Petrushka: Proceedings of a Conference on Severe Epidemic Phytonotic Syndrome (SEPS) - Paperback

Petrushka: Conference Proceedings on Severe Epidemic Phytonotic Syndrome

This volume presents the proceedings of a unique conference convened by the Petrushka group to address Severe Epidemic Phytonotic Syndrome (SEPS), a hypothetical plant disease that thrives on electromagnetic radiation. The meeting brought together experts to Cape Cod under unusual constraints: participants traveled by land and water, communicated by post, and operated without online resources to simulate a complete technology blackout scenario.

Conference Context and Methodology

The Petrushka group established this gathering to explore responses to SEPS if technology fails or worsens the condition. Given the syndrome's uncertain origin and apparent amplification through electromagnetic radiation, the conference operated under deliberate information restrictions. Some invited participants did not arrive, creating gaps in expertise that remain evident in the proceedings. A single long-distance call to an epidemiologist engaged in technological SEPS mitigation provided essential perspective to balance the group's isolated deliberations.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives

The proceedings feature contributions from Caterina Borelli, James Cronin, Laura Frader, Elysa Hammond, Douglas Maclean, Charles M. Peters, Stephen Rapp, and Jesus Ramirez-Valles. Discussions encompassed competing priorities across medicine, public health, ecosystems, and biology. The group deliberately avoided arbitrating among these competing concerns, acknowledging both the fluid nature of the hypothetical situation and the possibility that humans may be inherently incapable of envisioning scenarios where they do not hold the primary role.

Tentative Recommendations

The recommendations emerging from this conference remain provisional due to uncertainties about the plague's spread and which societies and communities would face disruption. This cautious approach reflects the experimental nature of the exercise and the genuine complexity of balancing human needs against broader ecological considerations during a plant disease epidemic.

Note: The meeting took place; the pandemic did not.

About the Editor

Peter McCarey: Editor of this collection, McCarey compiled contributions from multiple experts to create this speculative examination of post-technology response scenarios.