Having the best seat in the house to watch the end come.
I'm just here for the entertainment. |
Quote:
|
Shhhhh, don't rat out the king. http://cellar.org/2012/nono.gif
|
I ain't nothin' but a hound dog ;)
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
There's also a human tendency to ignore or discount warnings. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Alrighty then. The statement is 100% accurate to complete extinction; And yet, that doesn't stop the many predictions of complete extinction; Which, obviously, gives us a perspective on predictions that only apply to a smaller number of humans, or a smaller region of the world; those predictions are perhaps only almost entirely wrong but that can't be mathematically proven. Quote:
Yes, whole point of the thread: it's a good idea to do exactly that, for all 100% apocalyptic warnings, and most of the rest as well. Y2K: it wasn't necessarily going to kill ALL of us, capisce? |
Quote:
|
Quote:
Or that institutions would have spent the money to do all that naturally, even if they hadn't been warned? |
Well here we go, 780,000 years ago the earths magnetic field switched poles. 40,000 years ago it tried but snapped back. Meh, so the Boy Scouts will turn their compasses around, no big deal, right?
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Speaking of Stephenson, I also just finished "The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O" which he actually co-wrote with a female author known for slightly-romanticized historical fiction. Her influence was evident, and jarring, and also made Stephenson's usual style jarring by comparison. I finished it without complaint, but I probably won't get the (again, clearly set up for) sequel.
|
I present for your consideration that humans are extremely good at ignoring obvious, clear and present dangers which they are actually, fully aware of.
Here is a factoid which has faced varying degrees of dispute about scale and impact, which therefore you can be easily dismissed: the Roman Empire was aware of lead poisoning--its causes and effects--and yet continued to not only deliver water through lead pipes, but actually eat off of lead dishes. Why did they do that , and *how* could that even be possible? How is it that, although an individual human will be aware that the leopard in the tree is going to jump down and eat you, a *group* of humans doesn't have this same instinct, collectively? I would argue with equal veracity as your OP claims, that human culture is *very, VERY good* at ignoring threats. |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:30 AM. |
Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.