Re: The Extinction Challenge

GBurch1@aol.com
Tue, 27 Jul 1999 16:19:50 EDT

In a message dated 99-07-27 15:37:42 EDT, you write: 

> I hereby challenge anyone to come up with a disaster, natural or

> artificial, that could reasonably be expected to render an advanced
> spacefaring species completely extinct.
>
> For purposes of clarification:
> 1) The target civilization is assumed to have self-sustaining colonies in
> several solar systems spread across a volume of at least a few dozen cubic
> light-years.
>
> 2) The target civilization is assumed to have advanced robotics, genetic
> engineering, non-sentient AI, and other such technologies. Just to give
> exterminators a sporting chance, we'll pretend that nanotechnology and
> sentient AI don't exist.

Not fair, Billy. If I can't use nanotech and at least minimal AI, I can't wipe out the target. WIth them, I think I can. 

     Greg Burch     <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
     Attorney  :::  Vice President, Extropy Institute  :::  Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1   -or-   http://members.aol.com/gburch1
                         "Civilization is protest against nature; 
                  progress requires us to take control of evolution."
                                      -- Thomas Huxley