The Jews, the Christians, and many other groups have tried to come to terms with modernity after the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. The problem analyzed: (1) Judaism, Christianity, and the other great religions have many advantages, but (2) most people who are good at thinking scientifically are bad at thinking religiously and (3) thinking scientifically is no longer optional for most groups—going along with modernity and thinking scientifically is part and parcel to fighting a modern war. That is: Without enough science, your nation dies because it can’t defend itself. But with enough science, your nation’s religion dies because science kills religion. There are only a few exceptions. For example, the Amish have avoided modernity. They’re lucky to live in America. The American military keeps them safe.

There’s something analogous in health. The modern diet, with its powerful stimulants on the individual level (e.g., coffee, sugar), is in turn a powerful stimulant on the group level. That is: Coffee, sugar, etc., when popularized and used on a mass scale, make for a powerful economic stimulant. But there’s a problem: They’re unhealthy. That too is a problem of modernity.