People are so skeptic and negative about humans nowadays.
We are an incredibly hardy species. We are clever. We find ways to survive in deserts, mountains, small islands, icey tundras and anything in between.
We plan ahead, we can eat and digest pretty much anything (except for cellulose) and we have as much drive to survive as your average cockroach.
Sure our species is vulnerable. And I wouldn't rule out large percentages of our population dying at some point.
But don't bet against the inventiveness and flexibility of humans. We may be one of the last species on this planet to become extinct.
> We are an incredibly hardy species. We are clever. We find ways to survive in deserts, mountains, small islands, icey tundras and anything in between.
We’re that… so far.
But at the same time:
- our track record is short, only about 300kY, for comparison while not a specific species the dinosaurs lasted for around 175000kY, and were the dominant life form for 135000, until they were taken out by an asteroid, apex species did last for millions of years
- we’re actively moving our own environment out of spec with our survival capabilities, and as warm-blooded mammals it’s much easier to adapt to the cold than it is to the heat, 35 WBT is a hard limit (in fact it looks like it’s an over-estimate and 31 is closer, even for healthy young adults, but 35 WBT was a theorised estimate)
Drive to survive can only get you so far, you can have as much drive to survive as your average cockroach, that won’t save you from heat stroke any more than it’ll save you from drowning or a bullet wound.
To be fair, the same is true of dinosaurs — through their bird family.
But their era as dominant life ended 65M years ago despite their current wide spread existence; and something similar may happen to us — were our species to sufficiently fall apart.
> People are so skeptic and negative about humans nowadays.
Any positivity I might sometimes happen to feel about humanity quickly proves to be misguided as soon I read what other humans have to say on the internet.
Just go to Twitter, Reddit, or some comments section on YouTube, and you'll quickly come out hating the species too.
And you know, we've been poisoning ourselves for a really long time amiright? The industrial age, smog, bpa, micro plastics. THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE ABUSE WE CAN PUT ON OURSELVES. Woo
> We could see the collapse of not just one, but all human civilization, and possibly the extinction of our species—or even all the species on the planet. In short, it would be really, really bad.
We should probably note here that there's been exactly one sterilizing event in the entire history of life, and that was the formation of the moon. So even if we go, something else will survive. Even the end-Permian left survivors!
while i agree that the moon formation would almost certainly have sterilised the earth, i don't know of any evidence that there was anything to sterilise.
I mean, I get the sarcasm, but at the same time we could probably monitor all asteroids from what we’re spending on climate change atm.
This is one big issue I have with the hysterical end of the climate change debate, there are 100 other threats to humanity, yet we don’t really care about them, probably because the media doesn’t care as much.
Covid is a pretty good example also, it’s killed way more people than the climate has for a long long time. A pandemic is a much bigger threat to both humanity and the economy. But somehow we’ve latched on to some event that might happen based on computer models in 50-200 years, as the biggest threat. At least according to the media. In reality even the IPCC doesn’t predict any fall in GDP due to climate change, just a slow in growth. Covid actually decreased worldwide gdp. An asteroid definitely would too.
My point is, we spend resources on a lot of things as humans. Lots of stupid things sometimes. I don’t see how one man’s goal to get to mars isn’t on the more positive side of things, and the technologies that will be developed for it will be definite positives for everyone, just look at reusable rockets.
The fate of humans is extinction, saying otherwise is simply wrong. Be it 200 years or 2,000,000,000 at some point our species will go extinct, or whatever species we evolve into.
I understand why people get angry when you say it, but anger won’t change it because on a long enough time scale nothing will survive.
Well, eventually the sun will explode into a red giant; and if we make it past that somehow, the universe will cool down and spread out so much that we won't be able to have enough energy to do stuff. So, even if we don't "go extinct", either our solar system or our universe will.
Still, I think the question on people's minds is whether it's 2 Billion years, 200 years, or - if the US and Russia play their nuke cards - maybe less :-(
Sure. But that's not the question. I see the question more as this: "Say life will get extinct in 1000 years no matter why. And say that if you do nothing, it goes extinct in 10 years, but if you act now, it will get closer to those 1000 years. Should you do something?".
