Two years to the day.
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Thursday, April 7 2005 17:29
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Ants are several highly successful species. They've been around longer than we have and they'll probably outlast us. Sharks have been around longer too. What makes us more successful? —Alorael, who doesn't know all that much about dinosaurs. They definitely weren't one species, though, and he'd bet they weren't all one genus either. Maybe not even all the same family? They filled very different niches and the mass extinctions were the result of outside forces, not regular pressures. Yes, a catastrophic meteor strike could end human civilization, but that's not a commentary on human nature. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Thursday, April 7 2005 17:43
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Well, for one thing, the human species has a greater total biomass than any other species on Earth. Whether that counts as "success" is another matter. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5662
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written Friday, April 8 2005 09:36
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-actually there are several species with greater biomas than Man. one example is krill -all the peace agreements so far talk about autonomus(spelling?) territories, which later meant to become independent Posts: 38 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, April 8 2005 15:12
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Krill actually consists of several different species, although when people say "krill" they're usually thinking of the Antarctic krill in particular. Anyway, if we're talking about the Antarctic krill in particular, you may or may not be right. The human biomass is about 300 million metric tonnes, whereas Antarctic krill biomass is estimated as 100 to 800 million metric tonnes. In any case, we certainly beat every other land animal. [ Friday, April 08, 2005 15:19: Message edited by: Levitating Netherlander ] -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 11:50
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I've heard that over 200 genuses (that's probably not the correct plural :/) of dinosaurs have been discovered. Who knows how many families that is? The only thing that could totally wipe people out is the end of the Earth or possibly a giant asteroid impact. I doubt disease to overpopulation would do it. Maybe a good fraction, but certainly not all. [ Saturday, April 09, 2005 11:52: Message edited by: 1001011001000 ] -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5437
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 13:00
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I don't think disease would be end of our species. Between the ability to adapt and our technological capabilities we would likely endure. I would guess our end would be either making the Earth to toxic to sustain life before we could migrate to a new planet, or a colossal natural disaster. If success is measured by amount of time in existence humans are fairly low on the chain. One example would be Cockroaches. -------------------- Nena Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5662
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 16:05
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what about if we end up killing ourselves? the current climate circunstances indicate a great increase in average temperature in the next 100 years. that means changes in the global sea stream, which will cause constant natural floods, droughts, etc. and what would Men do in the face of this? probably fight for the remaining resources or hopefully not Posts: 38 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 16:32
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quote:Genera. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 17:32
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quote:Move to higher ground. :P Oh, and thanks Thuryl. I don't know how I could have forgotten that. :rolleyes: -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 19:43
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Humanity will survive forever. We can be devastated, but not destroyed; even against a giant meteor impact we'll have a few years' warning, easily enough time to high-tail it elsewhere with enough colonists to propagate the species and, with any hope, the civilization. If the sun started dying now, we'd have enough time to make it to the nearest remotely habitable planet outside its range on a generation ship, with the sum of human experience in a redundant mainframe. Someone like us, or a recorded voice forever floating out of human lips, will survive forever, fighting off the fire and the cold and the entropy, long after everything we have ever concieved of is dead and gone and pulverized into atoms floating in a lukewarm sea spanning the cosmos. It is the destiny of our race to dance on eternity's grave. In the meanwhile, let's talk Israel. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5437
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written Saturday, April 9 2005 19:51
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Humans feeling themselves to be immortal will likely be their end. -------------------- Nena Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Sunday, April 10 2005 13:13
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quote:Not necessarily. Not too long ago, an asteroids flew by between us and the moon and noone ever knew until a while after. And we've only discovered about 3/4 of all the NEOs (Near Earth Objects, or asteroids with an orbit that crosses Earth's) larger that 1km in diameter. That was beside the point though; I know. -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Sunday, April 10 2005 16:34
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quote:But we know about the 1/4 we haven't discovered? —Alorael, who understands that an object's existence can be detected before its location or specific composition is known. Still, that statement comes out a bit funny. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5662
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written Monday, April 11 2005 12:11
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i undertstand that in time, we may master each and every secret about the universe, although this seems unlikely, for every answer who obtain trough science raises another load of questions. but will that knowledge be enough if the universe starts collapsing, and eventually ends? Posts: 38 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5437
