Point of no return: from geometric simplicity to social neglect

The "point of no return" today is a term not so much geometric or aviation as public. Applying it in this or that report or in a speech, they usually want to emphasize the special urgency of the moment, that behind it there are irreversible, and often catastrophic, consequences.

However, first you should refer to the already established terms. In particular, the point of no return in aviation is that moment of flight, when the pilot can still make a decision and come back. If this boundary is passed, then all the way back for it will be cut off, and there will be one way - forward, to the planned (or reserve) airfield. However, with all the pathos, it is clear that the situation when the point of no return is passed, for pilots - a phenomenon quite ordinary, with this they are constantly confronted. A somewhat different interpretation of this term can be found in mathematicians.

In geometry, the point of no return is really the point at which the movement begins to the beginning of the segment. That is, you can see that here the meaning is almost the opposite of what we see in sky explorers. On the other hand, this concept in geometry does not bear any tragedy or perpetuity. Most likely, here this term also plays a rather abstract role.

You can refer to the experience of mountaineers and travelers. They have a point of no return - this is the place where a traveler who is tired or has lost faith in the success of an operation can return to the main camp. After passing it, he will have to go with his comrades to the end, because now everyone's life and health depend on common efforts. It is this understanding of the term that is closest to how public opinion researchers like it.

Today, the phrase "point of no return" is a favorite for politicians, economists, psychologists, and even sportsmen. For almost all, this term is predominantly negative in nature and means a certain watershed, after which you can not return to the alternate option.

The popularity of this concept most scientists associate with the fact that in the life of modern civilization there are more and more elements of the show, when certain actions are presented as fateful almost for the whole of our planet. True, a little later it turns out that no point of no return has been overcome, and practically nothing has changed in the life of this or that country or people.

Globalization, the development of communication media, the desire of the majority to be at the center of history are the driving forces that make politicians and economists constantly mention this term. On the other hand, constant reminders about the point of no return have led to the fact that many of the townsfolk began to lose interest even in really meaningful events, leaving them either in themselves or in virtual reality.

Summing up, we can conclude that the "point of no return" in recent years has turned into a kind of brand from which cunning entrepreneurs make a profit, forcing us to constantly think in terms of "end of the world".