The Fall of the Maya: "They Did it to Themselves"

[Staff]

The Fall of the Maya: "They Did it to Themselves"
October 6, 2009
Author: Dauna Coulter
Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips
Credit: Science@NASA

NASA - The Fall of the Maya: "They Did it to Themselves"
excerpts from above:

For 1200 years, the Maya dominated Central America. At their peak around 900 A.D., Maya cities teemed with more than 2,000 people per square mile -- comparable to modern Los Angeles County. Even in rural areas the Maya numbered 200 to 400 people per square mile. But suddenly, all was quiet. And the profound silence testified to one of the greatest demographic disasters in human prehistory -- the demise of the once vibrant Maya society.

What happened?

"Space technology is revolutionizing archeology," he concludes. "We're using it to learn about the plight of ancients in order to avoid a similar fate today."

[havalotta]

Ooooo I 'd like to see those images of the ruins they are now finding. How exciting!

[AlisonKerr]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a few words of wisdom from what happend to the Maya on how we can turn our own societies around. Then again, it seems likely we already know what we need to know, but the flesh is weak.

[Pahinh Winh]

To turn it around, people need to stop having babies in most of the world for a year or 2; stop trying to 'save' every human just because their body still breathes; stop the 'death control' & institute 'self / birth' control. Tain't likely to happen. Humans of the majority culture are just too self-centered to do that, sad to say. "The meek" won't inherit the earth - the amoeba & similar will. Sigh....

[Prairiefreak]

I agree with you, Pahinh.

[Xena]

Well, the Chinese have gotten to work on that no breeding idea. In fact, they force abortions if people dare to conceive after having 1 child.

The whole thing about being forced to die if you get sick is going to be a hard sell. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago, I just wasn't ready to die from it. I don't think many people are going to like that notion.

In fact, I bet the only people who like it are those who have been lucky so far ....

[Equilibrium]

"The whole thing about being forced to die if you get sick is going to be a hard sell."... our culture is not going to buy into it. I do see a day coming where family members won't have a choice pulling the plug on a relative who's clinically and legally dead... that's coming but that's as far as we'll be pushed. We'll probably see assisted suicide for the terminally ill... maybe because there are a lot of people who believe this decision should be left to the individual to decide not society. I'm fine with assited suicide... it should be my choice but I'm not fine with force feeding my decision to pull my own plug on others. Besides which... cancer isn't a death sentence anymore thank God or we wouldn't have you... or my husband... or my dad's girlfriend or or or or or. No way... We're not even close to the soylent green stage with our elderly or "terminally ill". I am a major proponent of reducing the number of births like in half for the whole world but not to the extent the Chinese did after they began their one-child only program where single mothers can't get a certificate for their babies. That's what's going on over there. If you are unwed... you get an abortion. You have no choice because no ticky no washy over there. No certificate and no education and no health care and no nothing for the baby. I don't know what all of their problems are over there since birth control is dolled out like candy but the no certificate for an unwed mother's child is playing heavily into the equation.

[hazelnut]

We need to have more freedom for people to make their own decisions --- but the decisions should be informed. Many young girls today think their purpose in life is to procreate with no concept that children need to be reared in the context of a psychological and economically stable family.

I don't believe in State or religious controlled reproduction -- but it should not be controlled by immature undereducated individuals either. I would be infavor of severe penalties for people who reproduce without the basic means of supporting a child adequately until some specified age of independence.

Forcing sick or old people to die would be inhumane. Our culture is nothing if it doesn't preserve those who have the most experience in its practice.

[Gloria]

Pahinh Winh, I understood what you meant for I have been there twice now with my Mom and husbands father. Compassion is not always just extending life a few days and enriching the medical field.
As for bringing population numbers under control,I think it is probably not possible. As long as there is ample food supply and lack of disaster all species overpopulate until crash. It seems all life is geneticly programed to reproduce abundantly.
Ever done the penny to a million dollars in 30 days trick?

[Prairiefreak]

Well, the Chinese have gotten to work on that no breeding idea. In fact, they force abortions if people dare to conceive after having 1 child.

The whole thing about being forced to die if you get sick is going to be a hard sell. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago, I just wasn't ready to die from it. I don't think many people are going to like that notion.

These 2 things have nothing to do with each other. Apples and Oranges. The Chinese don't force people with breast cancer to die. They DO force people to think about the choices they make, vis a vis reproduction.

Personally, I think people should just breed themselves cross-eyed, like the Duggars, until the whole environment collapses. We'll see who survives then.

And the "no tickee, no washee" Please. Just a little bit racist. I got plenty o' sayings on eastern europeans.