Human Life: Immortals Or Temporary Visitors
by admin on | 2024-09-03 17:51:06 Last Updated by admin on2024-12-26 22:32:13
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HUMAN LIFE- IMMORTAL OR TEMPORARY VISITORS
Are humans here on the earth temporary visitors or immortals? There are many arguments to shatter that facade of the immortality… or can we really be immortal?
DEATH: ULTIMATE REALITY?
Pamu: Hey Viru, How are you doing?
Viru: Hey hi... I am doing great. But what about you?
Pamu: I am also doing well.
Viru: So, what is today’s hot topic of discussion?
Pamu: I don’t know if it is hot. But it is very serious.
Viru: Serious topic, ha? Then tell me about that serious topic. Let me see if it is serious.
Pamu: I don’t know what your perspective would be about it. But from my perspective, it is very serious. Ever since I thought about it, I have become anxious about the future of humanity.
Viru: Oh, that... then it must be very serious, even from my perspective. Despite that, you tell me about the topic so that I can make my judgment about it. In the past, many so- called serious topics have proved not as serious as you made them appear to be.
Pamu: So you think I am a fool, and I do not even lack the ability to make a difference between Serious and frivolous topics. Is that so?
Viru: Why would I think so? And how would you know what I think about you?
Pamu: I can tell that from the way you are talking.
Viru: So you are judging my thoughts about you from your thinking pattern, which results from your interpretation of the way I am talking. I do not think that it is justified. Let me clarify to you that I consider you to be no fool but a curious and highly sane person who dares to ask questions and pursue the Answers to such questions. It requires courage and patience. You have those great qualities.
Pamu: So what? I enjoy pursuing my curiosity.
Viru: That is the main reason I consider you a wise person.
Pamu: Thanks for that. Now, I think we should end this debate and move on to our central topic of discussion.
Viru: Ha, that is right. We should move to the central topic. Then, tell me what you want to discuss that is disturbing you.
“Dinosaurs were reduced to the
pages of history, and nature once
again emerged the ultimate victor…”
Pamu: Yesterday, I came to know about the mass extinctions that have taken place here on our planet. Most of the species present during those times were wiped out in those mass extinctions. I heard about the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago. The meteor struck the earth in the Gulf of Mexico and it began the mass extinction.
Viru: Yes, the strike of a meteor in the Gulf of Mexico began the 5th major mass extinction, which reduced the once proud species of their prowess, the so-called dinosaurs, to ashes. They were reduced to the pages of history, and nature once again emerged the ultimate victor.
Pamu: That struck me to the very core….
Viru: Why? Rather, I believe it was a natural phenomenon on which we cannot or have no moral power to comment. Also, had they not died, how would we have come into existence?
DEATH OF HUMANITY: POSSIBLE?
Pamu: Ha, certainly. You are right. But does the non-existence of other species like dinosaurs make us any safer? Don’t you think the same can happen now at this moment?
Something surprisingly unknown to us might happen, and we would be out of existence in a moment. And I do not think, despite all the technological advances that we have made, we can tackle natural hazards effectively. Such hazards may include earthquake, volcanoes and so on.
“Yes, we are not sure about our future.
It is highly uncertain and complex.
There are many threats to our existence.
Such threats can strike us any moment….”
Viru: Yes, you are right. Now, I understand what your concern is. You are worried about our future. We are likely to be wiped out by such a natural calamity, as happened with earlier creatures that dominated the planet.
Pamu: Yes, that is right. Are you not concerned? Nobody knows how long we will be able to survive. We may die even today or tomorrow, or we may survive or even thrive, while continuing our expansion to other planets, thus we may very well end up dominating the universe or even further.
Viru: Yes, we are not sure about our future. It is highly uncertain and complex. There are many threats to our existence. Such threats can strike us any moment, thus ending our very existence. Just like the covid-19 pandemic. Right?
Pamu: Ha, that is the cause my worry.
THREATS: MANY OR NONE?
Viru: We can best prepare. Getting worried is futile… Let us discuss those threats.
Pamu: Ha, then let’s discuss the threats. Let us know the threats so that we can discuss them and try to find a solution so that we can ensure our possible survival.
Viru: You are right. We should have every possible knowledge of all the possible threats so that we can at least try to tackle them. Let’s discuss.
Pamu: Then tell me about all the threats that are present to our existence.
Viru: There are many types of threats to our existence. I will tell you about them. I cannot go in-depth at this point because of the paucity of time. We will discuss them sometime later. We will touch upon them so that you will have an idea about those threats.
