08/06/2026
About a year and a half ago, I said I was working on a research paper at the Universe Institute to understand why, after 10,000 years of the positive aspects of civilization, humanity is still so dysfunctional and unjust. I finally finished the white paper, and it is called:
The 10,000-Year Trap: The 20 Interacting Causal Forces Behind Recurring Human and Civilization-Level Dysfunctionality, Injustice, Catastrophe, and Collapse.
I spent so much time on this white paper because, personally, I also have always wondered why after:
a. 10,000 years of civilization,
b. over 50,000 religions having existed,
c. 50 major philosophies evolved,
d. all kinds of beginning to advanced educational systems were created, and
e. numerous political and economic systems have been tried,
humanity still keeps repeating the same 20 causal behaviors at the individual and civilization level (or both), which, because of the amplifying effects of modern technology, are rapidly bringing humanity ever closer to the possibility of widespread catastrophe, collapse, and even extinction.
I postulated that if I, and if humanity, do not know all of the real and accurate causes of why our human civilization continues to be so dysfunctional and unjust, such civilization-level dysfunction and injustice will not only continue but also will be greatly amplified by modern technology, including AI.
I hope you will get a chance to look at at least the paper's 20 causes and conclusion, and its 21 charts and illustrations, which will quickly take you to the core and often SURPRISING findings if you're a skimmer.
Here is the link to this new white paper: https://www.universeinstitute.org/the_10_000_year_trap_the_20_interacting_forces_that_keep_turning_human_cooperation_into_injustice_catastrophe_and_civilizational_collapse
I hope this information will benefit you individually on whatever projects or dreams you might be working on.
It has certainly opened my eyes to the scope, breadth, and depth of the challenges before us, individually and collectively, as humanity.
Best,
Lawrence Wollersheim
The 10,000-Year Trap: The 20 Interacting Causal Forces Behind Recurring Human and Civilization-Level Dysfunctionality, Injustice, Catastrophe, and Collapse.