Jul 23, 2007 12:31 PM

Ancient Chinese Curse: May You Live in Climatically Interesting Times

After comparing records of weather and wars over the past 1,000 years in eastern China, scientists have concluded that cooling periods — and the resulting resource shortages — fueled conflict. Good news for global warming, you think? Not so fast. David Zhang, the study’s lead author, said that while he didn’t analyze warming patterns, the […]

After comparing records of weather and wars over the past 1,000 years in eastern China, scientists have concluded that cooling periods -- and the resulting resource shortages -- fueled conflict.

Good news for global warming, you think? Not so fast. David Zhang, the study's lead author, said that while he didn't analyze warming patterns, the same rules should apply.

"It is more apparent that colder temperature would cause less crop production. However the ecosystem and agricultural production, once adapted to lower temperature, would surely be disturbed in a higher temperature today," he said.

Zhang believes that changes in ecosystems could lead to social, economic and political change, and could spark off wars. Historically, warfare has been a way of redistributing resources in response to climate change.

Previous Wired Science coverage of weather and warfare here and here.

Climate Change and War Frequency in Eastern China over the Last Millennium [Human Ecology]

Climate change sparked historical wars in China [SciDev.Net]
*
Image: Nate Koechley*

Brandon is a Wired Science reporter and freelance journalist. Based in Brooklyn, New York and Bangor, Maine, he's fascinated with science, culture, history and nature. ... Read More

Reporter

Topicsclimate History

Your Vape Wants to Know How Old You Are

Companies hope that biometric age-verification tech in cartridges could put flavored vapes back in business. But it's unlikely to solve the real problems.

Boone Ashworth

Senators Demand to Know How Much Energy Data Centers Use

In a letter sent Thursday morning, Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley press the Energy Information Agency to mandate annual electricity disclosure for data centers.

Molly Taft

A Billionaire-Backed Startup Wants to Grow 'Organ Sacks' to Replace Animal Testing

R3 Bio has a bold idea for replacing lab animals: genetically-engineered whole organ systems that lack a brain. The long-term goal, says a cofounder, is to make human versions.

Emily Mullin

NASA Wants to Put Nuclear Reactors on the Moon

The White House has announced that NASA will work with the Departments of Defense and Energy to put nuclear reactors in orbit and on the surface of the moon.

Jorge Garay

Get Ready for a Year of Chaotic Weather in the US

A massive Western heat wave and a potential El Niño event raise concerns about a long stretch of unpredictable and extreme weather.

Molly Taft

The Trajectory of the Artemis II Moon Mission Is a Feat of Engineering

The astronauts will arrive about 10,300 kilometers beyond our satellite, breaking all previous records for distance from Earth. But how was their route chosen?

Luca Nardi

The US Government Will Ask Data Centers How Much Power They Use

In a letter obtained by WIRED, the Energy Information Administration tells two senators that it plans to develop a mandatory assessment of data centers' energy use.

Molly Taft

Snake Bros Keep Getting Bitten by Their Lethal Pets. Only Zoos Can Save Them

Your venomous serpent bites you, and the clock is ticking. America’s zookeepers—and a cooler full of rare antivenom—are your best chance of survival.

Claire McNear

Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire

As ships return to the Strait of Hormuz, mines, sonar, and congestion continue to reshape the Gulf beneath the surface.

Evangeline Elsa

You Can Soon Buy a $4,370 Humanoid Robot on AliExpress

Unitree is bringing its R1 to international markets. It arrives with some aerobatic capabilities and an entry-level price, but the question of what you'd actually do with it remains open.

Marco Trabucchi

‘A Rigged and Dangerous Product’: The Wildest Week for Prediction Markets Yet

As the prediction market boom continues, backlash is growing, too, with Arizona filing criminal charges against Kalshi and public outcry after Polymarket traders threatened a journalist.

Kate Knibbs

Artemis II: Everything We Know as Its Crew Approaches the Far Side of the Moon

Artemis II remains on course for its lunar flyby as the crew shares historic photos of Earth, tests key systems for future lunar missions, and attempts to fix the toilet.

Javier Carbajal