Extinction is the rule.

[xelasnave]

We are confined to our time so it is difficult to embrace the notion that the rule of "nature" is extinction as presented through out history.
We have been here for such a short time and many think we wont be here much longer.
Is it conceivable that we could be the exception to the rule or are we well on the way to being just another specicies who came and went... could we be here until the Sun goes red giant, could we be the first species (as far as we know) to move to higher ground given our ability to leave the planet...
What is our future...?
alex:):):)

[jjjnettie]

I see the diaspora of the human species as inevitable.
If we manage to to survive long enough to develop the technology needed.

[renormalised]

We will be here, in one form or another, for a very long time.

But our tenure on this planet is only limited to the next 1-1.5 billion years. By then, the Earth will have become unable to support life as it is presently. Some form of microbial life may last the next few billion years, but once the Sun becomes a red giant, that's it.

[JimmyH155]

What a pity if we die out soon.... My son says that one day (thanks to natural selection) orang utangs will be making space ships:lol:
Hope we're still here to see that:)

[Ric]

The first rule of survival is that we have to learn to live together in peace and harmony.

Once we've achieved that then we can start working together and building those spaceships to get us off-world.

Sadly at the moment it's still a utopian vision.

Cheers

[FredSnerd]

I dont know Jimmy. I reckon the seat designs might no be too comfortable for we humans (if indeed they would have seats) and dont even get me started on the inflight menu.

[JimmyH155]

That's easy, Fred. Its got to be BANANAS all the way down:lol::lol:

[dugnsuz]

God must have put us on an ultimately doomed garden of Eden for a reason!!!!:question:
Cosmic annihilation must be part of the grand plan!? :question::question:

As for the orang utans...
"Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!:P
Oops wrong thread!

[Allan_L]

LOL:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[KenGee]

Alex around 5 million years, is the average time in the spot light. however some hang around unchanged for much longer i think man will been in the later camp....no telling how many other species time we will cut sort however.

[scopemankit]

If ourang outangs make spaceships, the will travel veeeery slooowly!!

[michaellxv]

We are here for the long haul. I don't believe we are actually stupid enough to detroy ourselves. We are also very resiliant, look at some of the harsh conditions in which humans do survive.

[dugnsuz]

Nah, Michael - we are smart enough to protect ourselves within those harsh conditions. But, if those harsh conditions become harder over more prolonged periods I think we would find it much harder to survive. We're pretty damn soft when it comes to the crunch - hypothermia in the cold and dehydration in the heat! I believe we over-estimate our longevity given the detrimental biological aspects of global warming effects such as those on krill, bees etc - seems to indicate nasty things happening to essential food chains, all which lead to the top...us!
Prophet of doom aren't I!!?? I think this stuff will happen over very long (maybe not quite geological) timescales - but, I do believe it's a road we're on though.
Carpe Diem
Doug

[michaellxv]

you may be right, but we won't go down without a fight.

[dugnsuz]

Agreed:)

[KenGee]

No people we will go out with a whimper, replace before we even know it by homo superious.

Evolution it happens and nothing stops it.