Megan McArdle, who is now in Cambodia, muses on how anyone managed to figure out how to make silk. One could ask this of all kinds of technologies.

What's interesting though, is that the thread gets hijacked by a loon who is worried about cruelty to caterpillars.

Given how unevolved we remain, how can we ever be allowed to colonize space?

If Heather Mills can milk a rat, is this really that hard?

When I get the "evil humans" argument, I always ask, "Compared to what?" Since we're the only sapient species we have any experience with, it's kind of tough to make a value judgement.

Of course, the usual follow on is an aesthetics based appeal on behalf of the non sapient species. Which means that the real beef is with the intellect. Something which, as Heinlein has pointed out in "The Puppet Masters", many people would like nothing better than to be free of.

If we're a threat to Earth, shouldn't there be some kind of restraining order to bar our contact with the victimized planet in question? And what kind of technology will be required to fulfill it?

I for one welcome our caterpillar overloads.