Eyes open. No fear. Be safe everyone. Ben’s daily mantra
If we can imagine the reaction of the veteran seamen from among whom Christopher Columbus invited to join him on a voyage of discovery in 1492, we might be able to grasp the significance of Ben Davidson’s role in preparing us for the “Next End of the World.” They were asked to journey into the unknown and to risk their lives on a long-shot. Mr. Davidson is asking us to make an adventure out of a deadly world disaster.
Of course, Columbus was looking for a New World, while those of us who survive the next cataclysm will be looking for the Lost World. Columbus’ crew was formed from the ranks of volunteers. None of us can volunteer out of this one.
We can, however, opt out of preparing. And that is what I suspect most people, probably 90% of the world’s population, will do . . . absolutely nothing.
But for those few brave souls out there who are already “prepping” for a wide-range of potential disasters, you now have your penultimate prepper’s manual: The Sun, The Earth and The Disaster Cycle.
Released just this year, this latest iteration of Davidson’s views on solar science and world catastrophe delivers a final “one, two punch” to his naysayers. The science is settled: stars micronova, and so does our Sun.
While Davidson’s previous books laid out the scientific theory, his detractors have insisted that there could only be one kind of nova: the super nova which signals the death of stars. Now, in this volume, he cites scientific journals in which the fact and terminology of micronovas have been fully integrated into the lexicon of astrophysics. Various classifications of novae have been created as astronomers now routinely observe them with the aid of better telescopes. There are many novas which do not result in the destruction of a star.
[Oops. They forgot to credit the likes of Davidson, Vogt and others who have argued the science for decades.]
But every nova is destructive to nearby planets and we happen to live on just such a planet. Every nova cycle which we discover in the Earth’s strata has also borne witness to a mass extinction event. While from a geophysical point of view, a nova might be thought of as a stellar reset – and perhaps beneficial in refurbishing a planet’s resources – life forms, on the other hand, have a hard time. Darwin’s evolutionary maxim becomes ever more poignant: survival of a species requires the ability to adapt to its environment. Our environment is about to change.
The 2046AD website tends to favor the science of Douglas Vogt. But he is deceased and it is left to Ben Davidson to carry forward 21st Century Catastrophism. Like William Whiston was to Sir Isaac Newton – catastrophists from an earlier time – Davidson has proven himself a competent successor to Vogt, even though he does differ from him. Much of what he believes coincides with Vogt’s perspective, but on some points, there was contention. They were gentlemen about it.
This four part series is intended as both a review of Davidson’s latest book and an attempt to offer a fair hearing for his science. Disaster scenarios are an important part of this manual as are prepper strategies. We will be looking at those, too.
JWS, 12/14/25
