So What IS ruined after an Apocalypse?

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Tigrah2k

There are food goods that are specifically designed for long shelf life. MRE type food stuffs have a lengthy reasonable shelf life of easily 10 years. I'm not aware of anything, at least food stuffs, that have a longer shelf life. However, that doesn't mean there aren't products out there with exceptionally long lifespans.

There's freeze dried survival rations out there guaranteed for 25 years shelf life, but as noted upthread, tinned goods have been found microbiologically safe a century after they were laid down on at least two occasions.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

There's freeze dried survival rations out there guaranteed for 25 years shelf life, but as noted upthread, tinned goods have been found microbiologically safe a century after they were laid down on at least two occasions.

Also dried foods can last forever if properly stored (I'm mostly looking at beans, rice, and grains, but properly dehydrated foods have some extreme shelf lifes).

[khorboth]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

This is a really cool idea. But how would it be accessed if computers tend to be kaput by being so old. Or are there? I know at least one poster had an anecdote about firing up machines that had been in a shed for a couple decades.

Well, not ALL computers will be kaput, just most. From the computer's perspective, I'd give maybe a .1% or a .01% chance that a computer is in workable condition assuming it was not actually physically destroyed or left outside. That seems low, but there are lots of computers. I have 3 at home. My office building easily has 2000. The odds of having a salvageable part or two are substantially higher. Probably 1%. A decent scavenging roll paired with an electronics repair (or expert skill) roll for identifying parts would probably be enough to get enough parts for SOME computer. Then you have to power it somehow... Another quest!

In general, it's important to keep in mind that all of these expiration dates and likely decay patterns are probabilistic. There will be outliers. The more of an item there are, the more likely one will survive by a series of happy accidents. Also the longer the starting lifespan the better its odds of surviving to present day. That is, it's generally easier to last 10x lifespan than 1000x lifespan. So, computers at 10x expected survival... sure. Milk that's still good... probably not.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by khorboth

That is, it's generally easier to last 10x lifespan than 1000x lifespan. So, computers at 10x expected survival... sure. Milk that's still good... probably not.

And what is the "projected lifespan" of a computer... keeping in mind the one I'm using is currently 15 years old... and I have a few in my closet that are older and weren't retired due to malfunction, but because they were replaced with new ones.


I'd honestly say computers and other electronics can have a lifespan exceeding the time gap in Christopher's game.

[evileeyore]

A timely and interesting video about suspension bridge lifespans...

Tom Scott - How To Stop A Colossal Bridge Corroding

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

And what is the "projected lifespan" of a computer... keeping in mind the one I'm using is currently 15 years old... and I have a few in my closet that are older and weren't retired due to malfunction, but because they were replaced with new ones.


I'd honestly say computers and other electronics can have a lifespan exceeding the time gap in Christopher's game.

Especially older ones.

In all cases, you may have to scavenge and replace capacitors. Those, afaik, are the primary point of failure in most electronics.

Recent computers, the programmable rom are sensitive to cosmic rays. The higher the density, the more likely the controllers software will be corrupted.

Older ones, a likely failure will be the board battery leaking and corroding everything.

My Apple IIc, from around 1986, still work, although the disk drive motor failed a few years ago. It sat unused for 20 years before I powered it up again

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by Tigrah2k

There are food goods that are specifically designed for long shelf life. MRE type food stuffs have a lengthy reasonable shelf life of easily 10 years. I'm not aware of anything, at least food stuffs, that have a longer shelf life. However, that doesn't mean there aren't products out there with exceptionally long lifespans.

Check any "prepping" site for list of food that will last 30+ years.

one exemple among many :https://thepreppingguide.com/foods-w...st-shelf-life/

And some will last even longer.
Bog butter, balsamic vinegar, alcoholic drinks, salt, sugar and honey, some vacuum sealed dehydrated foods ... will be good a century and more from now.
So would frozen meat, if mammoth meat is any indication :)

[khorboth]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

And what is the "projected lifespan" of a computer... keeping in mind the one I'm using is currently 15 years old... and I have a few in my closet that are older and weren't retired due to malfunction, but because they were replaced with new ones.


I'd honestly say computers and other electronics can have a lifespan exceeding the time gap in Christopher's game.

That's certainly true for computers kept in a climate-controlled environment. If they're stored in a place where they're not getting directly rained on, but they're exposed to temperature extremes and there's a chance that animals have nested in the box... I'd probably guess somewhere in the 5-10 years range. But I'm really just guessing. I have no particular expertise in the area.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by khorboth

That's certainly true for computers kept in a climate-controlled environment. If they're stored in a place where they're not getting directly rained on, but they're exposed to temperature extremes and there's a chance that animals have nested in the box... I'd probably guess somewhere in the 5-10 years range. But I'm really just guessing. I have no particular expertise in the area.

If animals the size of a small mouse or larger have nested in a computer (especially rodents), unless you catch them early you may as well throw it out without checking the individual components. Unless you know there's really valuable information stored on it and you have the resources (and in a post-apocalyptic setting skills) to do a proper data recovery.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

A timely and interesting video about suspension bridge lifespans...

Tom Scott - How To Stop A Colossal Bridge Corroding

Very very cool.