If we got blown back to the Stone Age because of a nuclear war, what would return first? Older technology because it’s easiest obtainable, or newer technology, because it was the most recently produced?

Well on the one hand:

I don't know that there would be any coming back for humans. At least not 99.9 percent of the population.

The only group I could see truly surviving, might perhaps be a large group of military personnel in a well stocked bunker.

Then they might have a chance of saving humanity.

They would be well stocked with modern technology and supplies, and have scientists and engineers, so there's a chance humans would never regress technologically.

But they would be the only surviving humans... so

An interesting novel that pretty covers this topic (except with a different mode of disaster) is:

Seveneves, by Neal Stephenson

If this topic fascinates you (the survivability of modern humanity and technology in the face of a major disaster) then that's certainly the novel for you!

/r/AskReddit Thread