From Discover, Razib Khan on the rise and crash of civilizations. A floating city, in its total disconnect from both humanity and nature as we know them, is inherently both dystopian and utopian. Crank up the gloom and doom: Global apocalypse could be just around the corner, and you might never see it coming — unless you read this article. The Earth's busted up, yet humanity's doing just fine — why is that? Toytown Utopias: Hitler and Stalin may have put paid to Thomas More's vision of hope, but Fred Inglis knows he can always rely on The Clangers. Death to Humans! An article on visions of the Apocalypse in movies and literature. A look at how a lack of energy may increase the size of human civilization (and more). The biggest of the Big Five extinctions is what is known as the end-Permian — it took place some 250 million years ago and is named after the geologic period that it brought to a disastrous conclusion. Here are some images from various archives on catastrophes. How far have we come, and where do we go from here? A look back at science during Discover's first 30 years, and some predictions for what the next 30 will bring. Utopian designs for the ideal society are both impractical and dangerous — only by finding the right balance between the "holy trinity" of the French Revolution may the world steer its way through the challenges of libertarianism and laissez faire. A review of A User's Guide to the Crisis of Civilization And How to Save It by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed.
