The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Will it all go "Ka-boom!" someday?




I visited Meteor Crater in Arizona a few years ago and, while there, I contemplated the possible effects of that event. A few days ago, I came across this:


Cosmic impact wiped out mammoths

Which led me to this:

Evidence found for huge asteroid strike

Aside from the fact that I am innately curious about such things, there was a bit of synchronicity involved. I am re-reading "Lucifer's Hammer", a novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

In that novel, the authors describe the discovery of a new comet and what happens when it (or, rather, large bits of it) impacts the Earth. Published in 1985, it described something that seems to have happened once before... about 12,900 years ago. It also describes what could happen if a similar event occurred today.

Imagine how the world might change if a large space object slammed into the Earth. All of our petty squabbles would disappear in a frenzied struggle for survival.

And the more we learn, the more possible such an event seems.

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