Gregory Benford’s book “Eater”

Timothy Wilken

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” –Pogo 

I am reading a new science fiction book by Gregory Benford with the strange title Eater. It is well written and full of good science. As in many science fiction stories, a small group of humans are working to save the Earth. Their difficulty is not so much in solving the problems facing them, but rather in overcoming the stupidity of their fellow humans whose ignorance is blocking the application of their proposed solutions. As Gregory Benford says, The two most common elements in the Universe are hydrogen and stupidity.”

In most science fiction stories the threat to Earth is usually external. However, humanity’s problem, as it faces us today, is ourselves. Our current lifestyle and population are far beyond the sustainable limits of our planet. As Pogo says, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

I want to thank those readers who have written in response to Arthur Noll’s Harmony-part one.  Arthur has just finished part two and it should be up on the net this coming week.

I would also like to draw your attention to a wonderful website with the abbreviated name CALResCo which stands for Complexity & Artificial Life Research Concept. Take a look.