On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 13:37:05 -0400, Vito wrote:


For example, ever heard of a neutron bomb - a nuke that
kills everything for miles with minimal property damage using short-lived
radiation? We could simply eradicate the populations that produce and
support terrorism then suck up all the oil we need. Let's see, where to
start .....?

Yeah, that would work. Guy, sooner or later, we are going to have to deal
with the oil situation. Many experts agree that we are at or approaching
peak oil. It just doesn't get any better than this.

"It has often been said that, if the human species fails to make a go of
it here on Earth, some other species will take over the running. In the
sense of developing high intelligence this is not correct. We have, or
soon will have, exhausted the necessary physical prerequisites so far as
this planet is concerned. With coal gone, oil gone, high-grade metallic
ores gone, no species however competent can make the long climb from
primitive conditions to high-level technology. This is a one-shot affair.
If we fail, this planetary system fails so far as intelligence is
concerned. The same will be true of other planetary systems. On each of
them there will be one chance, and one chance only." (Hoyle, 1964)

"thunder" wrote

"It has often been said that, if the human species fails to make a go of
it here on Earth, some other species will take over the running. In the
sense of developing high intelligence this is not correct. We have, or
soon will have, exhausted the necessary physical prerequisites so far as
this planet is concerned. ... The same will be true of other planetary
systems. On each of
them there will be one chance, and one chance only." (Hoyle, 1964)

We didn't know about astroid impacts and calderas back in '64. The
Yellowstone Caldera will force a restart long before all the resources are
gone. The last such event, only a third the size, knocked the human
population back to about 2000. This will be 3-4X worse but given our
technology even more will survive, perhaps as many as 100,000. There'll be
plenty for those few.