3 ms·

I do sometimes wonder if the most simple way to prevent the destruction of the species is to just diversify. We need to be multi-planetary. And, hence, why the

• talldayo 2y ago
  I find it funny that Frank Herbert played with this idea in the '60s, to fairly nihilistic ends in Dune. House Atreides makes frequent mention of "family atomics" as a last-ditch blackmail or mutual-destruction tool, and in passing it's implied that nukes ended all life on Earth as well. In a society that has diversified beyond the stars visible on Earth, nuclear weapons are still a borderline-infeasible and shunned weapon, if not more threatening now that it's spread into the hands of blood-sworn enemies. When you consider that 50 years have passed since the writing of Dune and nothing much came of the Cold War, it's frankly miraculous that smart diplomacy was all it took to prevent an ideologue from pressing the proverbial 'red button'. It's a surprisingly feel-good takeaway from a dreary sci-fi theme.