[X] My Assistant

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

The Near-Earth Asteroid 99942 Apophis ( former designation 2004 MN4 ) was headline news again this week both in Newspapers & TV news. Observations pointed out that the Asteroid climbed a bit higher on the Torino impact hazard scale ( equivalent cosmic ‘Richter’ scale ) and could hit the Earth ( Southern Hemisphere ) on April 13, 2036 ( a Friday 13th I believe ).

Anyway, Apophis should pass between the Moon & Earth ( distance 250.000 KM ) in April 2029 … an amazing sight visible from Europe!
Interesting to know is the fact that European Space Agency ESA plans a mission to find out if an asteroid could be deflected from its course ( Don Quichote mission: Hidalgo is an impacter & Sancho is the observer probe ). American astronauts LU & LOVE wrote a paper in NATURE about a tug-rocket and NASA is making plans for a mission called ‘ The Son of Deep Impact ‘ … to be continued…



More on the Asteroid at:
http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/mission_analysis/asteroid.htm


Philip

[Guest_Richard Trigaux_*]

Dvandorn and BruceMoomaw,

my point was certainly not to discuss which is the best from capitalism or communism, even if it is apparently a sensitive topic. I just noted that USSR failed its stated purpose, for the reasons you explained in detail, thanks you for it Bruce.

My point was just to recal that, to avoid self-extinction, we must be able to develop some form of awareness of the issue, and some way to "change human nature". The bargain is just that: if we do, we survive, if we don't, we disappear.
So we must find the right way, and if it does not exist yet, to create it. For this we need to heed at history lessons, see peoples who suceeded, and those who failed. USSR told us that violence is not the right way. Democracy proved better than dictature, as we were able to stop fluorocarbons and asbestos (After 30 years of fight. it is welknown that the levers of power in a democracy are money, TV, medias, psychology...). The only persons who succeeded to "change human nature" were those who were engaged into practical spirituality, or at least some form of practically engaged rationality or humanism. The reason is that changing our opinion is not enough; it needs years of training (and a thorough education of our children) to be practically able to behave in the right way without having to sustain a terrible effort at every instant.
Things are like that: without education we are just chimpanzees. What makes humans civilized is transmitted by education, that it is learning things or training to do things.

[dvandorn]

And on this, Richard, we must agree to disagree. I am of the opinion that basic human nature is immutable; that, as a race, it cannot be changed via *any* degree of education or training.

Individual examples of behavior modification exist, yes. But they are accomplished by using the very traits (fear, mostly) that must be eradicated for any real, lasting change in human nature to come about.

I'm sorry, but I am of the very definite opinion that *any* plan or architecture to bring about an improvement in the human condition that begins with "all we have to do is change human nature" is just plain doomed to fail, and pursuing such goals is, basically, a waste of time. Time that could be better spent working *within* the limitations of human nature to do the best possible job at keeping as many people happy as possible...

-the other Doug