That's the same thing about the current mass extinction/biodiversity problem/climate change: we are not talking about saving the species in 200 years, we've long proven that we don't care about that. We are talking about saving our butts. Us, currently living.
Yes Sherlock we can. So fucking what? If there are actionable things that can be researched and developed to protect us from some potential existential disaster I believe we have started doing it.
If however something that we can not prevent comes crushing down, what's the point thinking about it?
I wonder what's the longest period in human history in which someone was not predicting the imminent demise of humanity... it's like a very small period.
Given H. Sapiens' manifest unfitness for the planet-dominating role it has bred and slaughtered itself into, loss of it would be no bad thing. Shame about the other species though.
Every generation has said similar despairing things about the next, yet there always is a next generation to complain about. No, it's not different this time.
More progressive propaganda thinly packaged as journalism. Humans are animals, and nature has selected us to survive again and again. For crying outloud, we've made it to outer space, one of the most hostile environments for life forms, and we're pushing to go further.
The spread of the "humans suck, we're so awful" rhetoric in the left-wing media really puts a bad taste in my mouth.
> Humans are animals, and nature has selected us to survive again and again.
Huh? H. Sapiens is a recent species, and has in its short career already brought most ecosystems worldwide to near collapse. It is 'successful' in the way a wastrel scion of a wealthy family appears at the height of his spending, just before penury, destitution, and syphilis hits.
I happen to think a major nuclear exchange will take us out in the next few decades, but if not, nothing is likely to prevent the continuing destruction of most life on our planet. Fouling the nest can work for a while. But then it doesn't.
anyone that thinks humans will be around in even a million years time is, imho, delusional. we were not there up until now in that timespan, and won't be after it.
and don't get started on living on mars, or elsewhere - not going to happen.
Okay, but you’re objectively wrong in your second sentence. There were archaic humans (genus homo, specifically Homo habilis and then Homo erectus) about 2-3 million years ago. They used various tools, and as of ~1 million years ago (late erectus to early Homo heidelbergensis, the common ancestor of anatomically modern humans and the Neanderthals) were possibly using (a gestural?) language, likely fire, maybe even seafaring.
I am not that interested in the opinion of people insistent that humans won’t exist in the future (and calling those who disagree “delusional”) if those people have a flawed understanding of human existence in the past.
Why do you think that it's so certain? There are moments in history were the number of humans in existence numbered in the thousands. What kind of event are you imagining of that is certain to occur that will kill every single last human?
[+] [-] seper8|3 years ago|reply
We are an incredibly hardy species. We are clever. We find ways to survive in deserts, mountains, small islands, icey tundras and anything in between.
We plan ahead, we can eat and digest pretty much anything (except for cellulose) and we have as much drive to survive as your average cockroach.
Sure our species is vulnerable. And I wouldn't rule out large percentages of our population dying at some point. But don't bet against the inventiveness and flexibility of humans. We may be one of the last species on this planet to become extinct.
[+] [-] masklinn|3 years ago|reply
We’re that… so far.
But at the same time:
- our track record is short, only about 300kY, for comparison while not a specific species the dinosaurs lasted for around 175000kY, and were the dominant life form for 135000, until they were taken out by an asteroid, apex species did last for millions of years
- we’re actively moving our own environment out of spec with our survival capabilities, and as warm-blooded mammals it’s much easier to adapt to the cold than it is to the heat, 35 WBT is a hard limit (in fact it looks like it’s an over-estimate and 31 is closer, even for healthy young adults, but 35 WBT was a theorised estimate)
Drive to survive can only get you so far, you can have as much drive to survive as your average cockroach, that won’t save you from heat stroke any more than it’ll save you from drowning or a bullet wound.
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] zmgsabst|3 years ago|reply
But their era as dominant life ended 65M years ago despite their current wide spread existence; and something similar may happen to us — were our species to sufficiently fall apart.
[+] [-] alright_scowl|3 years ago|reply
Any positivity I might sometimes happen to feel about humanity quickly proves to be misguided as soon I read what other humans have to say on the internet.
