What is laughingly called "intelligence"
only gets one shot at getting it right on
a planet like the Earth.
This is about resource depletion, my dullards.
It has often been said that, if the human species
fails to make a go of it here on Earth, some other
species will take over the running. In the sense
of developing high intelligence this is not
correct.
Humans have, or soon will have, exhausted the
necessary physical prerequisites so far as this
planet is concerned. With coal gone, oil gone,
high-grade metallic ores gone, no species however
competent can make the long climb from primitive
conditions to high-level technology. This is a
one-shot affair.
If humans fail, this planetary system fails so far
as intelligence is concerned. The same will be
true of other planetary systems. On each of them
there will be one chance, and one chance only.
.oOo.
- Details
- Cancelled Man