Book SummaryThe Knowledge, by Lewis Dartnell

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Knowledge

Reestablishing critical infrastructure, particularly the production and delivery of electrical power.

Reestablishing diverse energy generation capabilities.

A sophisticated society's reconstruction is fundamentally reliant on the certainty of stable energy resources. In this new industrial era, your primary energy sources will be renewable, harnessing the power of the sun, wind, and water flows. This will demand a fusion of older, robust technologies like windmills and waterwheels, with modern innovations like high-efficiency turbines.

Harnessing sustainable forms of energy such as solar power.

Dartnell underscores the importance of mastering the use of natural resources for sustaining essential activities like agriculture, manufacturing, and the sharing of knowledge, similar to the techniques our ancestors used before they relied on fossil fuels. In the event of societal collapse, it will become crucial to once again utilize waterwheels and windmills, not only for operating mills that grind grain or pulp but also for driving generators that create electricity. The engineering prowess of the medieval period is exemplified by the ingenious use of the overshot waterwheel, which effectively captures a substantial portion of the potential energy from water flowing down from a dammed stream. The use of machinery began with water mills that harnessed gears to transmit energy.

Harnessing wind power necessitates a considerable degree of inventiveness. The turret, which automatically adjusts using a fantail to keep the main sails in line with the wind, marks a significant development that led to the creation of stationary factories driven by the harnessing of wind energy. The effectiveness of waterwheels is constrained by the elevation from which they can draw water's power, while windmills are limited by the highest velocity their sails or blades can endure without sustaining damage. These challenges can be overcome by adopting a different approach that leverages the aerodynamic understanding developed from the progression of aircraft design. Modern turbines, such as those found in wind farms, have substituted the traditional broad sails with a trio of slender blades which, despite intercepting a smaller volume of wind, spin at a higher velocity, thereby converting the wind's kinetic energy into electrical power with greater efficiency. Water turbines, especially those engineered for significant vertical descents, provide substantial advancements compared to the traditional paddle wheel configuration, with Pelton-style turbines being particularly well-suited for such landscapes, whereas cross-flow turbines excel in environments with copious water currents. These designs offer the benefit of being simple to construct and upkeep, which suits a society that is in the midst of reconstruction.

Practical Tips

• Optimize your home's energy efficiency to get a grasp on resource management in manufacturing. Simple actions like using LED bulbs, installing low-flow showerheads, and sealing drafts can reduce your household's resource consumption. As you make these changes, you'll learn how energy and material efficiency play a role in larger manufacturing processes.
• You can start by learning the basics of mechanical systems through online courses or local workshops to understand how devices like waterwheels and windmills operate. By gaining a foundational knowledge of mechanics, you'll be better equipped to understand the principles behind these tools and how they can be adapted for various uses. Look for beginner-friendly resources that cover topics like simple machines, energy conversion, and basic engineering principles.
• Explore the concept of energy conversion by creating a water-powered clock or calculator for your home office or kitchen. Purchase a water-powered clock kit and assemble it according to the instructions. This not only provides a functional device but also serves as a daily reminder of the principles of energy capture and conversion you've read about.
• Experiment with different gear ratios using a bicycle to understand the efficiency of energy transmission. By changing the gears while riding on various inclines, you'll experience firsthand how different settings can make pedaling easier or harder, reflecting the concept of harnessing and transmitting energy through gears.
• Engage with local community groups to initiate a conversation about the benefits of wind power. You don't need to be an expert; simply sharing information and enthusiasm can be enough to start a dialogue. Look for local environmental or renewable energy groups and attend a meeting or forum. Sharing your interest and what you've learned about wind power could inspire collective community actions, such as advocating for wind energy projects or organizing educational workshops.
• Consider investing in a portable wind charger for personal use during outdoor activities. These chargers often incorporate efficient blade designs inspired by large-scale turbines and can charge devices like smartphones or cameras. This not only provides a practical application of wind energy but also promotes sustainable energy habits.
• Consider investing in a micro-hydro generator for personal use if you live near a water source. Look for suppliers that offer small, residential-sized turbines and consult with them to determine the feasibility based on your local water flow and regulations. This step allows you to directly benefit from the efficiency and simplicity of...

