re: #25 silverdolphin

I am happy also. Humans are such incredibly complex animals and I hate it when people simplify us too much. For example, like a lot of social animals, we live not so much by nature, bloody tooth and claw, but by enhancing the ability of the entire group to survive (oh no. socialism), not just the individual. We have the most complex social structure in nature. That is likely the reason we have been so successful. It makes us highly adaptive in the face of almost any calamity. And in a functioning society, once one community knows how to adapt, all humans should know.

That is why I hold out hope we will make it through the climate crisis caused by not dealing properly with our waste products. This is the crisis point I think every intelligent species in the universe has to eventually overcome. It will not be easy but I expect we will, as we do every time, make it by the Skin of Our Teeth. I expect we will have to add a 4th act.

David Brin has an interesting take on that concept in his novel “Existence”

I recommend it.