Just go to Twitter, Reddit, or some comments section on YouTube, and you'll quickly come out hating the species too.
[+] [-] nathanvanfleet|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Avshalom|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kwhitefoot|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] onychomys|3 years ago|reply
We should probably note here that there's been exactly one sterilizing event in the entire history of life, and that was the formation of the moon. So even if we go, something else will survive. Even the end-Permian left survivors!
[+] [-] zabzonk|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] palata|3 years ago|reply
Because it's much easier to prepare to go live on Mars, apparently. /s
[+] [-] zpeti|3 years ago|reply
This is one big issue I have with the hysterical end of the climate change debate, there are 100 other threats to humanity, yet we don’t really care about them, probably because the media doesn’t care as much.
Covid is a pretty good example also, it’s killed way more people than the climate has for a long long time. A pandemic is a much bigger threat to both humanity and the economy. But somehow we’ve latched on to some event that might happen based on computer models in 50-200 years, as the biggest threat. At least according to the media. In reality even the IPCC doesn’t predict any fall in GDP due to climate change, just a slow in growth. Covid actually decreased worldwide gdp. An asteroid definitely would too.
My point is, we spend resources on a lot of things as humans. Lots of stupid things sometimes. I don’t see how one man’s goal to get to mars isn’t on the more positive side of things, and the technologies that will be developed for it will be definite positives for everyone, just look at reusable rockets.
[+] [-] maximus-decimus|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] BizarreByte|3 years ago|reply
I understand why people get angry when you say it, but anger won’t change it because on a long enough time scale nothing will survive.
[+] [-] einpoklum|3 years ago|reply
Still, I think the question on people's minds is whether it's 2 Billion years, 200 years, or - if the US and Russia play their nuke cards - maybe less :-(
[+] [-] palata|3 years ago|reply
That's the same thing about the current mass extinction/biodiversity problem/climate change: we are not talking about saving the species in 200 years, we've long proven that we don't care about that. We are talking about saving our butts. Us, currently living.
[+] [-] FpUser|3 years ago|reply
Yes Sherlock we can. So fucking what? If there are actionable things that can be researched and developed to protect us from some potential existential disaster I believe we have started doing it.
If however something that we can not prevent comes crushing down, what's the point thinking about it?
[+] [-] Johnny555|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pard68|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] earthboundkid|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] victorclf|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gowld|3 years ago|reply
We've got time for this to bubble up on the priority list.
[+] [-] chasing|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] colinrand|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] geodel|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] m3kw9|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 0xblinq|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] crispinb|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reactspa|3 years ago|reply
Students sit in the classroom scrolling tiktok.
I don't think we're going to make it.
[+] [-] theandrewbailey|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] korroziya|3 years ago|reply
The spread of the "humans suck, we're so awful" rhetoric in the left-wing media really puts a bad taste in my mouth.
[+] [-] crispinb|3 years ago|reply
Huh? H. Sapiens is a recent species, and has in its short career already brought most ecosystems worldwide to near collapse. It is 'successful' in the way a wastrel scion of a wealthy family appears at the height of his spending, just before penury, destitution, and syphilis hits.
I happen to think a major nuclear exchange will take us out in the next few decades, but if not, nothing is likely to prevent the continuing destruction of most life on our planet. Fouling the nest can work for a while. But then it doesn't.
[+] [-] zabzonk|3 years ago|reply
and don't get started on living on mars, or elsewhere - not going to happen.
[+] [-] Robotbeat|3 years ago|reply
I am not that interested in the opinion of people insistent that humans won’t exist in the future (and calling those who disagree “delusional”) if those people have a flawed understanding of human existence in the past.
[+] [-] onepointsixC|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sushisource|3 years ago|reply
It's a specious argument. Just because our species lifespan has been short until now doesn't mean anything about how long it will last from here out.
There are other, legitimate reasons to think maybe humans won't last very long, but, this certainly isn't one.
[+] [-] FpUser|3 years ago|reply
It is pretty delusional to claim knowledge of what is going to happen to us in this time frame be it one way or the other
[+] [-] lostfocus|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] timbit42|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] donkeydoug|3 years ago|reply