Nonetheless, your "tv scifi" taste is impeccable, mate! :cool:I'm not a sci fi guy, but I enjoyed Firefly/Serenity. I liked the imaginative literary ambition of the original Trek (in small doses) but later Trek seemed a bit contrived and mechanical for my taste. I remember hearing about Next Gen in 1987 and saying (quite idiotically it turns out), 'This will never catch on, Trek was an unrepeatable one off!' — Tom Storm
Yeah, Firefly was really good. Serenity was ok. Most of the human dilemma's covered in Firefly were also depicted in varied ways in B5, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, BSG, V, etc. I enjoy the varied ways the writers depict common human dilemmas, in a futuristic framework. — universeness
Okay. And how does Aristotle etc. relate to a linking of materialism with militarism in a society? — Vera Mont
I don't recognise that one Athena? Any more memory of its storyline? — universeness
I don't refute your sources or what they say, I am just complaining, that what they called democratic, stretches the valid use of the label a little to far for me. — universeness
I think people will fight much harder when they believe in the cause they are fighting for and not because they have been bribed by money or promises that may or may not be honoured. Mercenaries were never liked by any side of a conflict. There IS often NO alternative to defending against an invader.
I disagree that if the Persians had conquered and subsumed Greece completely into their empire, that the world would be much different, than it is today. Democracy would have still risen to something similar to where it is today. Perhaps only some of the names and prominent stories would change.
Maybe the middle east would be more prominent today that the West but i don't think that would matter much.
I broadly agree with the content of your quote immediately above. I would just not use the Greek civilization, as any kind of important part of the curriculum of increased (free) education opportunities, you rightly suggest, are required to help build a better future for all.
Why do you think. countries that need more water, don't build large desalination plants? — universeness
What about Stargate Universe? — universeness
The sad thing is that history is written by authors who normally come from the conquering side.How much do you know of other civilizations? — Athena
I have repeatedly heard distilling water is very expensive. — Athena
It costs a lot of money to build a plant; more to build the pipeline from the coast to the dry areas, plus operating and maintenance costs. — Vera Mont
Why?Also it would overwhelming to depend on it for farming or keeping a forest alive. — Athena
I already ignore the nonsense that IS christianity and all other religions and theosophism, we just need to get the majority of those in power to do the same, and build a global irrigation system, that fully benefits and assists the planets ecosystem and all flora and fauna on it (including humans).Now if we focused on turning the whole planet into an Eden, we might create an amazing reality, but for some reason that just isn't what Christians attempt to do. Maybe they are afraid of offending God by taking over his work? — Athena
as Athena pointed out, that's used just for humans: the wildlife and native vegetation will die. And that will cause more wildfires, which will destroy a lot of the farms you invested in. — Vera Mont
Don't you think it's ridiculous that one human invention, money, is the reason why people don't get the water they need to survive? This is why you call money one of the worse human inventions ever Vera, yes? — universeness
Nope. Physics, chemistry, geology, biology and meteorology already did that one, and did it admirably well. Farmers and scientists fucked it up, mostly in the service of financial interests. It's too big and too badly skewed to repair in the available time-frame.Do you think human scientists are able to design a 'not for profit,' global irrigation system that works and fully benefits and assists the planets ecosystem and all flora and fauna, that exists on and in the planet (including humans)? — universeness
Nope. Physics, chemistry, geology, biology and meteorology already did that one, and did it admirably well. Farmers and scientists fucked it up, mostly in the service of financial interests. — Vera Mont
I strongly subscribe to, 'If at first you don't succeed, try try again.' — universeness
would mean that the antinatalists have a good point — universeness
We should enhance this 'did it admirably well,' aspect of future attempts, and work very hard indeed, to remove any possibility of 'f***** it up, mostly in the service of financial interests.' — universeness
We had a German Shepherd a long time ago, who had four pups. One of them died within the first day. We buried it, but she kept digging it up and bringing it to my mother, asking her to revive it. Saddest damn thing you ever saw! — Vera Mont
Some stories are true! Especially ones we have yet to create!Yeah, I already wrote that story. It's a story. — Vera Mont
The human race is NOT DEAD YET! — universeness
Whatever is left of the human race, after the collapse, will struggle on somehow - how depends partly on which of our glorious enterprises brings on the apocalypse. Probably keep killing one another over the dregs of civilization, until there are few enough that they have no choice but co-operate or die. Then they will make do with what's left, and survive - or not. — Vera Mont
Do you regularly have a beer or 20 with 180 Proof by any chance? — universeness
Do you think human scientists are able to design a 'not for profit,' global irrigation system that works and fully benefits and assists the planets ecosystem and all flora and fauna, that exists on and in the planet (including humans)? — universeness
No, I usually have it alone - unless you count Madam Secretary.
