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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

fredmoore - 10:28am Jun 3, 2003 EST (# 12288 of 12291)

Robert ..

As far as I can see there is only one thing that needs checking, checking for the benefit of all humankind and not just some CIA relics of past history and what now even seems like ancient history.

It goes something like this:

The power of aggregated human consciousness is the key to a sustainable future. As Einstein noted, individual mental potential is largely untapped. The reason for this is our innate concern of losing individuality to a larger aggregated system that we do not trust or understand.

Assuming that problem can be overcome, it is useful to consider what I call the 'Human Laser'. A population of individuals is not unlike a population of atoms in a laser. In a laser, you pump the atoms with a powerful source till they are in an inverted (relative to ambient) aggregate state. They then, after a rest period decay to a metastable state in which they become stuck because of certain state change selection rules. However a photon of the frequency corresponding to the metastable energy gap can STIMULATE emission and with the use of mirrored surfaces the photons multiply in perfect COHERENCE as they stimulate further atomic transitions. After a time the resultant light beam is powerful enough to be released as a unique source of coherent light. With human populations the stimulus is a common goal, the states are states of consciousness, the photons are thoughts and the mirrors are the mass media. With this concept it is possible to harness human thought processes in ways that have enough processing power to physically explore not only the sustainable potential of our planet but also the universe.

First of all it would be necessary to experiment with the concept and to do this, a desirable relatively low cost common goal is required along with the cooperation of many nations of individuals.

That common goal could be a Kyoto Alternative Energy protocol with all nations contributing say .5% GDP over 10 years to 'stepwise' develop geothermal, space solar, thermoelectric and environmental (wetlands) technologies to a point where fossil fuels were no longer required except for transport needs.

Such a goal would certainly get the world thinking as a unit and if those thoughts became COHERENT we ought to see a new and as yet unimaginable effect in terms of human endeavour and the ability to process large scale problems with ease.

Even if such a coherence fails to materialise such a project would usher a new dimension of international cooperation and understanding whilst providing us all with sustainable energy for as long as the sun shines and the earth's mantle is above 1000deg C.

Ugly and/or beautiful? Time will tell and hopefully within our lifetimes.

Who's fault is it that you are only running on 10% of your potential as Einstein so succinctly pointed out?

Out.

mazza9 - 11:38am Jun 3, 2003 EST (# 12289 of 12291)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Fred: Coherent Action! Pie in the Sky! The Krell civilization didn't last one night once it's planetwide thought enhancer machine went On Line. Maybe Robbie the Robot will be the future. Klattu may be the only mechanism for world peace.

rshow55 - 12:20pm Jun 3, 2003 EST (# 12290 of 12291)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Fredmoore's suggestion in http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.MKiBbkC1dRA.3579178@.f28e622/13936 is a fine one, and there might be just a very few steps toward getting to the more tangible aspects of it (such as fixing world energy supplies, and global warming) if a meeting were possible, and went well. Gracefully, and without a lot of hassle.

Nothing so fancy as what I asked Sulzberger for in http://www.mrshowalter.net/LtToSenateStffrWSulzbergerNoteXd.html . But that sort of pattern might work well, with a few modifications - if I could be so lucky.

The postcard message in http://www.mrshowalter.net/LtToSenateStffrWSulzbergerNoteXd.html includes a request that I had no right to ask for (but I can dream - and as a "thought example" it is less ambitious than some.)

" I am asking that (reporter's name), or someone (s)he designates assist me (in preparing a presentation)

Not necessarily to get a proposal for high shots such as Turner and Nunn - but just to talk about what might be done. Ideally, a proposal or presentation that we could actually give to somebody - maybe anybody who seemed right, who would be willing to listen - after a cold call from a phone book.

I think a lot might be sorted out.

If could meet with a female reporter - that would be super - because for species stereotypical reasons - some discussion go better between members of the opposite sex - they can flirt in the ways the logic of the situation dictates.

A chaperone could be provided to assure that I do not work my wicked will upon her.

Just thinking of the ideal reporter, - any female with a byline.

GRETCHEN MORGENSON would be superb. She's an expert on fairness in business contexts. Other reporters would be superb - Emily Eaken or Erica Goode or Linda Greenhouse.

One of the very best possible (and also a Pulitzer winner) would be Mrs. Nicholas Kristoff - Sheryl WuDunn.

- - - At a less ambitious level: I might be able to do a lot if I were permitted to drive down to the NYT office in Chicago - and talk to somebody who'd give me a few hours of time.

Anyway - just dreaming - and smiling - and I'll be back with more.

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