Monday, April 03, 2006

We shall not be anthropocentrists

Education they say is the key to wisdom, but perhaps sometimes we drink too much from its cup. A professor at the University of Texas is offering up a simple equation that is sure to garner a fair amount of attention, "each one of us that survives shall bury nine". It's his solution to the woes of the planet, a train of thought that is creating a fair amount of controversy.

Eric Pianka an instructor at the U of T suggests that the world would be a much better place if about 90% would kindly die off and leave the other 10% to go about their business. Now we assume that the professor plans on being among the 10% that will go forth and prosper, but not everyone is ready to hear and board that train a comin'. There is a bit of a backlash among his fellow academics who think of him as a bit of a loose cannon with his unorthodax thoughts on social engineering.

Pianka who says that the earth is "fat, apathetic and miserable" feels that a culling of our herd is what is needed for the earth to regenerate itself. Many of his students have taken up his challenge claiming that he's a radical thinker, some calling him a God. Mighty praise for a guy that pretty well wants to see nine of every ten of his students fail the final exam.

Now we wonder? Would they still think that way should they find themselves in the lineup with the 90% that are about to shuffle off the little green planet third from the sun?

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