Hi,

    Ed said:
> Think of it as the ultimate test of human
> intelligence. Will we pass? I don't know.

    In 1752, another author, Voltaire, wrote a story
about a giant alien tourist from Sirius, Micromegas, 
and his companion from Saturn, who tour the solar 
system and visit the Earth. The Saturnian believes
that the Earth cannot be inhabited:

    "In truth, what chiefly makes me think there is no
inhabitant of this sphere, is that I cannot suppose any 
sensible being would wish to live here." 

    "Well," said Micromegas, "perhaps the beings 
who inhabit it do not possess good sense."


Sterling K. Webb
------------------------------------------------------------------
Text of Micromegas:
http://wondersmith.com/scifi/micro.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "E.P. Grondine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 8:29 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite-list Digest, Vol 36, Issue 28


> Hi all - 
> 
> I just wrote a book on man and impact. It's called
> "Man and Impact in the Americas", and it's available
> through amazon. I'm tired now, so I'll keep this
> short.
> 
> The "experts" numbers for impact appear to be off by
> about factor of ten, in the impactors' favor, not
> man's.  Over the last 6,000,000 years, we've come
> close to extinction several times.
> 
> Impact rate estimates have been crippled for about 30
> years, largely due to confusion spread by Dr. David
> Morrison over the role of comets in impact. While
> Morrison did pioneer ground breaking work with
> Shoemaker some years back, since then his use of the
> power he gained from that work has been to the
> detriment of the field, and the detriment of us all.
> 
> We can deal with this now, with the technologies we
> have in hand, but only if we make a concerted effort.
> 
> Think of it as the ultimate test of human
> intelligence.
> Will we pass? I don't know.
> 
> I'm going to get some more coffee and cigarettes.
> 
> good hunting,
> Ed
> 


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