General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We should have been colonizing the solar system by now. [View all]tama
(9,137 posts)1) given the energy. To put it more accurately, given the exergy aka available energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exergy). The exergy of solar exergy preserved in fossile exergy is for all practical purposes a one time gig, not repeatable. More generally the amount of exergy and information content of universe is generally considered finite (with the caveat that mathematical difference between finite and infinite is very nuanced and rich). Simply put, you are not given it ad infinitum.
2) Reading the sentence as such, of course not.
3) I'm not about to take what you consider your land. The scientific principle in question is called population dynamics. Let's also remember that scientific principles are descriptive, not prescriptive. A political principle like private property is prescriptive/normative, not descriptive. That is important difference to remember: *is* vs. *should*.
More down to Earth and as example of political and ecological reality of population dynamics combined, you may have heard of the Landless Movement in Brazil and elsewhere (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landless_Workers%27_Movement). It's also easy to see here the analogy to 2nd law of thermodynamics: if there is acre of land with population of 99 living on and acre population of 1 living on and the two are connected, all other being equal, as function of time the trend is towards population of 50 for each.