The Knowledge Summary Fostering the resurgence of scientific and technological progress to support recuperation.

Dartnell underscores the profound effect of societal collapse, highlighting how knowledge, typically distributed across communities rather than held by solitary individuals, tends to disintegrate and vanish. Proficiency is essential not only for managing and maintaining crucial systems but also for creating alternatives or repairing sophisticated technologies. Having modern textbooks, which are filled with specialized jargon and presuppose some foundational understanding, would not suffice. In order to heal, a society must reinstitute the fundamental tenets that are the foundation of scientific investigation, crucial for the generation of new insights, and it is equally important to revive critical technical abilities.

Maintaining and disseminating the core principles and techniques inherent to science.

Dartnell suggests focusing on teaching the fundamental concepts necessary for regaining all other forms of knowledge, rather than attempting to create a comprehensive compendium of all existing information. This guide is designed to provide the essential insights required for reconstructing society's foundations.

Creating vital measurement tools and establishing...

The Knowledge Summary Developing novel mechanisms for producing, disseminating, and preserving food supplies.

Maintaining a comfortable lifestyle for a growing population after the Fall hinges on securing a reliable and productive agricultural system and learning how to preserve the harvest reliably so that it doesn’t rot away uneaten. The critical technology underpinning the support of substantial populations relies on methods that enable the transportation and preservation of food from agricultural zones to cities, ensuring a reserve of surplus supplies for times of shortage. The goal is to deliberately modify the environment of a food product to reduce or prevent decay due to microbial activity. In the event of a societal breakdown, communities must rediscover traditional techniques for pest management, soil fertility improvement, and preservation of food stocks without depending on modern agricultural artificial additives and enhancers.

Establishing quickly the methods of farming that yield consistent and long-term productivity and sustainability.

To successfully revive agriculture following a collapse in society, it is essential to possess a thorough understanding of the complexities associated with cultivating plants and methods for food storage, along with a deep respect for...

The Knowledge Summary Promoting improved health, welfare, and hygiene.

Survival after a catastrophic occurrence hinges more on preventing infections that could be deadly or ensuring that injuries do not lead to death, rather than the direct effects of the disaster itself. For centuries, physicians confronted severe diseases with minimal influence, as they did not possess the capability to thoroughly examine the internal workings of the body. To prevent a return to a society with high mortality rates akin to those seen before the industrial revolution, it is vital to preserve key medical knowledge and procedures that can stop the spread of preventable diseases.

Taking proactive steps to control the proliferation of contagious illnesses.

Maintaining essential understanding of human physiology and the origins of illnesses is crucial for ensuring that the society emerging after an apocalypse is healthier than any previous civilization.

Ensuring water purity and effectively overseeing sanitation practices.

Infectious diseases can often be mitigated or their proliferation controlled by implementing straightforward preventative measures, even in the absence of contemporary pharmaceutical and hygienic products. Dartnell underscores the...

The Knowledge Summary Creating methods for exchanging information, producing power, and facilitating transportation.

To support a growing population and enhance trade, a recovering society must strengthen its capabilities in transportation, communication, and energy production, which are essential for acquiring resources and exchanging knowledge with distant communities, following a catastrophic event that has disrupted its progress. It will be crucial to integrate time-honored techniques suitable for a community without advanced manufacturing capabilities while seizing the chance to leapfrog certain stages of historical progression by applying modern insights to boost efficiency.

Creating systems that facilitate long-distance communication.

A recovering society must devise new strategies to rebuild communication channels, which are essential for pooling collective wisdom and coordinating their revival.

Creating vital equipment necessary for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals used in radio communication.

Dartnell elucidates that signals can be sent over extensive stretches using an electromagnet, a key concept underpinning the operation of telegraphs. The true progress is evident in the utilization of wireless technology to enable communication that isn't...