[ExI] Fermi Paradox and GRB bursts

[Keith Henson]

On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 12:21 PM,   Anders Sandberg <anders at aleph.se> wrote:

> The problem with the GRB explanation
snip

- it won't work as an effective Fermi paradox answer.?

I agree with Anders and add that GRB are *short,* a few seconds at the
most.  So ~half of the planet surface is shielded by the whole
planet's mass.  Even if a burst fried everything on one side, the
other side would be untouched and life would rapidly spread back into
the damaged half.

Asteroid impacts are a much bigger problem.

BTW, the earth got hit with one around 774 or 775.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/774%E2%80%93775_carbon-14_spike

Keith