Discussion

• The Adaptive Gap and the Future of Civilization by Mike Hall, 7/3/98
  
  

Pressure of other work, as well as other interests, have prevented me from looking here for a long time. But Mike, I find your thoughts timely and of the most urgent interest. I'm not quite sure what the ensuing squabble was about. Another reason (apart from work) I stopped reading here is simply that I didn't have enough background to follow, so I read several books and, looking in again, still find I haven't enough background to follow!

If you compare some of the contributions to other specialities in BOL with this EP, the abstractness and intellectual elisions here are striking, making arguments - the argument - difficult to follow. Sorry if this is another choral whine (perhaps it's more a solo shriek!).

In any case, I thought the big lesson from the study of life was that all life forms go extinct, inexorably. Do you mean we can be an (the) exception? If so, why should we be? Is there amidst the vast tract of learning above, reference to the (dubious) anthropic principle? Before I launch a question on this (irrelevance?) can you, Jim, point me to any previous contribution? Or is it a dirty phrase in this company (anthr princ, I mean)? I write only as a humble seeker after truth.

• Anthropic Principle?? by Brian Robinson, 9/22/98
• Are Humans Subject to Extinction? by Mike Hall, 10/8/98
  • Yes but who's the We white man? by Brian Robinson, 10/9/98
  • And anyway, comets, meteors...? by Brian Robinson, 10/13/98