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What will they eat? Even if they could survive, the ecosystem that supplies their food won't.

titzer 7y ago
Things that photosynthesize will be able to hang on as long as they can tolerate their local climate and have access to water, nitrogen, and CO2, which are the only building blocks they need. Climate change will destroy a wide variety of intricate networks, and make large parts of the planet uninhabitable, but life will cling to temperate zones.
- 1propionyl 7y ago
  Surprise! I'm a mathematical biochemist. The necessary reactions to make a photosynthetic carbohydrate production chemical pathway energetically feasible actually only exist within extremely narrow temperature bounds. You honestly don't understand how naive you are. You're disguising hope by what sounds vaguely scientific. Not to mention: exactly where do you think those temperate zones will exist?
  - titzer 7y ago
    > You honestly don't understand how naive you are. I don't hang around hackernews to get insulted. It's not what we do around here.
    - 1propionyl 7y ago
      I don't hang around HN to have every other commenter confirm my existing opinions either. Being told by someone that they think you're wrong isn't an insult. If you buy the reassuring yet nonsensical idea that "the humans are fucked, the planet will be fine", you can be adequately classified as cherry-picking a minimally discomfiting worldview, against all evidence. That's not an insult.
      - kaybe 7y ago
        No, but check your wording. Calling someone naive and unable to see it is insulting. Just to give you an additional perspective.
      - scarejunba 7y ago
        There’s a lot of very low brow discussion going on here so I understand why you’re frustrated. HN does tone police, though, so if you want to participate probably best to play along.
tialaramex 7y ago
The stuff at the bottom of the ocean in the pitch black doesn't even need a star, it's running on some primitive chemistry and the internal heat of the planet, which is in turn driven by radioactive decay. It isn't going anywhere regardless.
- 1propionyl 7y ago
  It's running on the organic silt that filters and falls down to it. Where do you think that comes from? It's chemosynthesis fueled by a continuous stream of organic silt from above and volcanic vents, not magical planetary heat.
  - tialaramex 7y ago
    Are you putting volcanic vents at the bottom of the ocean? No. They're there because the core is hot, which it is because of radioactive decay as I explained.

Things that photosynthesize will be able to hang on as long as they can tolerate their local climate and have access to water, nitrogen, and CO2, which are the only building blocks they need. Climate change will destroy a wide variety of intricate networks, and make large parts of the planet uninhabitable, but life will cling to temperate zones.

1propionyl 7y ago
Surprise! I'm a mathematical biochemist. The necessary reactions to make a photosynthetic carbohydrate production chemical pathway energetically feasible actually only exist within extremely narrow temperature bounds. You honestly don't understand how naive you are. You're disguising hope by what sounds vaguely scientific. Not to mention: exactly where do you think those temperate zones will exist?
- titzer 7y ago
  > You honestly don't understand how naive you are. I don't hang around hackernews to get insulted. It's not what we do around here.
  - 1propionyl 7y ago
    I don't hang around HN to have every other commenter confirm my existing opinions either. Being told by someone that they think you're wrong isn't an insult. If you buy the reassuring yet nonsensical idea that "the humans are fucked, the planet will be fine", you can be adequately classified as cherry-picking a minimally discomfiting worldview, against all evidence. That's not an insult.
    - kaybe 7y ago
      No, but check your wording. Calling someone naive and unable to see it is insulting. Just to give you an additional perspective.
    - scarejunba 7y ago
      There’s a lot of very low brow discussion going on here so I understand why you’re frustrated. HN does tone police, though, so if you want to participate probably best to play along.

tialaramex 7y ago

The stuff at the bottom of the ocean in the pitch black doesn't even need a star, it's running on some primitive chemistry and the internal heat of the planet, which is in turn driven by radioactive decay. It isn't going anywhere regardless.

1propionyl 7y ago
It's running on the organic silt that filters and falls down to it. Where do you think that comes from? It's chemosynthesis fueled by a continuous stream of organic silt from above and volcanic vents, not magical planetary heat.
- tialaramex 7y ago
  Are you putting volcanic vents at the bottom of the ocean? No. They're there because the core is hot, which it is because of radioactive decay as I explained.