Re:[was Re: Wertheim on extropians] is Longevity & Population

Spudboy100@aol.com
Fri, 17 Sep 1999 09:16:52 EDT

In a message dated 09/17/1999 8:22:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bradbury@www.aeiveos.com writes:

> So, the *real* limit is an energy shortage around the time when you
> have a trillion trillion people. I suspect that you can bump that
> a little using thermonuclear fusion reactors burning the fuel in
> Jupiter & Saturn, but I don't believe don't have enough construction
> material to do much of that. Ultimately we have to solve the problem
> of how to efficiently mine metal out of the Sun.
>
> So, the proper response to the longevity/population problem is
> -- Well we are going to hit the limits sooner or later, which would
> you prefer, hitting it alive and (relatively) immortal, or dead?
>
> Robert

Lets factor in the material in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud also-could change the picture. Secondly, given enough time (we are giving ourselves enough time aren't we?) Who's to say that "new" material may not be available in higher physical dimensions as described by Rudy Rucker and Clifford Pickover? More reasonably, in Saucer Wisdom, Professor Rucker presented his 'ala' device which transmutes matter into any form desired. We'll have a hundred Petatons of Carbon-60 by next wednesday, mister!

While I'm raving; why not postulate new material around other stars that are A or B class stars. (if I vaguely remember the Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams) and use em' for Dyson shells-no C.O.D.'s please?

-Spud p.s. The dead Tern tied to my head says "Nevermore" perhaps a cryogenic

                 Tern would suffice?