X-Message-Number: 11309
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: To Crevier and others
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 23:10:07 +1100 (EST)

To Crevier:

The current ban on nuclear power is not necessarily going to be permanent.
In fact, if it is done in space then most of the arguments against it
would disappear completely. Where is the pollution? For that matter, even
without nuclear power, large masses can be flung here and there --- much
more dangerous than any bomb. 

We may have to wait a while for it to disappear, but it will disappear.
We should not identify the present situation with history into the
indefinite future.

As for Darwinian evolution, we do not escape it merely because we are
intelligent and technological. That is a total, complete fallacy. Yes, our
intelligence and technology alters just what characters Darwinian
evolution selects for, but it continues to work. 

The one way I know to alter the scope of natural selection would be to 
separate genes from the people who carry them, thus allowing selection among 
the genes rather than the mixtures of genes we all are now. Yes, we might
use genetic technology to do that. Even then, natural selection will
continue, but it would no longer work on us but instead on our genes.
(Which means that we might change our genes as selection proceeds --- but
NOT arbitrarily. We would change to sets of genes which favored our
survival ie genes which survived selection).

As for living in virtual reality, we live in our imaginations now. Other
than changes in issues such as speed (if we find such changes important)
someone living in virtual reality who is also able to access REALITY is
no more living solely in virtual reality than we are now.

			Best and long long life to all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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