LIMITS TO BRAINS

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu [mailto:owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu]On
Behalf Of Spectors

3) In the absence of a world-view such as Marxist egalitarianism, which
offers the possibility for changing the world, many people see that the
system (which I call capitalism) might be dying. But since that is the only
world they believe can exist, they think that perhaps, the whole world is
dying, or at least, headed for major disaster.
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As I said before, people evolved to ignore the real world in favor the
social.  I am obliged to Mr. Spectors for providing such an excellent and
timely example. <G>

If people had evolved to see the physical world instead of the social world,
then Mr. Spectors would have actually investigated and discovered that the
scientific consensus is that we ARE heading for a major disaster:

In 1992, both the US National Academy of Sciences and the
Royal Society of London warned in a joint statement that science
and technology may NOT be able to save us:

 "If current predictions of population growth prove accurate
  and patterns of human activity on the planet remain
  unchanged, science and technology may not be able to
  prevent either irreversible degradation of the environment
  or continued poverty for much of the world."

 "The future of our planet is in the balance. Sustainable
  development can be achieved, but only if irreversible
  degradation of the environment can be halted in time.
  The next 30 years may be crucial."
[ http://dieoff.com/page7.htm ]

The actual number of people who KNOW how basic energy laws limit
possibilities in our social world are miniscule compared to, say, the number
who KNOW that aliens have visited Earth, or KNOW that Christ died for our
sins, or that KNOW OJ did it -- or KNOW that Communism can somehow avoid the
planet-killing aspects of Capitalism.

I had intended the following twelve step program for the Neoclassicals, but
Mr. Spectors was kind enough to reminded me that the Marxists need it too:

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                      LIMITS TO BRAINS
                by Jay Hanson -- www.dieoff.org

I have been working on a twelve step program to introduce the laws of
thermodynamics to economists, here are the first few steps:

# 1. The candidate economist must go to a library. There he or she will
notice spheres sitting on wooden stands. These represent the planet we live
on: Earth. Spheres like Earth are by definition finite -- they only hold
just so much stuff. Economists are required to memorize this key point and
say it over and over, "The Earth only holds just so much stuff because it's
a sphere. The Earth only holds just so much stuff because it's a sphere. The
Earth only holds just so much stuff because it's a sphere. ..." Economists
are required to say it over and over until he or she can remember it without
peeking at notes.

Next, the economist is ready for his or her very first BIG scientific
experiment! The economist is advised to stay calm, and be sure to get a good
night's sleep before attempting the experiment.

# 2. Put a piece of cake on a plate.
# 3. Eat the cake.
# 4. See if you still have the cake.

Economists aren't used to empirical science and will have to do the
experiment (#2 through #4) a few times before the implications finally sink
in.

Well kids, that's the First Law (the Conservation Law). Isn't science fun!!!
Can any economist tell the rest of the class what he or she has learned? ...
Anyone? ... Nobel Laureate Friedman? ... Professor Nordhaus? ... Nobel
Laureate Solow? ... Nobel Laureate Samuelson? ... Anyone? ...

Well perhaps we should just move on to the Second Law (the Entropy Law). Gee
kids, guess what happened to that cake...