[mkempe]

Two fundamental arguments of the thesis that we will not "run out" of natural resources for productive purpose have been made eloquently in:

- The Ultimate Resource by Julian Simon [1] --the human mind has limitless potential to select and pursue the use of materials; and

- Capitalism by George Reisman [2] -- the phenomenon of price responds to actual supply and demand, and prompts profit-seekers to develop and switch production accordingly.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/dp/0691003815

[2] http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084RU67S, see Part One, Chapter 3

[coldtea]

>The Ultimate Resource by Julian Simon [1] --the human mind has limitless potential to select and pursue the use of materials

Only if those materials exist in the actual world first. So not that limitless after all. (And that's if we indeed accept that the mind's potential is "limitless", which is non-scientific mumbo jumbo).

>Capitalism by George Reisman [2] -- the phenomenon of price responds to actual supply and demand, and prompts profit-seekers to develop and switch production accordingly.

Says nothing about resources "not running out" -- just about distribution and demand of them, when they are available. A tribe of capitalists in a desert without water would still die of first.

[mkempe]

Have you read either or both of these books? you seem to be arguing with straw men.

[coldtea]

I'm arguing with the very phrases used here supposedly to describe the gist of each book.

If those are accurate, then there's no point in reading the books at all (like I wouldn't read a book described as "the best arguments why the Earth is flat").

Now the descriptions might not be accurate, and those could be excellent books. But, alas, the only information I have had to judge whether I should read those books comes from the OP introducing them with those descriptions.

[facepalm]

So how come cancer isn't eliminated yet? Many people still die.

[mkempe]

Non sequitur?

[facepalm]

The claim is science solves all problems, but it hasn't solved cancer yet.