Through time and across civilizations we will explore the cyclical nature of societal decline. Drawing parallels between the English Civil War, the fall of Islamic Civilization, and the onset of the Medieval Era in Europe, and similar periods of regression elsewhere. We’ll also examine the critical roles of knowledge, communication and education in sustaining civilization. Amidst the contemporary challenges of disinformation, eroding political trust, and deepening inequality, we’ll look down the dark corridors of history to find lessons that can guide us in preventing a modern descent into a new Dark Age. 

Talk to SLR November 28th, 2024

References and Further Reading

Ahmed, N. (2024, November 8). Trump’s America: The Fulcrum of a Global ‘Network War’ on Democracy. Byline Times. https://bylinetimes.com/2024/11/08/trumps-america-the-fulcrum-of-a-global-network-war-on-democracy/

Democracy index. (May 2024). Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/democracy-index-eiu

Fazio, L. K., Rand, D. G., & Pennycook, G. (2019). Repetition increases perceived truth equally for plausible and implausible statements. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 26(5), 1705–1710. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-019-01651-4

Khan, M. (2024, October 22). Why Ibn Khaldun Still Matters. New Lines Institute. https://newlinesinstitute.org/geo-economics/why-ibn-khaldun-still-matters/

LA Times. (2024). Reality TV workers face a bleak job market amid production decline—Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-08-05/the-hollywood-production-collapses-latest-victim-why-the-reality-tv-bubble-finally-burst

Live Science. (2022, May 3). The Universe Could Start Shrinking ‘Remarkably’ Soon, Scientists Say. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/the-universe-could-start-shrinking-remarkably-soon

Medill’s 2024 State of Local News report expands what it qualifies as local news—And asks readers to point out what it missed. (October 23, 2024). Nieman Lab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/10/medills-2024-state-of-local-news-report-expands-what-it-qualifies-as-local-news-and-asks-readers-to-point-out-what-it-missed

Oswald, L., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Hertwig, R., & Lewandowsky, S. (2022, November 7). Is the global decline in democracy linked to social media? We combed through the evidence to find out. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/is-the-global-decline-in-democracy-linked-to-social-media-we-combed-through-the-evidence-to-find-out-193841

Park, M., Leahey, E., & Funk, R. J. (2023). Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time. Nature, 613(7942), 138–144. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05543-x

Sagan, C., (2011). The Demon-Haunted World Random House Publishing Group

Santos, C. (2024, June 11). Chipotle’s CEO Responded To Claims About Portion Sizes. https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiasantos/chipotle-ceo-small-portions-response

Saric, I. (2024, August 13). U.S. theme parks are emptier as costs surge and travelers go global. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/theme-disney-universal-parks-visitor-decline

Teen Mental Health Facts and Statistics 2024. (2024). https://blog.compasshealthcenter.net/teen-mental-health-statistics

The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok | WIRED. (2022). https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/

What do historians lose with the decline of local news?  | History Today. (May 5 2023). https://www.historytoday.com/archive/head-head/what-do-historians-lose-decline-local-news

West, D. How disinformation defined the 2024 election narrative. (November 7, 2024). Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-disinformation-defined-the-2024-election-narrative/

Why is emotional distress rising worldwide? – Big Think. (April 3, 2023). https://bigthink.com/the-present/emotional-distress-is-rising-worldwide/

Yoni Appelbaum: Americans Aren’t Practicing Democracy—The Atlantic. (2018). https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/losing-the-democratic-habit/568336/