That's pretty f'd up. I will be too but it's that kind of selfishness that is responsible for so many of the world's problems.

It's OK. We are all dealing with this most monumental struggle that mankind will ever face in our own ways. I hope you are right...but I have nearly accepted this terrible fate because deep down inside I really believe you are not.

I have been preparing for this for over half a lifetime. I cannot struggle against it any longer along with the other very serious issues I have had to survive for over 30 years. Unfortunately I brought a child into this world in 1990 before I learned of how serious the impending climate catastrophe was, and now I must accept that she could have children, and her children's children will have to bear this terrible burden as survival becomes nearly intolerable for most life on the planet.

Do not despair or be ridden with guilt. Even if you remove the human element from the equation, all the terrible ways we have abused our only home, this is way bigger and more certain than anything we could have done to ultimately deter it.

Peace be with you.

We have almost reached the first critical 1.5C increase in global average temp. What you interpret as pessimistic is what us realists call "the world has hardly done shit," even after warning became more and more grave from the 1970's onward. My answers to this "enormous progress" you speak of can be found all over the Net too, in articles and data that contradict your claims.

This is as optimistic as it gets:

Time is almost up

But I am still not buying it. The only thing that man is good at is destruction.

I'm still doing what I can, which really isn't a whole lot as a conservationist consumer when you look at the big picture.

I was researching the climate crisis over 32 years ago in college when it was still this rough concept called global warming. I really hate saying this, but...it's too late.

Maybe we can mitigate and delay it some, but the time to act was over a century ago. And the uber wealthy that own the industries and everything else, who are in bed with the politicians, knew damn well where this was all headed.

That's the real problem, we cannot overcome our selfishness and greed. It's in our nature.

Not when so many are still ignorant, in denial or just don't give a damn.

But it's still not original thought, nor thought at all but emulation. It can never transcend its inherent limitations which are dictated by the source of its creators. I have no doubt it will progress to the level of godlike power but it's intelligence is still missing something vital to sentience. Something about us that is not quantifiable.

Again, it lacks a soul, life force, whatever you want to call it.

How about a psychiatrist or anyone that uses logic heavily and analytically? Or a creative writer on a new, obscure topic or fiction for which there is little knowledge base that the machine can be programmed with or aquire data on?

AI is falling short of the expectations of it's creators. I believe it is because it is not capable of original thought and can only emulate human intelligence in a manner that draws on the source but can never transcend it and conceive of truly new and unique ideas.

Put simply, a machine can never have its own mind, or a soul.

Good question. I am highly convinced it is too late, for this incarnation of homo sapiens on Terra, as evidenced by the Sixth Great Extinction and the Climate Holocaust we are fully engulfed in now. But maybe our life forces will get another chance on some other plane of time and space.

The Grand Experiment must go on.

Answer: We already have it. We're living it, right now.

I agree with your first statement, but honestly in this day and age little surprises or shocks me anymore.

Now that's a white wedding.

But "no one can eat just one..."

😆

I am one of them too, really, just for myself. But in this insane Age of Trump I have gotten a lot more conscious and everyday am looking at the big picture to see what I can contribute, what I can do to fight the future.

In reality, it is little, but even just being a social justice warrior is something. I think just always staying conscious and aware, and maintaining the right attitude and state of mind is paramount.

And simply connecting with others like right now.

Not sure if you understand the scope of what government surveillance like illegal wiretapping and data mining entails. You don't have to be a criminal for it to erode everyone's civil rights or ruin people's lives, maybe even your own.

This is ridiculous. Our own government has been railroading us on this for over 25 years now. The Constitution is going to Hell in a hand basket. If the average American was even aware of the extent to which their privacy has been invaded there would be rioting in the streets. But they make the rules and ultimately get what they want.

What can you do???

OMG this really is turning out like a classic Asimov sci-fi novel...

BEWARE SKYNET

Publicity stunt???

Here here. The most malignant.

The harder this dirtbag tries to suppress the truth, the more dedicated those who desire to know it will be. He is digging his own grave, thankfully.

LOL! 😆

I hate saying it, but you're probably painfully right. When Biden fistbumped the murderous Crown Prince MBS -- a shocking show of "diplomacy" and abandonment of principles re: the DISMEMBERMENT ALIVE of American journalist Jamal Kashoggi, just to secure some oil for the U.S. in crisis -- I could hardly believe my eyes.

Holy shit, every news post just gets worse and worse for the last week on this! This guy is a disaster! What could he have done???

Your life would still be in shambles. Heavy stigma and loss of rights after a felony conviction. Though I have read that these progressive countries are doing a good job of reforming the correctional systems, making them more humane.

Shit is going to be looking like Robocop soon.