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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Last week's question concerned the mounting problems facing the airline
industry. American Airlines recently grounded thousands of flights to
resolve wiring issues in its MD-80 jets, while other airlines have also
grounded planes over safety concerns. Outraged over safety issues,
increasing delays, and growing passenger dissatisfaction, politicians
such
as Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chair of the House Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, warn of mounting pressure to
reregulate the airline industry, which was deregulated 30 years ago. We
asked if the U.S. government should consider reregulating the airline
industry. Thirty-nine percent of you said yes and 61 percent said no.
Here's more of what you had to say:
"Government regulation can be effective if it's detailed in its use,
and
consistently applied. But overworking Government officials in any area
may result in problems falling through the cracks. Just look at the FDA
and the tainted beef and hamburger issues. People love to complain
about
lack of effective Government oversight, but they don't want to pay for
it
either." Bill
"Consider yourself a PRISONER the minute you pass TSA security.
The airlines are out of control. I think government regulation would be
a
good thing. Just look at how the service/reliability has slipped since
the
end of regulation. The airline industry, its employees and security are
OUT OF CONTROL." Jonathan
"The FAA already requires 100 hour inspections on commercial aircraft.
Let's enforce existing regulations before we keep adding more rules
without enforcement. Like gun laws, just keep adding them and not
enforcing the ones we have." Carl
This week's question concerns predicting intelligent life
elsewhere in the universe. In a recent paper published in the journal
Astrobiology, Professor Andrew Watson of the University of East Anglia
describes a mathematical model for the evolution of intelligent life.
He asserts that four major evolutionary steps were required before
intelligent life developed on Earth, starting from the emergence
of single-celled life to the development of human language.
Watson asserts that the overall likelihood of intelligent life hinges
on the probability of each step occurring, which is very low.
What do you think? Can scientists establish an accurate method to
predict
the presence of intelligent life in the universe? Yes or no?
Submit your answer and post your comments at:
http://link.abpi.net/1.php?20080422A12.
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