Pamu: It would be fine with me.
Viru: Great, then let’s start. The first threat, as you mentioned, became the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Pamu: OK, the collision of the meteor on the earth.
Viru: Yes, exactly. It is still as much a threat to our existence as it was to dinosaurs.
Pamu: OK, so it has not yet subsided. Tell me about other threats.
“Anyway, one thing I can tell you
is that I do not know whether we will survive.
But one good thing seem to be probable
that life will come back after some time….”
Viru: There are several nature-led and anthropogenic or human- led threats. In nature-based threats like meteor strikes, lava eruptions can also lead to mass extinction. Also, any other global anomalies like massive floods, drastic changes in temperature because of several reasons, massive earthquakes, acid rains for a long duration, pandemics at the global scale, a lethal gamma-ray burst, a geomagnetic storm destroying electronic equipment, natural long- term climate change, hostile extra-terrestrial life, or the predictable Sun transforming into a red giant star engulfing the Earth. These are some natural threats that our earth has witnessed in the past with differing intensity and reach, or, if not witnessed, may witness in the future. There may be still may be many unknown or hidden from us. Or maybe known but we may not be understanding its potential to destroy us.
Pamu: So they have the potential to push us towards extinction.
Viru: There are more threats to come. They may not be near-term threats, but certainly, they are existential threats.
Pamu: Really? What are they?
Viru: As I mentioned earlier, exhaustion of the sun’s fuel leads to its death. Also, the explosion of the sun may devour the earth. Then there is the theory of the big rip, according to which the universe could tear itself apart later in the future. As per the theory, everything, including galaxies and atoms, will tear apart.
Pamu: What are you saying? Rip apart. These are threats on a much bigger scale than what I thought of as threats to us.
Viru: Yes, they are, but hopefully not in the near term. There is another threat or extinction prediction theory called a big crunch, according to which the expansion of the universe will reverse, and it will collapse into itself and turn itself into the biggest ever black hole. It will prove the end of everything.
Pamu: You are telling me so many threats to our existence that I am getting terrified. Is there any hope for humanity to continue to survive?
Viru: I have not told you about the anthropogenic threats yet. Anyway, one thing I can tell you is that I do not know whether we will survive. But one good thing seem to be probable that life will come back after some time.
Pamu: So life will continue.
Viru: Ha, in instances where the earth is not destroyed, life will continue. Even that is mere speculation. I cannot say with assurance about life.
ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS
Pamu: So then we are merely temporary visitors here.
Viru: Yes, you can say that. Life is temporary.
Pamu: What can I say? Anyway, you were talking about anthropogenic threats. Tell me those threats as well, so that I can know what dangers we are facing.
Viru: There are many. We may likely be killed by ourselves alone. Nature will find no need to interfere.
"Viru: Yes, the threat is very much real.
We need to prepare for the doomsday scenario.
Pamu: Doomsday? Directly… So it
means there are no solutions to tackle all these threats...."
Pamu: Tell me about those threats.
Viru: Like, there is the threat of a catastrophic nuclear war. Then there are threats due to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and others.
Pamu: A threat because of technology, really?
Viru: Yes, because of technology. For instance, misuse of biotechnology will lead to a human-developed pandemic, which may very well end our species. Similarly, threats from other technological advances are well-known and documented.
Pamu: Ha. Like, there are several movies I have seen about the threat of robots.
Viru: Ha, there are many. Now, to further exacerbate the situation, we have a new threat called climate change, which is mostly caused by human activities. It also poses a great threat to our lives. Also, there is the threat of a nuclear war.
Pamu: That threat is very real considering the ongoing conflicts in the world.
Viru: Yes, the threat is very much real. We need to prepare for the doomsday scenario.
Pamu: Doomsday? Directly… So it means there are no solutions to tackle all these threats.
Viru: No, I cannot say that. We need to explore them. We cannot afford to miss any opportunity to save ourselves from these threats.
Pamu: Then tell me.
Viru: Wait, we will discuss them later. First, you study these issues. And keep in mind that our lives are temporary. Death is certain. So we should try to find meaning in our lives rather than cry over their ephemeral existence.
Pamu: How can one do that in the face of so many threats?
Viru: If you cannot, then you will live in misery. You should learn the art of living, and that too means living to the fullest.
Pamu: I need to learn that. I think here you have to help me.
Viru: Ha, I will try. But that we will discuss afterwards; till then, we should take a break.
Pamu: OK. Hopefully, we will discuss that sooner.
Viru: Sure.
Pamu: OK, then see you.
Viru: See you.
