vansig - 16 April 2010 05:38 AM

Brian H - 06 April 2010 02:53 AM

...

the scenario above isn’t a positive feedback runaway. it’s a negative feedback catastrophe. and there is evidence that it has occurred in the past.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/algal_bloom.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Devonian_extinction

there are algae markers in every mass extinction period
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s…ryId=114081479

the anthropic principle doesn’t work, here, because not-all species become extinct during these events.

i actually favour the following particular hair-brained geo-forming project:
-> restore the Sahara desert to its former, lush savanna, by desalination and irrigation projects that use fusion energy.

Algae rule!
Actually, the anthropic principle always works. We just got lucky. In slightly different parallel universes, it didn’t work out so well.

The expression, btw, is actually “hare-brained”: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/42400.html  :che.ese: