X-Message-Number: 10788
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 08:31:40 -0500
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #10776 - #10785

Hi everyone!

A short addition to Trygve Bauge's comments about longevity and
population: it seems to me that if we live longer we are most unlikely
to spend all that extra time on bringing up more children. There are
megatons of other things we can do with our time. Like becoming more
educated and acquiring more abilities. 

In short, one reason to believe that someone who lives for (say)
600 years won't produce 10 times more children is simply that they 
might find it repetitious and boring... whether they are men or women.

And in terms of natural selection, those who spend that time acquiring
more abilities will come out way ahead in any conflict, whether
direct or indirect. A society which did not have to reproduce so often
would spend all the effort spent now on reproduction on other things,
and would end up richer. After all, raising children is a COST.

To Thomas Norton: By choosing to argue against guns you take a popular
position. By using net sites belonging to the ABC you take your sources
not from any serious study of the issue but at best from such studies
seen secondhand. They are not good sources on which to base any 
serious argument either for or against widespread possession of guns.
At a minimum, the situation has GOT to be a lot more complex than any
ABC net site could explain.

Best and long long life to all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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