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written Monday, April 11 2005 14:08
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Every aspect of life waxes and wanes. There is birth, growth, and finally death. This happens to every natural thing in the universe. It happens to most species to make way for new ones. Why would humans be exempt from this cycle? In their era monkeys were the most advanced; who would guess humans would replace them? -------------------- Nena Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Monday, April 11 2005 16:18
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Which species before us has explored the whole world, quickly grown to 6 billion members, and participated in space travel? -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5437
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written Monday, April 11 2005 17:00
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True we are the most technologically advanced. This allows for overpopulation. Most species would die from things we easily prevent, but we are also the most destructive species in history. What other species have created toxic waste, cut down entire forests, or unbalanced the earth as much as we have? -------------------- Nena Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Monday, April 11 2005 17:12
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From the apparent dearth of alien civilizations I conclude that the universe is a dangerous place even for technologically advanced life forms, and that our odds of surviving for millions of years are probably low. Oh well. -------------------- It is not enough to discover how things seem to seem. We must discover how things really seem. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Monday, April 11 2005 18:50
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quote:I'm sure several bacteria have managed. Ants may have as well. I'm not sure a single species has explored the world, per se, but ants in general are everywhere, number well over 6 billlion, and have been in space. —Alorael, who likes ants. He figures he's better work on his relationship now so they'll take him in when the nuclear disaster strikes. He doesn't want to be stuck out in the cold like the proverbial grasshopper. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Monday, April 11 2005 19:11
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The human race couldn't be wiped out by overpopulation / undernutrition. Yes, large numbers of humans would die, but the species would continue. Same goes for a catastrophic plague or even a nuclear war - there are relatively few disasters so very big as to destroy the entire human race. Destroying a human being is trivial and destroying civilization is easier than most would prefer, but rendering the most stubborn, resourceful living species we know of extinct overnight is never going to happen. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Monday, April 11 2005 21:12
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quote:If there were a civilization in the system of Alpha Centauri, odds would be we wouldn't know it yet. And that is practically next door. So it's not that unlikely there are a lot of them, and not too far away. [ Monday, April 11, 2005 21:13: Message edited by: To gleam thereon by Elbereth ] -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, April 12 2005 02:53
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No, see: it won't be long at all before we'll be able to let any Centaurans know that we exist. So how likely is it that they are there, but happen to be no further advanced than we? If technological civilizations last many millions of years on average, so that we are just beginning, then it would be an incredible fluke that the Centaurans happened to be just as young. It would be like picking two random citizens and getting two newborns, only much more so. -------------------- It is not enough to discover how things seem to seem. We must discover how things really seem. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Tuesday, April 12 2005 03:13
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Of course, your argument assumes that intelligent life arising isn't a very rare event in the first place. If humanity is a unique or nearly unique example in the universe's history of intelligent life arising (as it may well be), then we can't really make any predictions about our future from the absence of other detectable civilisations. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, April 12 2005 04:36
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Yeah. Part of me likes the idea that intelligence is cosmically rare, so that humans can hope to expand far and long, without being eradicated by some even more aggressive species. But what a shame not to run into more aliens. Actually, galaxies are big enough (never mind the universe as a whole) for lots of middle ground. It could be that a typical starfaring species colonizes many hundreds of worlds before meeting another; the galaxy could still hold many hundreds of such species. But when you try to put in numbers, assuming a long lifetime for advanced civilizations always does make it problematic that we haven't yet met anyone. I believe it was Pauli who asked, about this, "Where is everybody?" -------------------- It is not enough to discover how things seem to seem. We must discover how things really seem. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Tuesday, April 12 2005 05:25
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quote:But here's the thing: humans lived as tribal hunter-gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years before we developed civilization. And humans weren't what Earth produced on its first try, either. We had to go through a bunch of mass extinctions to finally end up with humans. So there could be somewhat intelligent life, the way that dinosaurs were somewhat intelligent, or there could be highly intelligent life that hasn't developed technology yet, reasonably nearby but far enough away that we wouldn't be able to detect them. People do studies of what it took to develop life on Earth, though, and it took a whole host of fairly exact things. It seems likely that there is life on the bacterial scale elsewhere, and maybe even some small fish on a planet not so far away that it would be totally unreachable, but genuinely intelligent life near enough that we'd ever know about it seems unlikely, since there's nothing evolutionarily inevitable about intelligence. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
