[SolarCross]

I think what it comes down to, for some of you, is a superstitious need to worship something more powerful than you are. Science took Jesus away from you, so now you worship "the state" instead. If anyone points how that "the state" is just bunch of feckless politicians and grasping taxmen then you all wig out, afraid you will lose another god.

[Rancid]

I think what it comes down to, for some of you, is a superstitious need to worship something more powerful than you are. Science took Jesus away from you, so now you worship "the state" instead. If anyone points how that "the state" is just bunch of feckless politicians and grasping taxmen then you all wig out, afraid you will lose another god.

Who are you saying this to? I'd expect you of all people in the thread to know that's not how I roll.

If you are directing that at me, then I've lost some respect for you.

Last, what does your statement have anything to do with me stating that the government has actually contributed to innovation? Why would you interpret that as "worship of the state"? Come on, you're better than that.

[Pants-of-dog]

@Rancid

I have no idea as I never thought about it.

The Wright brothers could have done it for profit. I always just assumed they did it because it was and is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

[Rancid]

@Rancid

I have no idea as I never thought about it.

The Wright brothers could have done it for profit. I always just assumed they did it because it was and is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

Yea, I've always assumed it was to just do some cool shit, and maybe score a date.

According to this, that may very well be the case. Apparently a biographer for the Wrights asked him that very question "was it for the money?", and Orville basically said no. They did it because it was an interesting problem to work on.

http://wrightstories.com/articles/inventing-the-airplane/

[Godstud]

@Rancid suuure it was. I am sure it was done just for the babes. Everyone knows the ladies like pilots.

[Potemkin]

You are correct that the Earth aside from its most superficial surface is unaffected by humans. However I suspect we have the ability to survive over pretty much all large and medium sized land mammals in any extinction event.

I agree with that, but the issue is not the survival of our species (almost nothing short of something on the scale of the K-Pg extinction event could do that), but the survival of our industrial civilisation (which is, after all, what is causing the climate change which threatens us). I suspect that our industrial civilisation is rather more fragile than we think it is.

[Rancid]

I suspect that our industrial civilisation is rather more fragile than we think it is.

You strike me as the kind of guy that wouldn't mind humanity going back to the stone age.

[Pants-of-dog]

Industrial civilisation has its merits. Advanced medical care, good nutrition, potable water, nice little bookstore cafés with nonintrusive music and decent pastries. For those of us with kids, we would like to see our grandkids enjoy these things too.

And the sooner we get about fixing the problems, the sooner they get solved and the less expensive it will be.

[Potemkin]

You strike me as the kind of guy that wouldn't mind humanity going back to the stone age.

There is much to hate and despise about modern human civilisation, but there is also much to value and respect. I am just sanguine about its long-term chances of survival, that's all. Especially considering the short-term thinking and blinkered selfishness which that civilisation tends to encourage in its members.

[Rancid]

sanguine

You fucking nerd. SHIT UP!

[Potemkin]

You fucking nerd. SHIT UP!

I accidentally swallowed a thesaurus when I was 12, and I've never been the same since. Lol.

[annatar1914]

@Potemkin , don't be too sanguine about the prospects for civilization, for humanity, there's always decent people out there living their lives in simplicity and cooperation, not competition. They'll make it.

[Saeko]

Good question. What was their motive anyway?

Their motive was to build cool shit. Just like Einstein's motivation was to discover cool shit. People like SolarCross don't understand anything but external motivation because they are NPC's.