some will survive. Largely depending on where they live (far away from the immediate effects), how many they are and how prepared they are. City life will most likely go, but subsistence farming may still be possible.

I agree. Even if something happened that wiped out 90% of humans that'd still leave 100's of millions of people alive. Yes, I'm sure there would be disease, starvation, violence, environmental conditions to deal with, but even if 90% of the survivors died your would still be looking at 10's of millions of people.

Of course if the "event" is the sun going nova all bets are off

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by GhostHawk

Imagine 20 years after said event, a small tribe of 40 including adults, adolescents, and children gather after the evening meal. The sun has gone down, the "reader" brings out a charged ebook reader and reads aloud to the group. Be it JRR Tolkien, Dan Brown, or David Drake the group would be spellbound, educated, and entertained all at the same time.

They might get some strange ideas about how their forebears used to live...