links for 2008-05-10
May 10th, 2008 1:33:44 am pst by 
Sterling Camden
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Yvonne’s back and blogging striong
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But it’s all right now — in fact it’s a gas
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Teeni answers with some wise advice — the follow-on question, of course, is “Can we avoid doing it?”
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Lots of links to free scifi online — including my own little dream-tale from the other day. Thanks, Paul!
Having a link on the same page with links to Heinlein and Cory Doctorow makes me feel like I’m in zero gravity. -
Some interesting thoughts on life on other planets
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Aw, thanks Sterling
Quite welcome, Yvonne. I’m glad you’re back — and I’m resubscribed.
Thanks Sterling for all the cool links today!
My pleasure, Joseph.
Hi Chip,
Rebecca left out the most important explanation for the Fermi Paradox. A civilisation – overpopulating its planet as mankind does – collapses when the food supply does.
And the food supply collapses when the Phosphates run out, as it will do here in about 100 years. Phosphates are about 0.11 % of the Earth’s crust and we are consuming them way too fast. Shit (doesn’t) happen ?
So, presuming the development of civilization is roughly parallel, then our stage is one of the last?
We don’t hear from anyone else, because by the time they develop the capability of interstellar communication, they’re toast?
That shouldn’t always be the case, though.
You don’t technically need an overpopulated planet to generate enough science to be able to lift off from planet. You just need a sufficiently motivated one (motivated for whatever reasons).
If Stu’s right about the phosphates running out soon, then the whole thing is moot because we’ll all be dead. Our electronics will go silent first and we’ll no longer be putting out a signal for others to pick up, then our machinery will stop working, then we’ll really be in hot water, unless we evolve radically enough to not need phosphates in our diet.
Nice knowing ya, Terra.
I’m always hopeful that humanity will figure a way out of any jam we can get ourselves into.
Regardless of how realistic that hope is, we certainly won’t survive without it.
Wow. Thanks again for the wonderful link, Chip. I feel so honored to be included with your other distinguished links.
You’re welcome, teeni. But this isn’t an exclusive club — I just link to what interests me.
Well, that’s flattering too!
I don’t think you meant it this way, but “flattering” often implies excess or insincerity — there’s none of that here!