The City Limits
Human progress and technology are advancing at exponential rates, but at what cost?
8 billion people call Earth home.
Humans have occupied only a brief moment in Earth's timeline, yet over the past two centuries technological and industrial development has accelerated at an unprecedented pace, along with the growing demand for the planet's resources.
Skyscrapers rise ever higher, like huge trees battling for sunlight. At night, from above, streams of traffic resemble rivers of lava flowing through the landscape.
Like a giant ant colony, humanity has reshaped the planet to suit its needs. But what about the Earth itself? Can this relentless expansion continue without consequence? The City Limits explores the idea that, despite humanity's dominance, there are forces far greater than itself.
In Carl Sagan's own words: "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us."
Human progress and technology continue to advance at an exponential rate—but at what cost?
Where is the city's limit?