Memeplex: Missive for a Dark Age

Toward a 'Book of Knowledge and Wisdom', transmissible to future generations in hope of Renaissance.

meme - An element of culture transmissible by non-genetic means.

memeplex - A set of associated memes which interact to reinforce each other.


Welcome to the Missive Project

Human civilization is arguably in early stages of a catastrophic, global collapse to be followed by a desperately dark age.

Against that possibility the Missive Project aims to preserve and transmit 'unpackable' kernels of knowledge with the goal of facilitating Renaissance.

This site is under construction. Please excuse errors and inconsistencies. --- Dave Z

11 April 2025

Book of Practice

Book of Practice

I. Water and Fire

  • 1. Water to Drink

    • Finding and assessing sources

    • Methods of purification

    • Storage and transport

  • 2. Firecraft

    • Gathering fuel and tinder

    • Starting and maintaining fire

    • Rocket stoves and efficiency

    • Safety and extinguishing

  • 3. From Soil and Flame

    • Clay and ceramics

    • Bricks and firing

    • Charcoal, lime, and ash

    • Soaps and saponification

    • Manure, leach pits, and compost

    • Glaze and sealing

II. Clean and Whole

  • 4. Hygiene and Sanitation (Adapt Medicine kernel)

    • Clean hands, bodies, tools, and spaces

    • Managing waste and excrement

    • Controlling vectors (insects, rodents)

  • 5. Trauma Care

    • Wound cleaning and dressing

    • Bleeding control

    • Burn treatment

    • Bone breaks and sprains

    • Shock and recovery

    • Infection signs and responses

    • Hypo/hyperthermia response

    • Breathing and choking rescue

    • Pain relief and stabilization

  • 6. Healing Tools and Agents

    • Pastes, tinctures, and poultices

    • Antiseptics: alcohol, vinegar, salt, sugar

    • Distillation and fermentation

    • Anesthetics (basic, low-tech)

    • Sterilization: fire, boiling, alcohol

  • 7. Shelter and Comfort

    • Insulation, dry bedding, airflow

    • Heat conservation and shade

    • Simple bedding and structure

III. Tools and Materials

  • 8. Binding and Joining

    • Twine, rope, knots

    • Adhesives and pitch

    • Nails, lashings, and joins

  • 9. Containers and Carrying

    • Pots, bags, skins, gourds

    • Basic weaving and basketry

    • Lids, seals, plugs

  • 10. Simple Tools

    • Sharpening, shaping, striking

    • Handles and grips

    • Repair and reuse

  • 11. Paper, Ink, and Mark

    • Making paper and scrolls

    • Basic inks and pigments

    • Writing tools and preservation

IV. Food and Soil

  • 12. From Seed to Harvest

    • Seed saving and sprouting

    • Soil preparation and rotation

    • Planting, tending, harvesting

  • 13. Storing the Harvest

    • Drying, fermenting, salting

    • Cool and dry storage

    • Mold and pest control

  • 14. Animals and Husbandry

    • Keeping and tending

    • Feed, breeding, waste

    • Milk, egg, meat basics

  • 15. Soil and Amendment

    • Compost, mulch, green manure

    • Leach pits and latrine rotation

    • Signs of exhaustion and renewal

V. Practice in the World

  • 16. Group Practice

    • Roles and cooperation

    • Work parties and skill circles

    • Teaching and demonstration

  • 17. Oral Tradition

    • Memorizing and passing down

    • Songs, chants, and tales

    • The value of repetition and rhyme

  • 18. Resilience and Repair

    • Salvage and scavenge

    • Substitution and adaptation

    • Making do and doing again

Appendix: The Red Line

Things that may not be taught here

  • Why some things are missing (e.g., explosives, weapons of excess)

  • A plea for mercy, sustainability, consent

  • A signpost to Wisdom

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