[ExI] "Handle With Care" - NYT Article

[Lee Corbin]

Henrique writes

> Damien [B. wrote]
> 
>> If a biome has evolved to use 
>> large-scale lightning-caused fires to renew itself, human interventions 
>> that seem "rational" are liable to cause far worse conflagrations at 
>> longer intervals. Monocropping looks rational until a plague comes along 
>> and wipes out everything, instead of just blighting some of the crop.
> 
> Not really. I never thought monocropping to be really rational (culture 
> rotation, on the other hand), or deforestation to make pastures either.
> But, "let's terraform the Sahara" sort of thing seems interesting.

I'd want to know more about crop rotation and everything before I'd
chime in on this one. But I totally agree with your sentiment, and
I think with your orientation. We can *try* terraforming this or that,
until we find out that there is something wrong with it.  It's the same
generally in life:  do experiment, but do try to be careful.

Lee

> What I really mean is that we cand base our action (or lack of) on fear 
> (caution is ok but not fear). Like "Hey, let's not mess with nanotech 
> because we can all end eaten by gray goo", or "Let's not turn on the LHC 
> because it can create a back hole and destroy the world" or "Let's not 
> research cloning and genetics and stem cells because we can end with 
> designer babies" (just for the record, I'm in full favour of designer 
> babies).