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Pre 10 Jun 2022

We stand on the bones of a thousand generations past only to look up to an empty sky. The machines we fear are already here, only we haven't noticed them yet. Standing on a burning planet, we are framing the issue by selling each other transhumanism, electric vehicles and tickets to Mars. We need systemic change, not undue focus on individual action. The only way forward is to cut through the disinformation, critically assess ourselves and realise the solution cannot be bought off a shelf. Collectively we need to think of new alternatives; this evolving wiki, BurnZero, is dedicated to that search. By using different modes of thought we might find the root cause and establish a new parallel system from within the old. If you would like to comment or get involved join us on https://www.reddit.com/r/burnzero/

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We have been failed by the adaptive genes and culture which have kept us safe through time. Pacified by our own innovation, some romanticize that our issues come from a single source, a hooded villain or someone stroking a white cat but our problems are emergent of a complex system. Resolving our issues is outside of an individual's capability, so we look to our representatives for answers. But upon closer examination we find that they have been captured by a system of lobbying and bad science. So where can we turn?

Cognitive biases reinforce the idea that we see objectively, however, we know our perceptions are deeply flawed. Evolution has shaped our minds to respond to problems faced by our distant ancestors and coded ancient mental shortcuts (heuristics) which are now getting in the way of progress. We need to better see our tinted spectacles to subtract the distortions they cause:

Conscious

• Logical fallacies - a list of logical arguments which have not been fully thought through.
• Conscientious pacifism - even though, logic says we are in a crisis people still do nothing.
• Binary versus analogue - there are two ways of perceiving the universe.
• Curse of Sisyphus - the ability through story telling to enable us to amuse ourselves to death.

Unconscious

• Psychopharmacology - even food can bias our decisions.
• Jevons Paradox - a thought paradox which argues techno-optimism pacification.

Cultural

• Popular Delusions - memetically transmitted ideas amongst the masses.
• Relativity of ethics and extent of ethics - in a tolerant society how tolerant are you of intolerance?

Whilst these issues have been known for some time now, to adapt to them requires us to be able to change how we think which is extremely difficult. Whilst this is easier for the younger generation, for those over 30 as neuroplasticity starts to decline. To achieve the change we need in time, traditional learning is to slow a process, a shock to the system is needed to quicken understanding. When understanding becomes inherent, certain aspects become more prominent:

• Expecting infinite growth is not sustainable in a closed system.
• Corporate entities are the most dominant organisations on earth and are hard to distinguish from our government due to state capture. Corporates can be full of well intentioned people but as a collective, they have been shown to take limited responsibility for the externalities they create. This has resulted in 100 corporations causing 71% of industrial emissions. This has indirectly led to a system where rich nations are responsible for 92% of global emissions, and mass inequality where the richest 1% of the world population are responsible for double the pollution produced by the poorest 50%.
• Hoarding excessive wealth is a mental illness - whilst murders get put in jail for individual murders, a billionaire is celebrated for profiteering on a dying planet gets tax breaks. 69% of us own less than 3% of earth's wealth the poorest out number the wealthiest by 150 to 1.

These issues are emergent of our system as we are bound in our commonality of the pursuit of profit. We have been tolerant thus far however it has its extent. We need to unite in a stronger commonality, we are all standing inside of a bubble hurtling through the vacuum of space and as of yet, we do not have the technology to vent our waste into space. Given our short timeline, we can die apathetically or come together in the understanding of our own shortcomings and write a incorporation heuristic (tenet) to in order to make something different.

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