LewisDartnell

Hmmm. In general terms, I think all of us living in the modern world would feel a bit more satisfied if we had a go at *repairing things every now and then. This of course is getting harder and harder when automobile engines are computer controlled, and you can't even recognise the components in a modern phone or radio because it's all embedded in microchips. But tinkering with things, and the Hacker, Maker, Craft communities I think are all on to something really important.

I've got a few other interesting references, yup, and would be happy to help. Could you give me a few hours to dig those refs out for you? Email me on [email protected] and I'll get back to you with my notes from that satellite article

That would depend hugely on the nature of the disaster. If, say, the global power grids get knocked down by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun and society collapses then you might find a horrific situation of competition for the rapidly dwindling resources. In which case, a hidden fortified compound with several years of stockpiled food would clearly help your chances. But with something like a pandemic that rapidly kills much of humanity (i.e. the opposite scenario), you might fair pretty well even without having prepared beforehand, by being able to scavenge what's been left behind.

For the record, I'm not a prepper myself, and have taught myself only a few basic skills, more out of interest than any belief that the world as we know it is genuinely about to end.

Sure! The most useful link I think is this one: http://www.oxera.com/Latest-Thinking/Publications/Reports/2013/What-is-the-economic-impact-of-Geo-services.aspx

Yeah, so don't mention the 'Z' word...! Zombies are a great fantasy horror, but scientifically impossible. But you can't fault sci-fi for its premise, I suppose. I guess the most obvious lapse, for clear stylistic reasons, is that everyone in a post-apocalyptic world often seems to healthy, with perfectly conditioned and moulded hair. But with a few tatters on their leather jacket and a brush of dust on their forehead... ;o)