Apocalypse never

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

institutions would have spent the money to do all that naturally, even if they hadn't been warned?

They were doing that all along. No additional "warning" needed. And then this industry issue turned into a widespread panic that it was pretty likely major systems would collapse.

Did I tell the story before: mom had a party that night. I told her, why not play a joke. Have someone slip away one minute before midnight, and at then end of the countdown, have them hit all the breaker switches.

It worked as a joke, because everyone considered it plausible.

Major media gave us to-do preparation lists and quotes from politicians saying it could be trouble.

[sexobon]

I know exactly where I want to be when the world comes to an end and I know precisely when that will be; but, I'm not telling anyone 'cause they might take my spot.

[xoxoxoBruce]

So when it happens you'll be spot on?

[sexobon]

It'll be a one party win-lose situation.

[Undertoad]

Where would the safest place be, for, say, an asteroid strike? Tall mountain? What's the expectation?

[Squawk]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Where would the safest place be, for, say, an asteroid strike? Tall mountain? What's the expectation?

The International Space Station I'd imagine. I heard Elvis is up there at the moment, hiding from the IRS.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Shhhhh, don't rat out the king.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Squawk

The International Space Station I'd imagine. I heard Elvis is up there at the moment, hiding from the IRS.

The ISS would be a slow death instead of a fast one on Earth. Not sure if they would burn up in the atmosphere first because a wiped out Houston isn't doing routine controlled burns to keep them in orbit, or if they would run out of food first. I suspect they would burn up first, but that's just a guess.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by glatt

The ISS would be a slow death instead of a fast one on Earth. Not sure if they would burn up in the atmosphere first because a wiped out Houston isn't doing routine controlled burns to keep them in orbit, or if they would run out of food first. I suspect they would burn up first, but that's just a guess.

The book Seveneves provides an interesting, if wildly improbable, exploration of the premise of the ISS being a survivor of a global apocalypse.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The book Seveneves provides an interesting, if wildly improbable, exploration of the premise of the ISS being a survivor of a global apocalypse.

Did you enjoy that book?

[sexobon]

Having the best seat in the house to watch the end come.

I'm just here for the entertainment.

[Squawk]

I ain't nothin' but a hound dog

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by glatt

Did you enjoy that book?

I'd second what HM said--the first 2/3 of it was great. The last bit was nuts, and completely stylistically different. Not bad on its own, just frustrating that it was pretending to be a conclusion to the first part. What it really feels like is there were three books, but the second was radically different, and maybe none were long enough, so they said "let's split the second book into the back end and the front end of books 1 and 3."

[Clodfobble]

Speaking of Stephenson, I also just finished "The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O" which he actually co-wrote with a female author known for slightly-romanticized historical fiction. Her influence was evident, and jarring, and also made Stephenson's usual style jarring by comparison. I finished it without complaint, but I probably won't get the (again, clearly set up for) sequel.

[Flint]

I present for your consideration that humans are extremely good at ignoring obvious, clear and present dangers which they are actually, fully aware of.

Here is a factoid which has faced varying degrees of dispute about scale and impact, which therefore you can be easily dismissed: the Roman Empire was aware of lead poisoning--its causes and effects--and yet continued to not only deliver water through lead pipes, but actually eat off of lead dishes. Why did they do that , and *how* could that even be possible?

How is it that, although an individual human will be aware that the leopard in the tree is going to jump down and eat you, a *group* of humans doesn't have this same instinct, collectively?


I would argue with equal veracity as your OP claims, that human culture is *very, VERY good* at ignoring threats.