<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Apr 3, 2006, at 11:21 PM, Neil H. wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">On 4/3/06, <B class="gmail_sendername">spike</B> <<A href="mailto:spike66@comcast.net">spike66@comcast.net</A>> wrote:<DIV><SPAN class="gmail_quote"></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> > <A href="mailto:bounces@lists.extropy.org">bounces@lists.extropy.org</A>] On Behalf Of Joseph Bloch<BR>> Subject: [extropy-chat] Meeting Doctor Doom<BR>><BR>> <A href="http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/index.html"> http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/index.html</A><BR>><BR>> Apparently, Dr. Pianka advocates the elimination of 90% of the Earth's<BR>> human population because we are overtaxing the planet's natural resources. <BR><BR>Joseph, I do not believe the site is correct because of the<BR>following comment:<BR><BR>"But there was a gravely disturbing side to that otherwise scientifically<BR>significant meeting, for I watched in amazement as a few hundred members of <BR>the Texas Academy of Science rose to their feet and gave a standing ovation<BR>to a speech that enthusiastically advocated the elimination of 90 percent of<BR>Earth's population by airborne Ebola."<BR><BR><BR>I confidently state that a few hundred members of the TAS would not <BR>encourage such a horrifying notion. I am not defending Pianka, but<BR>something is amiss here.</BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR><BR>This part of the wikipedia article on Pianka may be of interest:<BR><BR> <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Pianka"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Pianka</A><BR><BR>"It is alleged by <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mims" title="Forrest Mims">Forrest Mims</A> that, while accepting the Texas Academy of Sciences Distinguished Scientist of the Year award in 2006, Pianka "endorsed the elimination of 90 percent of the human population" through a disease such as an airborne strain of the <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus" title="Ebola virus">ebola virus</A>.<A href="http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/index.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/index.html"> [1]</A> Pianka claims that Mims misunderstood his argument; however, Mims' characterization of the lecture seems to have been confirmed by a supporter of Pianka.<A href="http://brenmccnnll.blogspot.com/2006/03/dr.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://brenmccnnll.blogspot.com/2006/03/dr.html">[2]</A>"<BR><BR><BR>Plus, it seems that it would be rather peculiar for somebody receiving a "Distinguished Scientist of the Year" award from a scientific organization to -not- get a standing ovation after their acceptance speech, even if part of that speech was disagreeable. <BR><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>Disagreeable? If this was really advocated in the speech the audience should have left immediately if they weren't willing to grab this mass-murder advocate and tar and feather him on the spot. I hope that humanity has not sunk to a state where we automatically applaud any claim of distinction without even paying attention to what the recipient says. I also hope that advocating mass murder is a hell of a lot more objectionable than merely "disagreeable".</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- samantha</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></BODY></HTML>