"The five-stage collapse gradient: from extractive deployment to civilizational brittleness. The mechanism is documented. The leading indicators are measurable."
Saga XI · Series 4 · 7 papers · March 2026 · ICS-2026-HC-020–024b
Named Condition
Series Named Condition · HC
The Collapse Gradient
Five stages from extractive deployment to cross-domain compounding, with observable leading indicators at each transition and a structurally predicted irreversibility threshold at Stage 2→3 — projected from the capability atrophy mechanism (HC-020) rather than observed in historical cases. Aviation’s recovery from automation-dependency (FAA AC 120-111) suggests that institutional intervention can reverse atrophy even after significant capability loss. The threshold is a structural prediction, not a documented observation.