psrc@pegasus.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (04/01/89)
<"Would you like me to summon Data so he could offer a few dozen synonyms?"> In article <1989Mar28.041030.2291@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>, kocic@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Miroslav Kocic) writes: > . . . what if cold fusion becomes the crack-cocaine of energy > production? I can imagine a thousand fanatics in 750 terrorist > cells making an H-bomb in their kitchen. Seems to me that rec.arts.sf-lovers is the "right" group to discuss the social implications of cheap, simple fusion. It's certainly the right group for my response to the above, taken from Larry Niven's story, "ARM" (from THE LONG ARM OF GIL HAMILTON, 1976, p. 118 of my paperback copy; the story first appeared in 1975): Monitoring of technology is necessary enough, but may have happened too late. There are enough fusion power plants and fusion rocket motors and fusion seawater distilleries around to let any madman or group thereof blow up the Earth or any selected part of it. In Niven's future history, the risk is worth it. I hope it is in ours! Paul S. R. Chisholm, AT&T Bell Laboratories att!pegasus!psrc, psrc@pegasus.att.com, AT&T Mail !psrchisholm I'm not speaking for the company, I'm just speaking my mind. (If you have opinions on discussing fusion in the SF group, send me e-mail; I'll post a summary to the various groups.)