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From: rstevew@armory.com (Richard Steven Walz)
Subject: Re: Does Automation Take Jobs Away?
Organization: The Armory
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 07:36:27 GMT
Message-ID: <Cu1x4s.KL8@armory.com>
References: <mwilson.775136657@ncratl> <31btum$31e@tribune.usask.ca> <Ctu30D.Mo3@armory.com> <31p81g$iu@tribune.usask.ca>
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In article <31p81g$iu@tribune.usask.ca>, Henry Choy <choy@cs.usask.ca> wrote:
>Richard Steven Walz (rstevew@armory.com) wrote:
>: In article <31btum$31e@tribune.usask.ca>, Henry Choy <choy@cs.usask.ca> wrote:
>: >Edward Flaherty (eflahert@garnet.acns.fsu.edu) wrote:
>: >: mwilson@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Mark O. Wilson) writes:
>: >: > 
>: >: > If robots did 100% of the work, everything would be free.
>: >
>: >: 	Not so.  There is still this thing called scarcity we have to 
>: >: deal with.  
>: >
>: >There's the chance that robots can construct ships that can bring us
>: >objects from space. Scarcity would be reduced a little.
>
>: ---------------------------------------------
>: There's a hell of a good chance that humans can build ships in orbit which
>: can go and get us asteroids and bring them back into a parking orbit
>
>Asteroids sound like they're pretty big. What kind of risk is there of
>one crashing into earth?
-----------------------------------
Why is it that I have come to believe that you don't actually want or need
to know that???

Asteroids can be quite successfully braked into orbit on multiple passes
with simple MHD engines that can run continuously. There is no danger such
as that of the current situation, where we have not even the capability to
stop a fast heavy asteroid if it wants to cream us!
-RSW

>: to
>: build habitats, plant growing surfaces, and even more suitable fuel for 
>: engines, solar mass drivers or plasma engines. Yes, a spiral-in orbit to
>: earth orbit that would be stoppable would take a few years out and back,
>: but when all of a sudden you see asteroids coming in from every direction,
>: and park them, you've got some ready made livables in the nickel iron ones,
>: and the carbonaceous and silica ones can be used for soil and making glass.
>: And you start accumulating another mountain of wealth and solar power
>: virtually for free compared to the outlay!
>
>What about the mountains that already exist on earth?
-----------------------------------
Ever try to lift one into orbit? What the fuck did you take education in,
La Choy, or are you still in high school!!
-RSW

