Tasmanian history is a study of human isolation unprecedented except in science fiction - namely, complete isolation from other humans for 10 000 years.

Diamond is highlighting Tasmania as an extreme natural experiment in human history: after rising sea levels cut Tasmania off from mainland Australia, its Aboriginal population lived without contact with other human societies for millennia. By comparing this to “science fiction,” he underscores how unusual such long-term, total isolation is in the human record. The remark frames Tasmania as a case study for how isolation can shape technology, social complexity, and cultural change (or loss of certain practices) when there is no exchange of ideas, people, or goods. It also reflects Diamond’s broader interest in geography and connectivity as drivers of divergent historical trajectories.