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Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by theoh on Sunday July 02, 2017 @05:39PM (#14684500)
There's no science that says any part of the Earth-human system "constantly moves to optimality". Like, literally any part. It's an out-of-control rollercoaster that we may or may not be able to steward to our liking. "optimality" is a human construct.
Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by nnfy on Sunday July 02, 2017 @05:51PM (#14684543)
I agree, and would extend that to the earth system in general. The universe does not care for good, bad, optimal, or suboptimal; the universe simply is.
Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by drdeca on Sunday July 02, 2017 @07:49PM (#14684936)
I think steward/stewardship was a good choice of word on your part there
Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by godzilla82 on Monday July 03, 2017 @01:40AM (#14686076)
Optimal for whom? May be it does move to optimality, but not for humans, so human science does not find it.
Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by dredmorbius on Sunday July 02, 2017 @08:34PM (#14685095)
How would you define "optimality"?

Consider: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_power_principle

Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by unityByFreedom on Sunday July 02, 2017 @06:31PM (#14684681)
Darwin might disagree.

Perhaps you can say evolution is accidental, without intention. Quite a happy accident in my opinion.

Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by IanCal on Monday July 03, 2017 @02:23AM (#14686232)
Evolution does not necessarily move towards optimal systems, by any definition. It may find local optima, but the process has no guarantees it's moving towards a global optimum.
Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by splawn on Monday July 03, 2017 @10:29AM (#14688472)
I am guessing your downvoters have never heard of mass extinction events.

EDIT: Here.... let me google up an example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event

Re:Largest-ever study of controversial pesticides finds harm... by Eerie on Monday July 03, 2017 @01:03AM (#14685950)
A billion years of living things eating each other. Quite happy, indeed.