One thing to take into consideration is that many people are literally being kept alive by technology. That's why average life expectancy was much lower in pre-modern times. Not that nobody lived into their 80s and 90s, but those that did were typically healthy and free of disease.
Technology greatly extends the life spans of those who are unhealthy and who would otherwise have died already. Dialysis treatments for diabetics, heart-surgery for those with heart disease, chemotherapy for those with cancer, the list goes on. Just look at how many people live well into their 70s and beyond but depend upon a very large amount of pills to keep them going. It is those who are dependent upon medicine that will have the most to lose if we ever lose our electricity.
As I near the age of 50, I still insist on walking vigorously at least two hours a day and other than a 2-week antibiotics prescription for a sinus infection when I was in my 30s, I never took a prescribed drug - ever. I would be nervous if I ever became dependent upon prescription drugs.
“True, many people would die. I was talking about civilization as a whole. It would survive and eventually thrive, even without electricity.”
Well, I was not going to go that far, but it would be set back several decades at least.
“One thing to take into consideration is that many people are literally being kept alive by technology. That’s why average life expectancy was much lower in pre-modern times. Not that nobody lived into their 80s and 90s, but those that did were typically healthy and free of disease.”
TRUE...
“Technology greatly extends the life spans of those who are unhealthy and who would otherwise have died already. Dialysis treatments for diabetics, heart-surgery for those with heart disease, chemotherapy for those with cancer, the list goes on. Just look at how many people live well into their 70s and beyond but depend upon a very large amount of pills to keep them going. It is those who are dependent upon medicine that will have the most to lose if we ever lose our electricity.”
Again TRUE.
“As I near the age of 50, I still insist on walking vigorously at least two hours a day and other than a 2-week antibiotics prescription for a sinus infection when I was in my 30s, I never took a prescribed drug - ever. I would be nervous if I ever became dependent upon prescription drugs.”
Now you sound like me...heh (no prescription drugs ever - and I have a few more years on you). The base line though is that both of us will get sick and either we will require medicine or die. It really doesn’t matter if we exercise daily or anything else, it is mostly in our genes. We just keep plugging along until then.
Now if the electricity does happen to go away - say a NK EMP bomb or Iranian thing... then both of our lives will be shortened regardless of what we do or have done in the past. Now, you may live a bit longer than me, but it really depends on your early training and how you cope with the change. Me, hell, I will just probably give up and assume that I’ve lived a long and decent life...heh.
I would also like to add that I do enjoy your namesake whenever I can - a really good beer!