Yet still our best telescopes can barely make out its shape.

Damn right, with a silly name like that. Like Hades already said, "what do they wanna call me in Rome? Pluto? I wouldn't even call my dog Pluto!"

But sure, I love elections! Great shows with lots and lots of entertainment value. Only thing that bugs me about them is that I'm asked to choose without having a choice.

And this is where the whole deal breaks down, because there will never be such a thing. Nobody will be forced.

The only ones that could enforce something like this are the politicians, leaders of states that can create laws. Such laws will not come into existence, though, since that would require a global consensus because one country doing such a move alone will invariably cripple its economy. Global treaties that are supposed to be more than a stack of paper with letters, i.e. treaties that will be enforced and heeded on the other hand require the backing of industries that have an interest in such treaties coming into existence.

And industries have no interest in such a treaty. Quite the opposite. So if anything, we'll see a lot of resistance for such an international treaty taking place. Hence ... well, it's nice that we might know the world is fucked, but nobody who could give a shit gives a half of one.

I'm generally detached about things I'm powerless to influence. I'm usually the only calm person in a plane flying through a hurricane. Is there anything I can do? No. Why bother getting worked up about it?

Believe me, if I had to fly that plane, I'd be nervous as hell, but in the passenger seat... lean back and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Well, that all depends on whether they are right and whether your property is close to a coast line.

In 50 years, NONE of the current heads of state will still be alive, let alone in power. Yes, they will pay lip service to the problem. No, they won't do jack shit about it.

Really. I can't help but laugh every time there's a climate change bickering here on /.

It's absolutely stunningly awesome. You have two sides, zealous in their quest to convince everyone and their dog that they're right. Both sides have various "studies", produced more likely than not in a dark, rather warm but also quite smelly place and pulled out of there with little ceremony. Both sides accusing the other side of shilling, resorting to name calling and whatnot.

And neither side has any idea what to DO if they're right.

That's the actual joke here. Let's say, just for argument's sake, that there is global warming and that the whole sky-is-falling scenario will happen (which, I will freely admit, I think actually will happen). What now? Does anyone where really think there will be anything REMOTELY close to global consent on laws to lower the impact? Seriously? Fuck, we can't even get international consensus on stuff that presents an immediate and direct danger rather than a maybe-kinda-could-be-sorta danger in half a century. Even if we DID know for a fact, no doubt about it, 100% sure, proven FACT, that in 50 years life on earth as we know it would be impossible, you would NOT get any kind of international law going. No chance, no way.

But hey, keep talking. If nothing else, it's entertaining.

Hush! I have real estate at 1000+m above sea level, once the coasts are flooded I get to cash in!

Look around yourself. I don't know about you, but I can't say that losing this failed system we call civilization sounds more like a chance for a reboot than anything else.

The problem is that we're digging and Africa gets to sit in the hole.

Nah, it's never been more easy to shill than today.

In the old days, publishing was something reserved for those that had anything to say, well, at least for the most part. Publishers didn't just print any kind of crap for it easily tarnishes your reputation if you do. And soon people who not have some reputation and hence reach high volumes because other people want to read what they have to say (read: those that you WANT to publish) don't want to publish their serious and scientifically sound facts with you if your house is known to print stories about how ancient alien astronauts built the Pyramids.

Today, editors are hard pressed to publish. Publish or perish. Even reputable houses resort to printing pretty much anything that doesn't immediately cause a "c'mooooooon" reaction in people who don't send money to their televangelists. Plus the internet that made it possible for every idiot to present his "findings" in ways that look serious and sensible on the outside.

Now add that people have learned to take anything and everything printed in a "scientific" book by an "expert" as gospel without even bothering to try to question it and it becomes immediately obvious why you can shill today way easier than you could ever before. Need "proof" for your harebrained idea? Google will help you find an "expert" that agrees with you.

of the hackney coach drivers who insist that they should have the monopoly and their business must not be impeded by a change in technology.

Dear Verizon board: Fuck you and fuck your firstborns.

By definition. When you look at our current corporate culture, you know it has to be. For a simple reason: Companies bidding for jobs. And more often than not, the cheapest offer gets the deal.

Who is the cheapest? Usually the one that cut the most corners and underestimated his cost (i.e. time) to deliver the most.

If you penalize me for going over time and budget, my next estimate is 30 eons and 200 trillion USD.

Watch me come in well inside the budget.