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(ReacTor) Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
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James Nicoll
2024-10-10 16:14:15 UTC
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Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems

More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.

https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Garrett Wollman
2024-10-10 19:56:54 UTC
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Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
Some, ummm, typesetting howlers there...

-GAWollman
--
Garrett A. Wollman | "Act to avoid constraining the future; if you can,
***@bimajority.org| act to remove constraint from the future. This is
Opinions not shared by| a thing you can do, are able to do, to do together."
my employers. | - Graydon Saunders, _A Succession of Bad Days_ (2015)
Bobbie Sellers
2024-10-10 22:04:30 UTC
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Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.
https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/
No killing off all life on earth is very hard since it started in
conditions that would not a allow complex life to survive. It might
take some time to re-emerge from the seas again and perhaps no other
intelligent species will show up in the course of future evolution.

So that is not the problem but the problems that we face as humans will
likely increase and become evident in the next 100 years.
Can we do anything about it. Only if we can find the
will. If we don't do anything now the problems will be worse
that the people alive then will face.

As for me I am 87 YOA and I doubt I will last until
the collapse of our present society. I hope not since I am
no more or less dependent on present circumstances than
anyone else.

bliss
--
b l i s s - S F 4 e v e r at D S L E x t r e m e dot com
Lynn McGuire
2024-10-10 22:54:19 UTC
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Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.
https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/
Nanobot Gobblers will take care of the Earth just fine by turning the
entire planet into a grey goo. There is a book by Sean Williams ??? and
Shane Dix ??? about this.

And if somebody poisons Sol turning it into a red dwarf early then the
Earth will be gobbled by Sol. "Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark
Star, 1)" by Kevin Emerson
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062306723

"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."

Lynn
William Hyde
2024-10-11 15:32:16 UTC
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Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.
https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/
Nanobot Gobblers will take care of the Earth just fine by turning the
entire planet into a grey goo.  There is a book by Sean Williams ??? and
Shane Dix ??? about this.
And if somebody poisons Sol turning it into a red dwarf early then the
Earth will be gobbled by Sol.  "Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark
Star, 1)" by Kevin Emerson
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062306723
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
You couldn't pay me to read dreck like that.

And this time I mean it.

William Hyde
Lynn McGuire
2024-10-11 19:10:53 UTC
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Post by William Hyde
Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.
https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-easy-
as-it-seems/
Nanobot Gobblers will take care of the Earth just fine by turning the
entire planet into a grey goo.  There is a book by Sean Williams ???
and Shane Dix ??? about this.
And if somebody poisons Sol turning it into a red dwarf early then the
Earth will be gobbled by Sol.  "Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the
Dark Star, 1)" by Kevin Emerson
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062306723
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously
begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars,
but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a
second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our
best guess at where we might find a new home."
You couldn't pay me to read dreck like that.
And this time I mean it.
William Hyde
Not dreck, that is old school Pulp.

Lynn
Dimensional Traveler
2024-10-12 01:19:07 UTC
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Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by William Hyde
Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by James Nicoll
Complete Planetary Destruction Is Not as Easy as It Seems
More boundless optimism: humans might constitute an existential
threat to many species on Earth (including humans themselves) but
life as a whole has and will survive worse.
https://reactormag.com/complete-planetary-destruction-is-not-as-
easy- as-it-seems/
Nanobot Gobblers will take care of the Earth just fine by turning the
entire planet into a grey goo.  There is a book by Sean Williams ???
and Shane Dix ??? about this.
And if somebody poisons Sol turning it into a red dwarf early then
the Earth will be gobbled by Sol.  "Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of
the Dark Star, 1)" by Kevin Emerson
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062306723
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously
begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to
Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared
for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant
star, our best guess at where we might find a new home."
You couldn't pay me to read dreck like that.
And this time I mean it.
Elon Musk would like a word with you... :)
Post by Lynn McGuire
Not dreck, that is old school Pulp.
Tomato, tomatoh.
--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.
The Horny Goat
2024-10-13 20:29:45 UTC
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On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:54:19 -0500, Lynn McGuire
Post by Lynn McGuire
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
There's a massive difference in mass between the size of a future nova
and a future supernova - and our Sun is barely big enough for a nova
future and far below that of a supernova so I tend to look askance at
any author who describes the future Sun in that way.

In any case short of Lex Luthor or similar villain creating a devise
to detonate the sun, that particular probably is 4-5 billion years out
which is rather longer than I expect to be here to have that problem
to face.
Robert Woodward
2024-10-14 04:45:01 UTC
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Post by The Horny Goat
On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:54:19 -0500, Lynn McGuire
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
There's a massive difference in mass between the size of a future nova
and a future supernova - and our Sun is barely big enough for a nova
future and far below that of a supernova so I tend to look askance at
any author who describes the future Sun in that way.
It can't be a nova; only close binary star systems can produce novas.
--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
‹-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward ***@drizzle.com
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
2024-10-14 06:45:26 UTC
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Post by Robert Woodward
Post by The Horny Goat
On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:54:19 -0500, Lynn McGuire
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
There's a massive difference in mass between the size of a future nova
and a future supernova - and our Sun is barely big enough for a nova
future and far below that of a supernova so I tend to look askance at
any author who describes the future Sun in that way.
It can't be a nova; only close binary star systems can produce novas.
Or Chevrolet.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
Don_from_AZ
2024-10-14 15:49:51 UTC
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Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by The Horny Goat
On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:54:19 -0500, Lynn McGuire
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
There's a massive difference in mass between the size of a future nova
and a future supernova - and our Sun is barely big enough for a nova
future and far below that of a supernova so I tend to look askance at
any author who describes the future Sun in that way.
It can't be a nova; only close binary star systems can produce novas.
Or Chevrolet.
I read somewhere a (possibly apocryphal) story that the Chevy "Nova" was
unpopular in Mexico because "no va" means "it won't go" in Spanish.
-Don-
Scott Dorsey
2024-10-14 19:35:32 UTC
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Post by Don_from_AZ
Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Or Chevrolet.
I read somewhere a (possibly apocryphal) story that the Chevy "Nova" was
unpopular in Mexico because "no va" means "it won't go" in Spanish.
You would think it would, but it actually sold in spite of the name. On
the other hand, the Yugo failed to sell in the US because it frequently
did not actually go.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Christian Weisgerber
2024-10-15 14:36:09 UTC
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Post by Don_from_AZ
I read somewhere a (possibly apocryphal) story that the Chevy "Nova" was
unpopular in Mexico because "no va" means "it won't go" in Spanish.
I don't doubt that somebody sniggered over it. I'll point out,
though, that the Spanish word for "nova", is, well, "nova".

And I see there's a note about this in the expected place:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevy_II_/_Nova#Urban_legend
--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber ***@mips.inka.de
Lynn McGuire
2024-10-14 21:17:52 UTC
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Post by The Horny Goat
On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:54:19 -0500, Lynn McGuire
"It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not
since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun
the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but
this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second
trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess
at where we might find a new home."
There's a massive difference in mass between the size of a future nova
and a future supernova - and our Sun is barely big enough for a nova
future and far below that of a supernova so I tend to look askance at
any author who describes the future Sun in that way.
In any case short of Lex Luthor or similar villain creating a devise
to detonate the sun, that particular probably is 4-5 billion years out
which is rather longer than I expect to be here to have that problem
to face.
You forgot space aliens triggering a Nova in Sol to kill all humans
which was the main event in the book series.

Lynn
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