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~~((The National Ice Cream Day Special -- page 1 of 15))~~
"It makes an enormous difference," said Gohvis. "The growth rate of humanity is unlike anything else in the known universe. To our knowledge, human civilization has only existed for a few thousand years, but look at all the power that it currently wields. Enough to wipe itself out--and perhaps even to take the planet with it."

Emiliana's gray eyes went to the table in front of her while she listened.

"And this trend is not going to change," Gohvis went on. "If anything, it will accelerate. So how powerful do you think humanity will become in another thousand years? Powerful enough to destroy the sun? The solar system? The galaxy? What about in ten thousand years? Or a million?"

"...You're worried about a million years into the future?" she said.

"The foundations we lay now could have consequences that resonate throughout the rest of human civilization," said Gohvis. "And as immortal beings, our responsibility over the future is two-fold. I don't know about you, but I would like to see how it all plays out. This cosmic game we find ourselves in."

Geez. She wasn't sure she had a response for that.

But still. She pressed her lips together as she tried to reevaluate his words another time. "...This is a completely different argument to what you said a minute ago. You said growth was a problem because of finite resources, not this."

"I said it was self-evidently a problem because of finite resources, yes. Which is still true. Growth demands innovation, and innovation discovers new ways to exploit resources, which can slow the decay; but in the very long term, the finite nature of the world will continue to be a problem that demands a direct solution. And that is what I am most concerned about: the long term."