Anyway, it's hard to drink through an N95 mask disguised as a parrot's beak. (But it makes little children in the supermarket giggle.) And I'm cheerful most of the time. I've done regretting my species - just enjoying what's left of my life. — Vera Mont
I agree that we have had much diluted versions of what might qualify for the governance label 'democracy' but none in history or now that satisfies the level of democracy we need, imo.
I don't refute your sources or what they say, I am just complaining, that what they called democratic, stretches the valid use of the label a little to far for me. — universeness
The human race is NOT DEAD YET! — universeness
I was just saying that realism doesn't prevent me feeling good - old bones permitting - or blind me to the good in the world.I am not sure I know what you are saying, — Athena
Here you go!I woke feeling great physically and mentally great, and then the subject of desalination threw me into a terrible state of mind, making me think I can relate to "regretting my species". We have the ability to create Eden and instead, we are destroying our planet and escalating war. — Athena
The United States has made remarkable progress over the last two years toward a future where every home is powered by clean energy. Thanks in part to historic federal investments, we’re on a path to use more clean electricity sources than ever before—including wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal energy—which would reduce household costs, cut pollution, and diversify our energy supply so we’re not dependent on any one thing.https://www.gatesnotes.com/Transmission
Yet most desalination professionals will know it’s not the largest and it raises the question of well, with over 20,000 desalination plants contracted around the world, which are the largest? https://www.aquatechtrade.com/news/desalination/worlds-largest-desalination-plants
At the center of Eden Reforestation Projects is our relationships with local communities. We work alongside them to produce, plant, and protect tens of millions of trees every month, thereby creating jobs to support them in restoring their local environment and economy long-term. https://www.edenprojects.org/our-work
These activists are part of a long history in America, stretching back as far back as the 1830s (and likely beyond), of youth challenging and transforming our democracy. Here is a look at some of those movements.https://www.kcet.org/shows/city-rising/youth-activism-in-america-from-armbands-and-walkouts-to-bus-rides-and-voter-drives-that-would-shape-our-democracy
It is not just about water but people's struggles for their lives and war! — Athena
Somewhat, but what is more important, is the basic understanding that Planet Earth has plenty of water. The rest is just bad behaviour.Have you looked into distillation efforts around the world? — Athena
Another obvious but absolutely great, vital question. MY HONEST answer is to do EXACTLY what we are doing now, 'keep fighting the good fight to make things better.'What we are doing in this world is so different from the possible reality some of us imagine. How do we deal with this? — Athena
War is the survival of the fittest strategy that was an imperative under jungle rules, but we discovered that it's not the only way to survive. We discovered that co-operation and negotiation, CAN produce better results for all stakeholders. But the nefarious want INSTANT gratification and permanent recognition of their superiority under the traditional jungle rules. We continue to struggle against them and I think we have been gaining ground against them for the past 10,000 years.You wrote of possible civilizations that did live in peace without war and that is only sane. War is complete insanity. — Athena
What are the fundamental beliefs that make our lives good? — Athena
What do we want that future race to know so they have the best chance of manifesting a good life for our planet? — Athena
We need a better belief system. Any idea of how to construct that? — Athena
War is the survival of the fittest strategy that was an imperative under jungle rules, but we discovered that it's not the only way to survive. We discovered that co-operation and negotiation, CAN produce better results for all stakeholders. — universeness
A new study by paleontologists indicates that the earliest evidence of mammal social behavior goes back to the Age of Dinosaurs. The multituberculate Filikomys primaevus engaged in multi-generational, group-nesting and burrowing behavior, and possibly lived in colonies, some 75.5 million years ago. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102120055.htm
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