Rebuilding Civilization
by Samuel Bierwagen
0. About
0 Introduction
1 About the book
2 Care and storage
1. Pretechnology
0 Starting fire
1 Primitive weapons
2 Hunting
3 Ceramics
0 Kiln
1 Bricks
2 Forge
2. Iron age
0 Making charcoal
1 Smelting
0 Smelting copper
1 Smelting zinc
2 Smelting bronze
3 Smelting iron
2 Blacksmithing
0 Axe
1 Hammer
2 Tongs
3 Arrowheads
4 Swords
3 Hydropower
4 Basic automation
0 Trip hammer
1 Blowers
2 Flour milling
3 Automated grain handling
3. Steam power.
4. Electrics
0 Wire drawing
1 DC power
0 Generation
1 Motors
2 AC power
0 Generation
1 Motors
2 Transformers
0.0
The end of civilization is often addressed in popular fiction, yet the subsequent reconstruction is almost universally overlooked, or covered in the most generic manner, with several notable exceptions. (See section 15) This work attempts to correct this oversight. Volume 1 concerns technology from prehistory to about 1900, from the Iron Age to the Electrical Age; while volume 2 covers technology from 1940 to about 2015, from the Nuclear Age to the Nanotechnology Age, and is expected to be considerably more complex than the first volume. Successive volumes will be issued as technology further progresses.
0.1
This book was written in the DocBook XML content based markup language; and assuming that you're not reading this while sitting in a cave, updated versions can be viewed at http://reciv.org, http://rebuilding.bbot.org, http://rebuilding.washington.edu, and http://rebuilding.fema.gov. It has also been posted to the Everything2 collaborative database, and can be found by searching for "Rebuilding Civilization" or by going to http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Rebuilding%20Civilization
This book is printed on Rite in the Rain DuraCopy brand synthetic paper. It is completely waterproof, fire-resistant, and will not support microbiotic growth. The binder is made of a carbon nanotube/nomex composite, is self-extinguishing, and is level II ballistic resistant. The transparent inner bag is an Alosak brand 6mm 16x24 waterproof bag, and should only be used for archival purposes, as the integrated closure begins to malfunction after 10,000 openings. The outer soft envolope cover is made of a Nomex/Aramid laminate, is self extinguishing, and is level II ballistic resistant. The complete assembly is self-extinguishing, heat resistant, level III ballistic resistant, shockproof, waterproof and very abrasion resistant.
The carrying case is a Pelican 1500 watertight, crushproof, dustproof co-polymer equipment case. It is used primarily to prevent minor damage to the outer envelope during transport and to prevent theft. It is orange, retroreflective, and glows in the dark, to improve visibility. It also floats in water, unlike the book assembly, which can be critically important in some situations. Two luggage locks are included to prevent casual theft. Be advised that the locks will not deter any determined thief, and are only useful for preventing low-key vandalism. The only effective security is vigilance.
0.2
While the complete assembly is as durable as possible while still being man-portable, it will last much longer if properly stored. The ultraviolet light in sunlight will slowly degrade polymers, and so the book assembly nor any of the sub-components should be stored in direct sunlight. None of the subcomponents are rated to withstand boiling water, solvents, or acids. The complete assembly has a limited resistance to hazardous chemicals at the expense of the outer component. Never immerse the book in boiling water, gasoline, or any other solvent or acid.
Even though every part of the complete book assembly is made of fire-resistant non-lighting materials, it should never be exposed to extreme heat, which may result in deformation of structural polymers or oxidization of print.
Irreversible embrittlement of component materials occurs around -40C, and for this reason the book should never be subjected to temperatures below -40C. The complete assembly has a limited resistance to extremes of temperature at the expense of the outer component.
Rebuilding Civilization has a design lifetime of one hundred years, longer if properly stored, shorter if repeatedly exposed to high temperatures or corrosive chemicals.