Potatos_are_not_friendsExplain that, science nerds!
I’ve literally had this argument on lemmy about two weeks ago. It always goes like this:
Me: [some comment to the effect of “the planet is dying”]
Them: the planet will be fine. Yes all life will perish, but the earth itself will continue.
Me: . . .
Them: What. It’s just the fact. Don’t worry about the planet.
Sometimes they quote Carlin without realizing it and without context so to them it’s not a joke about how fucked up we are, it’s a simple truth without any additional layers. It’s a little boggling.
Even life will never perish. We’re certainly going to cause an apocalyptic level extinction event, taking many species with us, but life will always find a way.
jabathekekLikely as slimy mats on the floor of what’s left of the ocean. Also whatever’s left in hot-springs and caves.
Life is way hardier than you think… Unless we completely blast the world with nukes, we will not get that far.
SanctusThere is one single planet we know of that hosts complex organisms. Dont go claiming extraordinary things like that, when all evidence points to the opposite. Life is extremely fragile, and only comes about in very specific conditions. New data models show we may be the only creatures capable of communicating vast distances in the entire galaxy. We should be treating this with the severity it actually has, potential universal blackout. What is the universe if there is nothing there to experience it?
That’s very lovely, but ultimately egotistical. I mean, I romanticise about it too, but the universe ultimately just… is. The only severity is for us humans. No other species has a sense of “species” as a community AFAIK. Heck, even humans have a terrible track record. We can’t even seem to sterilise machines we sent to space no matter how hard we try, even after being exposed to outer space. That’s the evidence we have.
From our perspective, only human eyes record history. Without us around to experience and document the universe, is it any different from not existing at all? It doesn’t matter that the universe is. What is is if there is nothing around to define it?
I just don’t really understand the point of the question. I care about “the planet” because I feel empathy for my fellow humans and would like to leave a healthy environment for the future generations to come. I won’t leave any offspring. So when I die, my linage ends. After I die I will stop experiencing anything. And yet I still care. But I only care because my brain is wired to feel empathy.
I don’t care at all that the universe might have no one to experience it when our sun blows up. As statistically unlikely as that might be.
I mean you dont have to care. I do. I care that this vast universe might never been seen by human eyes. Because I feel like it is our duty to experience and record as much of this as possible. I truly believe we are the universe experiencing itself, and dammit we better experience it all.
I’ve come to terms with the fact we will never be able to understand and manipulate physics to the point of interstellar travel.