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The concept is a weak one as it combines physical limits with things more along the lines of "desirables". We could strip mine the planet (subject to limits on
by RandomLensman 3y ago
The concept is a weak one as it combines physical limits with things more along the lines of "desirables".
We could strip mine the planet (subject to limits on waste heat), all eat bio-engineered yeast or whatever.
- monkaiju 3y agoNo we could not. We literally physically could not. We wouldnt be able to maintain the huge myriad of systems we do in fact need to survive while doing that. We couldnt even, without external dependencies, support humans artificially in biosphere wtf makes you think we could do it on a planetary scale...
- RandomLensman 3y agoWe have no idea what systems we really need to survive. The claim that it needs an unmanageable myriad of systems etc. is a hypothesis that might turn out to be not true. We might very well be capable of providing a minium set given enough energy at our disposal. Life might not be pretty etc. in the such a case, but that isn't the point here.
- monkaiju 3y agoTheoretically sure, remotely probably, no. This is how interacting with sufficiently complex systems works, eventually you just need to accept that it cannot be fully quantified and rationalized. Also you presented it as 'we could just strip mine the world' lol, not exactly a nuanced take
- RandomLensman 3y agoWasn't supposed to be a nuanced take. The idea that huge complex systems in intricate balance are needed for humans is just not well supported.
- monkaiju 3y agoIt is tho... its literally the only way humans have ever been sustainably supported