RE: terrestrial carbon (was RE: Meta-Foxes)

From: Spike (spike66@comcast.net)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 14:29:51 MDT

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    From: Jeff Davis

    --- Spike <spike66@comcast.net> wrote:
    ...
    > Humans have rescued the life on this planet from
    > universal extinction...spike

    ...I still think spike is enjoying a dry technoweenie
    style amusement with the above ongoing theme of
    humanity showing up just in the nick of time and
    saving the planet from carbon exhaustion... Jeff

    Certainly I am enjoying this theme, as is my
    custom. My outlook on life is a kind of converse
    of a common 1960s paradigm, adapted by making it into
    "If it doesn't feel good, don't do it."

    The more I ponder the theme of a one-way carbon-sink
    the stronger the notion becomes, for it holds even if
    Thomas Gold's notions of hydrocarbon formation
    are correct. He is not actually arguing that pure
    carbon is formed during the process of planet formation,
    but rather the mechanics of hydrocarbon formation
    (microbes vs dinosaurs).

    In either case, the carbon still eventually ends up in
    a form that is unavailable to the kinds of lifeforms
    that evolved on this planet, until humans began
    liberating it. I do not believe that Dr. Gold would
    argue that any known nontechnological lifeform could
    break down anthracite coal, never mind diamond.

    On this planet we have volcanism and plate tectonics,
    which recycle carbon to some extent, however it is
    easy to imagine life forming on a planet which does
    not have either. This would explain how it is that
    life on this planet managed to survive for 85% of its
    history in the form of blue-green algal mats without
    actually using up all the raw materials.

    Still, the carbon cycle is imperfect, and as time went
    on, we can imagine it becoming ever less efficient in
    recycing the carbon, as the crust becomes thicker and
    the mantle ever less accessible. On a planet without
    volcanism and plate tectonics, coal would still form
    however, so that one could theorize that life on those
    planets would not have the luxury of being allowed
    a leisurely 4 billion years to figure out how to go
    multicellular, evolve intelligence, develop technology.
    Perhaps most planets have only one billion years of
    procariotic lifespan available until carbon-starvation,
    which is in general not enough time to make the
    three critical steps given above.

    It is not surprising that Robert should suggest
    the evolution of non-carbonbased lifeforms, for
    he has theorized one: the Bradburian silicon-based
    M-Brain. Perhaps we can see this as the fourth
    critical step in evolution, that absolutely requires
    going thru each of the first three: 1) evolution of
    life, 2) development of multicellular lifeforms,
    3) the development of technology-capable lifeforms,
    4) construction of MBrains.

    Claim: there is no possible path to step 4 without
    going thru and surviving each of the previous 3.
    Claim: the previous 3 steps absolutely require
    carbon based life.

    spike



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