[B5JMS] JMS: technical question (was: from jms re: Jeremiah

[b5jms-admin at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: jbonetati at aol.com (Jan)
Date: 20 Feb 2002 01:42:09 GMT
Lines: 33

JMS wrote:

<<.  It's now 15 years later, and people have been ridinng on the ashes of the
old world for the most part, the available resources slowly declining and
running out.  It's a moment of transition: either the decline continues, or now
that they are adults, people start to rebuild a new world out of the ashes of
the old one.  The
question is what shape will that world take, and who gets to choose?>>

I've been wondering about this ever since we first heard about Jeremiah: What
on Earth did they do for food, medicine and most supplies!?!

Now, 15 years is really quite a long time. Without any specialized knowledge,
I'd guess that electricity wouldn't last more than 6 months (at the outside)
anywhere without regular maintenance which means little in the way of frozen
food would be available for long.  Canned goods might last as long as, say...5
years or so?  Medicines could last a year or so, many much less without
refrigeration.

If we stipulate that puberty would begin at 13 on average, by the time those
kids make it to 20, there's really not much left for them to scavenge except
clothing and shelter, is there?  Even shelter could be marginal in a lot of
areas.  

Do you explain this at all in the series?

Thanks as always,
Jan






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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 24 Feb 2002 04:58:35 GMT
Lines: 52

>I've been wondering about this ever since we first heard about Jeremiah: What
>on Earth did they do for food, medicine and most supplies!?!

Exactly the point we explore.

>Now, 15 years is really quite a long time. Without any specialized knowledge,
>I'd guess that electricity wouldn't last more than 6 months (at the outside)
>anywhere without regular maintenance which means little in the way of frozen
>food would be available for long. 

Another point we explore.  The power went out a long time ago and, with some
recent exceptions, has stayed out.  The info needed to get power plants up and
running, and repair lines, is there, but you have to know all the stuff leading
*up* to that information to make it work.  I wouldn't know the first thing
about how to get a power plant up and running at 13.  Nor would I know much
about crop rotation.  The cities would empty pretty fast once the water stopped
coming in.

>Canned goods might last as long as, say...5
>years or so?  Medicines could last a year or so, many much less without
>refrigeration.

Some canned goods might last the full 15 years, though not in the best of
shape.  It depends on the type of food and the type of canning.  Medicines,
yeah, they're pretty much gone.

>If we stipulate that puberty would begin at 13 on average, by the time those
>kids make it to 20, there's really not much left for them to scavenge except
>clothing and shelter, is there?  Even shelter could be marginal in a lot of
>areas.  

Which is exactly the point we're going for.  They've been able to ride the
ashes of the old world until now, but things are now pretty much exhausted. 
Either they continue the decline, or they start to rebuild the world and take
responsibility for the shape of that world.

(BTW, on the fever thing...I found out (while in considerable pain) on Thursday
that it's a massive ear infection.  [First person to make a joke about massive
ears gets it in the neck.]  Which is why I've been offline for a while.  So at
some point I'm going to have to take the train back because if I fly right now
it'll perforate my eardrum.  And it's a looooooong freakin' train ride....)

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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