CatherineandDavid

By the normal patterns of human history, we were destined to have a third world war -- conventional -- some time in the 1970s. My generation would have marched off to defend Europe and died by the tens of millions. That pattern was disrupted by nukes. Exactly as predicted by Edward Teller, the mad Hungarian who turned out to be right when he said "THIS time human leaders will wake up and hold back." "They never did before!" cried Oppenheimer." "Bu this time, they will," Teller responded, and there ensued the greatest peace in human history.

Is it assured? Hell no! I've heard it said that the average IQ of those controlling nuclear weapons has declined a point a year since 1945. Well, it went back up for a while... And now? A cliff... --db

Subjectively, the robot in Asimov's BICENTENNIAL MAN was very moving. And the AI Mike in Heinlein's THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. -DB

Hi. David Brin here, checking in. Let's talk nukes. Yay nukes. I am alive today because of them. (How's that for provocative?) -- DB

Actually, the scientific community has been talking about fusion as an energy source for over fifty years. We were discussing this in the 1970s, expecting it would be less than a decade away. We should have been able to develop it for practical use by now. I think what is holding it up are political concerns.

Hi Janareta. I am a little way into my big Uplift Book returning to Creideiki and the folks I abandoned on that planet long ago. (I am getting death threats from my 35 year old former self!) I have lots of sequel notes for Glory Season, Postman etc but none of those will happen till I get the self-duplicator from KILN PEOPLE! ;-) -- But I have two new books! INSISTENCE OF VISION and CHASING SHADOWS! See more at http://www.davidbrin.com -- db