tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18052302.post114557891252008870..comments2024-03-23T11:23:29.270-04:00Comments on Music of the Spheres: Fast Food and PornographyFlyingSingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015886527228889332noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18052302.post-1146075362185843942006-04-26T14:16:00.000-04:002006-04-26T14:16:00.000-04:00Thanks Brian. This was a somewhat tongue in cheek...Thanks Brian. This was a somewhat tongue in cheek and loosely reasoned piece written after reading the SEED article and having a couple of glasses of wine.<BR/><BR/>You're right that people are not monolithic. For all the navel gazers and couch potatoes in America, we also still have a disproportionate share of super creative people and entrepreneurs here. We are not yet doomed. There are even those (a small few) who perceive a new frontier (space) and are invigorated by it and working to reach it, as you well know -- frontiers often have this effect, once basic survival is taken care of (and some people will even risk basic survival to explore the frontier). <BR/><BR/>I do feel that overall, societies that are both growing AND are still closer to the survival level, such as China and India, could be the more vigorous Culture Y you refer to. <BR/><BR/>We'll probably be OK -- the crack about making sure survival isn't too easy is not entirely a joke. The challenges of energy, climate, and terrorism could prove to be extremely invigorating, even frontier-like. And when the first ribbon goes up to GEO, that too will be pretty invigorating - when the New Frontier is just up the CNT beanstalk.FlyingSingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12015886527228889332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18052302.post-1146062926991856002006-04-26T10:48:00.000-04:002006-04-26T10:48:00.000-04:00They just were having so much fun, they forgot to ...<I>They just were having so much fun, they forgot to reproduce.</I><BR/><BR/>I'll have to read that linked article before I can comment in a learned manner but I don't buy your summary.<BR/><BR/>People are not a monolithic block. If Culture X devolves into naval gazing they will be replaced by a more vigrous Culture Y.<BR/><BR/>There is probably a socio-economic theory for this .. or you can look at history and see it in action.Brian Dunbarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12952894032434503816noreply@blogger.com