I read somewhere that over 99% of the plant and animal life that has ever existed on Planet Earth is now extinct. All of the flora and fauna we take for granted will one day join that list. Though it's millions or billions of years in the future, this planet itself ultimately will die. Long before that happens, homo sapiens will become extinct too.
Because of our egocentric perspective, we humans assume that, when we say sayonara, all life will cease to exist. However, if we take a look at the evolutionary process, that ain't gonna happen! The day will come when human beings will no longer be able to adapt to changing conditions as well as other species. As we enter our period of decline, more adaptive species will move to the fore. Sooner or later, we will die off and a new being or beings will take our place.
Our hope, of course, is that our demise won't begin for several hundred thousands or millions of years. Unfortunately, due to a continuing fragmentation of various societies (in conjunction with our hellbent sprint toward ecological destruction), we may end up short circuiting the natural processes and hasten our own departure much sooner than expected.
But whether our species lasts hundreds of millions of years or 100 years, we are still doomed, nonetheless. There is nothing we can do to avert eventual extinction. This should not be a cause for lamentations or celebrations; it's just the way it is.
Because of our egocentric perspective, we humans assume that, when we say sayonara, all life will cease to exist. However, if we take a look at the evolutionary process, that ain't gonna happen! The day will come when human beings will no longer be able to adapt to changing conditions as well as other species. As we enter our period of decline, more adaptive species will move to the fore. Sooner or later, we will die off and a new being or beings will take our place.
Our hope, of course, is that our demise won't begin for several hundred thousands or millions of years. Unfortunately, due to a continuing fragmentation of various societies (in conjunction with our hellbent sprint toward ecological destruction), we may end up short circuiting the natural processes and hasten our own departure much sooner than expected.
But whether our species lasts hundreds of millions of years or 100 years, we are still doomed, nonetheless. There is nothing we can do to avert eventual extinction. This should not be a cause for lamentations or celebrations; it's just the way it is.
I wonder if we could delay our extinction if we established human colonies on other planets or in outer space?
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