Is there even any evidence of a naturally-occurring silicon polymer?
I've read stories of silicon-organic polymers, but it's the "organic" part that provides the polymerization and nanotech wizardry that puts the two together.
There may well be silicon polymers in nature -- or possible through natural processes -- and I just don't know about them.
Hmm, not too fertile ground for comedy there either way ...
Edit: Jericho sucked. Saw 1st 2 episodes. People from the country are far more resourceful, self-reliant, and in particular self-organizing than the show gave them credit for. The odds of anarchy breaking out in middle America are slim to none.
People in small towns are also wary of those from the city. They could realistically have been shown acting with neighborly concern toward each other yet callous disregard for large groups of outsiders, as happened with the blockades small towns set up to keep out Katrina refugees.
What I'm getting at is that country people are good and bad, like people everywhere, but not in the way Jericho depicted. When everybody knows everybody a huge, traumatic event naturally brings people in a small community together. They wouldn't turn on each other Lord-of-the-Flies-like and have to be "saved" by some brave lone voice of reason -- but when outsiders show up, people they don't know, then you could get them to start behaving badly in a way that was credible.
I could also be misremembering, as it was a long time ago and, thinking it sucked, I've never thought of Jericho since ... but I vaguely recollect the reason for it sucking.
[ March 26, 2008: Message edited by: Forumsdwarf ]