On Thu, 29 Aug 1996 00:05:30 -0500 (CDT) John W. Biles said:
: Who knows :0 Star Trek is three centuries in the future. Besides, Star
: Trek is full of magic masquerading as Technology. I simply regard it as
: such. Not to mention "energy beings" who are actually Gods and Faeries...:)
Ooooh! Don't you just *love* that? Whenever I see another of
those glowing figure that are made of "pure energy", I go
"AAAaaaaiieeeeaaargh! There's nothing special about being made of
energy! *WE* are made of energy. And so's the chair I'm sitting
on."
My sister countered with "Well, but *they* are made of *pure*
energy." I just pointed at my chest and said "This is as pure as
it gets. Either it's energy, or it isn't."
And that's the problem with Star Trek: They seem to think that
"Energy" is some kind of mystic substance, that can be stored and
sensed and diverted. "That ship contains a lot of energy,
Captain." Of course; It's *made* of it, dummy!
Trek writers listen up: Energy is an abstract property, not an
actual physical *thing*.
Oh, to get back to the topic: Richard, you chose the wrong
catastrophe. The sudden departure of all livestock would in no
case trigger a famine - the catastrophe would be an economic one.
Farmers going bancrupt and being unable to fend their living; A
whole *industry* going poof overnight; Lots and lots of people
losing lots and lots of money. There would be more than enough to
eat, but not everybody might be able to buy it (even after the
price plummet that is to be expected).
The problem is, that the plague-resistant pigs could not avert
*that* catastrophe. Bummer. :(
Sebastian