slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (07/30/85)
> Thus, colonization is an ineffective method of removing population pressure. > One thing will work however: internal control, such as China's. I won't > go so far as to advocate out-and-out eugenics, because that can backfire > magnificently (witness Dorsai! and "Space Seed"/"The Wrath of Khan"). > However, we'd better start doing something to curb population pressure, or > good ol' Mother Nature/Human Nature will grab the ball and run. Soil > depletion in the cradle of civilization, Africa. World War Three. Famine > in inner India. Inner city violence in North America and Europe. Read > the play Our Town sometime, or the last portion of TEFL, and contrast with > a current city. Living without locks on the doors? Leaving valubles in an > open car? Walking through Central Park *After Dark?* Good Lord, its > positively UnAmerican!!! And theres always mass insanity of course. > >... > I'm going to stop before this gets too depressing. There is one thing I can > have hope in: once a permanent, self-supporting, off-Earth colony is > established, Man is unlikely to die out. The catch is that societies don't > work towards their own long term survival. Individuals do, and this creates > societies as a side effect. Philosophers are more comfortable when they > have plenty of paper and a free meal ticket. They don't like standing behind > a plow. A quick survey: How many of you out there would drop *everything* to work on the chance to establish a self-supporting off-Earth colony, given a chance to colonize there in exchange? I mean give up your careers, your homes, everything! (I know that it is easier to talk than act, after all I'm still here :-) ) -- Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA
richardt@orstcs.UUCP (richardt) (08/03/85)
What would you describe as 'everything.' Home, job, and material possessions happen to rate rather low on my list. Friends, on the other hand, are something I value very highly. That's why my Tardis is still in the shop. I'm trying to get it enlarged :-) Quick trivia question: How many rooms are there in the Tardis? How many have been shown in the TV show? orstcs!richardt "But you can't patent a man's brain!" "Hah! Watch Me!!!!"