XPost: talk.atheism, alt.atheism, alt.agnosticism   
   From: bdbryant@wherever.ur   
      
   In article <46a9ff08$0$29446$a82e2bb9@reader.athenanews.com>,   
   	"Pro-Humanist FREELOVER"  writes:   
   >   
   > - - -   
   >   
   > Millions of Years Ago* ... Time Since Last Major Extinction   
   >   
   > 505 ..................................   
   > 438 .................................. 67 million years   
   > 408 .................................. 30 million years   
   > 360 .................................. 48 million years   
   > 320 .................................. 40 million years   
   > 286 .................................. 34 million years   
   > 250 .................................. 36 million years   
   > 208 .................................. 42 million years   
   > 144 .................................. 64 million years   
   >   65 .................................. 79 million years   
   > ??? .................................. ???   
   >   
   > * approximate, estimates vary   
   >   
   > The good news? At ~65 million years   
   > since the last major extinction event,   
   > we're far short of the longest time   
   > without a major extinction (~79 million   
   > years, the major extinction prior to the   
   > last one, the last one, of course, being   
   > the dinosaur-terminator asteroid or   
   > comet impacting in what eventually   
   > became present-day Mexico).   
   >   
   > The bad news? At ~65 million years,   
   > earth has gone longer without a major   
   > extinction event than it has for almost   
   > the entire history since complex life   
   > developed on earth, increasing the   
   > risk that a major extinction event is   
   > due (as it's just a matter of time).   
      
   Unless there's a reason to suppose that these events share a common   
   cyclical cause, you're indulging in the gamblers' fallacy.   
      
   --   
   Bobby Bryant   
   Reno, Nevada   
      
   Remove your hat to reply by e-mail.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)