Will there be ww3 or intergalactic?

[Nik]

Allegedly we have very near escapes with, say, Cuba crisis or other instances. And each conflagration, magnified by the media, brings the feeling that we are dancing on the razor's edge. Moreover, sometimes people having mighty levers in their hands due to their positions are doubted to be qualified ... On individual level too - we see extremely pacified vs violent.
What do you think or feel?

[Ian]

Inter galactic war, no. It takes too long to get between galaxies. Interstellar war - I hope not, for the same reason.

WW3 - a very depressing thought. I was at University during the Cuban crisis and I still remember cycling to lectures, and wondering whether it was a waste of time because there would be no world left shortly. In the end, I decided that lectures would at least take my mind of that possibility. What bothered me since then is that had Khrushchev not backed down, it would have been on. Also there have been a couple of "almost" through equipment malfunction on each side, and one on the American side when some idiot set off a drill sequence but forgot to tell the key people it was a drill.

Finally, there are two more possibilities. Two smaller lots will have a go, which is why there should be a real priority to keeping Iran nuke free, and finally stupidity. Stupidity is generally available in good supply.

[Matthew]

I agree with Ian. Barring some form of FTL, which for all intents and purposes appears impossible, there will never be galactic civilizations and human beings won't be able to administer more than a few star systems at a time. Traveling between these systems will be a slow and laborious task, requiring massive amounts of energy and/or extremely advanced technology. Ergo, you won't be able to have intergalactic wars.