OT: What is the biggest

[primitive]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
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The asteroid threat is quite real, but we don't know how imminent. That's why we need to spend a little bit (a very little bit in government terms) to at least continue to search for near earth objects. The naysayers are exhibiting a classic misunderstanding of what statistics are about.

Statistics are not laws of nature, they are just observations about averages. The "odds are" there won't be anyone coming the other way the next time you are approaching some rural 4-way stop between some fully grown cornfields where you can't see the road on the right or left. Are you gonna just charge through it at 60 mph without stopping since 'the odds' are in your favor? Or are you smart enough to realize that if there actually is a car coming the other way you'll be just as dead as if you'd driven actoss a busy highway without stopping? Statistics don't tell you about reality. They just give averages. You have to look for yourself to see what is actually the case right now. It doesn't matter what the 'odds' are per year of an asteroid hitting the earth. If there is one on course to hit us next year it WILL hit us next year.

In relative terms it really would cost very, very little to keep of a good search for asteroids that might hit us. A few tens of millions of dollars when NASA gets about $15 billion a year Last I heard?

Bad example Baron M.
Statistically, the faster you drive the less chance you have to hit someone at a blind intersection. On the other hand, driving faster will give a more severe accident so it will probably be wise to do the snails pace anyway

As for the Asteroids; the chance of them hitting is so small its ridiculous to worry about. There are hundreds of potential disasters more capable of exterminating all/most intelligent: Nuclear war, pollution, diseases (both natural and genetically tailored and wilfully released), country music.

The real danger: Lack of energy.
There are simply not enough energy sources available to upgrade everyone on the planet to �western� living standards. At the moment it is other factors that keep the poor down, but sooner or later it will come down to the availability of energy. Then the tough question will be: Keep it for ourselves and expect local conflicts and terrorism to skyrocket, or share it and live with the *****ing of the people who have to park their SUVs. Gonna be a tossup.

[EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro]

Biggest threat I would say is pollution. More specifically pollution and depletion of our ground water. For those places who get water from snow run off then the problem would be air pollution that would pollute the snow runoff.

Beyond that in general I would say the second biggest threat would be Fundamentalism. Get a group of people together and they'll find a reason to hate, kill, or repress another group of people and say that it's god's will. I find myself drifting that way sometimes. When the Arab world says that all Infidels should be killed, I think the only way to eradicate the threat would be to kill all of them. Hope I don't go that way for real!

I also worry about rising sea levels. Not me personally but just a few more feet (1 or 2) and many people will be displaced. Beautiful islands will be inundated and those peoples culture and homes gone till the next ice age.

Maybe a Nuclear Winter will counter Global Warming!

[mac5732]

Fundalmentalism, world poverty which in turn festers hate and turns many to violence, greed and power, look at all the revolutions and coups especially in 3rd world countries, Jealousy which turns into Terrorism, this will increase as more and more become disenchanted with way things are and where all the power and wealth resides. Those who have not, wish for that which others have. Pacifism, look at what happened just before WW2, when everyone let Hitler do what he wanted and believed his crap because they didn't want to take a solid stand against what he was. We again have this type of feeling in the world today. Give them what they want and leave them alone, they'll behave and come around (RRIIIGGGHHTT)

Humanity is on course for self destruction unless we all get along. we've come close a number of times and sooner or later the buttons will be pushed whether by terrorists or others...

just some ideas Mac

[geoschmo]

I guess it all depends on how you want to define threat. If we are talking about capital T threat as in, the end, no more people, then about the only thing that's likely going to do that is a really big asteroid.

On the other hand, while there's a chance of us all getting done in by a big space rock, there's pretty much a certainty that a whole lot of us are going to get done in by all those self inflicted issues we are talking about, pollution, lack of resources, bad hair days, etc. If things keep going the way they are that is. About the worst we could do to ourselves though is probably knock ourselves back a few hundred years on the civilizational scale. It would really suck, but as a species we'd survive it.

[Atrocities]

Boardom

[narf poit chez BOOM]

A better world is only achieved by people bettering themselves. Nothing less will do it.

[Tnarg]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
What s the biggest threat we now have facing us and the planet?

I would say over population, lack of resources (Namely Oil), and laws for just about everything from breathing air to sleeping.

There was a time when we had far more freedom to do as we wanted than we currently have now. You could go to the woods and camp, now you need a permit and you have to pack out your waste. (ALL WASTE! Yup, 1 & 2 are included).

As the population increases, resources dwindle and freedom to be free is dramatically reduced. Hell at one point I bet many of you could simply walk out side at any hour and take a whiz, but to do that now you'd more than likely end up on some survalence video.

What used to take 20 minutes to drive now takes an hour with all the traffic, new signals, road revisions, etc. The more people we have, the less mobility we enjoy, hence the less real freedom we have.

Only 20 years ago it was ok hunt, now it is impossible to find an area. 10 year ago we could ride our dirt bikes in the woods, now that area is all houses and closed off for logging. 5 years ago we could ride our quads on the beach, now that is being closed to preserve the sand.

What used to be free camping is now reservation only.

I know that many call this evolution, but I call it what it is, a sincere and continuing threat to the freedom and enjoyment of life.

Move to South Dakota. The pub across the street actually has a "landmark" rock out back that is the urinal.

I used to drive 7 miles to work in Portland and it took about 30 to 45 minutes. I drive 30 miles to work now, and it takes 25 minutes.

I have a creek in my back yard and I can fish with out a permit, don't know if that is legal or not?

Everyone knows everyone here, so you just ask Elmer if you can help him with his dear problem.

This life style isn't for everyone, I admit I miss the city, but I would have to say we are pretty free to do as we please within respectful manners.

I would have to say our biggest threat is winter! Then the next biggest threat would have to be some fanatic that wants to poison the food supply with Mad Cow or something. So I guess people are are biggest threat, good call Atrocities, but I beleive that there is a great deal of land left, maybe not resources, but there are alternatives.

[Taz-in-Space]

There are hundreds of potential disasters more capable of exterminating all/most intelligent: Nuclear war, pollution, diseases (both natural and genetically tailored and wilfully released), country music .

Ummm, that Last one...Someone is going to sing the ultimate sad country song and everyone suicides?

[Kamog]

I don't think we'll run out of oil in the next couple of decades. I thought there's oil in the ground but the deposits that haven't been tapped yet are more difficult to get at. So the price of oil will keep rising as the cost of extracting the oil gets higher and higher. But we won't suddenly run out of oil; that will take much longer.

[Dragonswrd]

Actually, current estimates put us at 15 to 20 years left of oil. So yes it will be soon.

[ March 30, 2004, 13:57: Message edited by: Dragonswrd ]