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From: vlsi_lib@netcom.com (Gerard Malecki)
Subject: Re: Computers--Next stage in evolution? Hmmmmmm.....
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Organization: VLSI Libraries Incorporated
References: <Harmon.1779.000BA9A5@psyvax.psy.utexas.edu> <vlsi_libD4D6MM.Hov@netcom.com> <Harmon.1785.000C727D@psyvax.psy.utexas.edu>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 19:28:26 GMT
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In article <Harmon.1785.000C727D@psyvax.psy.utexas.edu> Harmon@psyvax.psy.utexas.edu (Michael G. Harmon) writes:
>
>   Perhaps, in the laboratory, given the right food, an organism may 
>survive high amounts of radiation.  But in the biosphere, when 
>99.9 % of the food chain is gone in a flash, the rare survivors will not 
> enjoy cosy lab. conditions.  And if your trying to tell me a direct hit on 
>an existing nuclear power plant or weapons facility will produce radioactivity 
>with a short half-life, think again. 
>
>  Your happy, low-level rad., bug utopia scenario after the total 
>expendature of world's thermonuclear devices (evenly dispersed in both 
>hemispheres with direct hits on all gournd-based sources of radiation) 
>is optimistic at best.  
>
>   -Bigfoot

In my opinion, ecological effects such as nuclear winter would do more
damage to the biosphere than direct radiation fallout. You are assuming
the radiation fallout would be evenly spread out to reach each and every
nook and corner of the globe, which clearly would not be the case. 

In any case, there are terrestrial creatures that live deep under the
ground or in caves that would be well shielded from radiation. Also creatures
like roaches are scavengers that can survive on almost anything and do not
depend on complex food chains like several higher organisms. For creatures
like maggots, all the rotting carcasses would probably mean an increase
in the food supply.

Simple forms of marine life would be the least affected by radiation fallout.
All the radiation fallout into the sea, if uniformly distributed in sea
water, would be inadequate to sterilize all forms of life as you had 
suggested. Regarding nuclear winter, there are ecosystems near deep sea
vents that do not depend on sun's energy to sustain them.

Shankar Ramakrishnan
shankar@vlibs.com
