The Knowledge audiobook cover - How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch

The Knowledge

How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch

Lewis Dartnell

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The Knowledge
Immediate Survival+
Food & Agriculture+
Energy & Rebuilding+
Health & Medicine+
Time & Navigation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
Why are large shopping malls recommended as a prime location to find clothing after a catastrophe?
  • A. They have emergency backup generators that preserve the condition of the fabrics.
  • B. The goods are protected from the elements deep inside the cavernous interiors of the building.
  • C. They are usually built with reinforced steel to withstand cataclysmic events like asteroid strikes.
  • D. They contain synthetic outdoor gear that never degrades over time.
Question 2 of 8
According to the book, what is the ideal composition of soil for growing food?
  • A. 50% humus, 25% sand, and 25% clay
  • B. 33% gravel, 33% sand, and 33% silt
  • C. 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay
  • D. 60% clay, 20% sand, and 20% organic matter
Question 3 of 8
Why is crop rotation an essential practice for a successful post-apocalyptic farm?
  • A. It prevents local wildlife and pests from adapting to your food supply.
  • B. It balances the soil's nutrients, as different plants remove or inject specific elements like nitrogen.
  • C. It ensures a varied diet of vitamins and minerals for the survivors.
  • D. It allows the topsoil to physically settle, reducing the risk of erosion.
Question 4 of 8
Why is producing charcoal critical for rebuilding industries like glassblowing and metal forging?
  • A. It produces less smoke than regular wood, hiding your location from scavengers.
  • B. It contains specific minerals required to strengthen forged metals.
  • C. It is the only fuel that can be ignited without a spark or open flame.
  • D. It burns much hotter than firewood, providing the high thermal energy needed for these tasks.
Question 5 of 8
If commercial supplies run out, how can you manufacture basic soap?
  • A. By mixing animal fat with crushed limestone and boiling water.
  • B. By combining oil pressed from plants with alkali extracted from wood ash.
  • C. By boiling tree sap and mixing it with fine river sand.
  • D. By extracting natural antibacterial agents from fermented grains.
Question 6 of 8
Cholera is a historically deadly infection, but how can it be simply and effectively treated?
  • A. By drinking a mixture of clean water, sugar, and salt to combat rapid dehydration.
  • B. By brewing a tea from willow bark to reduce the severe fever it causes.
  • C. By applying a poultice of wood ash and clean water to the stomach.
  • D. By consuming small amounts of charcoal to absorb the pathogens in the stomach.
Question 7 of 8
What simple, early nineteenth-century medical diagnostic tool can be easily recreated with just a hollow piece of wood?
  • A. A thermometer
  • B. A syringe
  • C. A stethoscope
  • D. A tuning fork
Question 8 of 8
When making a makeshift compass to navigate without GPS, what is the crucial step for magnetizing the needle?
  • A. Heating the needle in a fire before rubbing it on the magnet.
  • B. Submerging the needle in saltwater for at least an hour.
  • C. Striking the needle repeatedly with a piece of heavy metal.
  • D. Rubbing the needle against a magnet in only one direction.

The Knowledge — Full Chapter Overview

The Knowledge Summary & Overview

The Knowledge (2014) is a practical guide to surviving the apocalypse. These blinks explain both how to survive a horrific catastrophe and how to create a self-sustaining life and rebuild civilization.

Who Should Listen to The Knowledge?

  • Every human on earth
  • Anybody interested in disaster survival

About the Author: Lewis Dartnell

Lewis Dartnell is a UK Space Agency Research Fellow at the University of Leicester, where he does work in Astrobiology and searches for microbial life on Mars. His science writing and outreach work have earned him several awards. The Knowledge is his third book.

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