News for the Day - 20110523

Mississippi floods; Raging southward; A snowy winter and stormy spring have filled the Mississippi to overflowing; May 19th 2011; The Economist
As I read this article, I noted the devastation that occured in these areas.  I do, however, have to wonder about the amount of water that is draining down, and the impact that the levee system has had on them.  In ancient times, the Egyptians relied on the flooding of the Nile to bring the much needed silt that fertilized their fields for their crops.  Granted, we have synthetic fertilizers nowadays for that, but I wonder how bad it would hurt things if we didn't have the levees and let the rivers flood as they naturally are wont to do.  I know it would devastate a lot of people, but maybe we should clear those people out and let the rivers do what the rivers do.  I know I'm not thinking too far ahead with that idea, but I sometimes long for the days when nature was more natural.  I love human invention and human ingenuity, but I sometimes wax sentimental and yearn for the old days.


Lexington; Apollo plus 50; The meaning of the race to the moon, half a century after the starting gun; May 19th 2011; The Economist
I find this article disheartening.  Mankind's legacy on this planet it going to end.  Eventually we are going to deplete the resources of this planet, especially with the population ever increasing.  Granted, there's a predicted plateau in population growth towards the end of the century, but I believe, as a species, we need to start travelling and populating beyond our own planet, solar system and galaxy.  It may take hundreds of thousands of years, but I believe it is the future of our species.  That's what disheartens me, we seem to have given up on anything bigger than us and are focused only on our own divisions on this planet.  I'll freely admit that I believe in life on other planets, the universe is too big for us to be the only inhabitants of it.  We need to go find those other inhabitants.  Not just that, but if you want to truly unite the world, find a common enemy whose purpose is to destroy mankind--that would do it.  I hope it never has to come to that but, at the current rate, it seems to be the only thing that will save us.