In the year 1500, Europe was experiencing the Renaissance and the explosion of thought that followed the invention of the printing press. The Aztecs and Incas dominated large empires in the New World. When London and Rome’s populations numbered around 50,000 each, Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was home to about 200,000. Cusco, the Inca capital, was only the size of London or Rome, but controlled an empire linked by 40,000 km (25,000 mi.) of roads. By 1533, both Tenochtitlan and Cusco were in Spanish hands. … More COVID Hubris, Collapse, and Resilience: Pandemic in the New World (Part 4)

I’ll be publishing reworked sections from my 2016 book, Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?, updated for today, with a special emphasis on health and COVID, but also discussing other social problems we face. … More COVID Hubris, Collapse, and Resilience: Anthropogenic Disasters (Part 3)

I’ll be publishing reworked sections from my 2016 book, Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?, updated for today, with a special emphasis on health and COVID, but also discussing other social problems we face. … More COVID Hubris, Collapse, and Resilience: Social Hubris and Resilience (Part 2)