The one factor all human civilizations have in frequent is that they finish. For about 10,000 years, this has been the frequent issue.
You may argue that civilizations have a tendency to not final very lengthy as soon as they attain a sure stage of know-how. After they get to the purpose the place they might ship probes throughout the galaxy, or talk on the pace of sunshine, they do not final lengthy at this level. You have made numerous technological advances, and with one thing like nuclear weapons or local weather change, you are beginning to affect a planet as a complete. And when you get there, unhealthy issues begin to occur.
With nuclear weapons, we might actually annihilate ourselves. And with the local weather, near the worst-case eventualities, if we proceed as we do, civilization will collapse. Giant components of the Earth will likely be uninhabitable. There are folks round now who’re going to expertise a really completely different Earth. Whether or not they’re nonetheless alive, which within the case of nuclear in all probability will not be.
The entropy of the universe implies that it will get an increasing number of disordered over lengthy durations of time. However for civilization on Earth, it is not a lot entropy as collapse.
It isn’t a gradual course of. Entropy does its job – it wins ultimately. However the time scales which can be related for these processes, the bodily time scales are very lengthy. And what we’re speaking about right here may be very quick.
For nuclear proper now, if somebody – Biden or Putin – decides sufficient is sufficient, one particular person, an individual resolve, that is all. They will push a button. The best way the whole lot is structured, there is no method to undo that, and it is achieved. In half-hour we had been achieved. An individual. What sort of civilization places this in place, in order that one particular person can wipe out everybody and wipe out your entire planet? All the pieces, all dwelling beings, the whole lot. It is a bit completely different from entropy and historic development.
I am not attempting to be miserable. It is a wonderful day right here in Chicago. It is simply very simple to get discouraged. After which you are going to work on black holes, and it is uplifting in a really bizarre approach. They’re lovely. So does the truth that we as a species can sit right here and ponder the age of the universe.
There appears to be a form of creeping nihilism, as a result of there’s a lot past our management as people. I attempted to shoot my very own model as constructive nihilism. I’m very depressed by our planetary occasions. However desirous about the bigger universe, there’s, I believe, a sure magnificence in realizing our insignificance. I believe the issue is the temptation to surrender – you develop into complacent.
I do know precisely what you are speaking about, as a result of I positively do the identical factor. It is really easy to get discouraged. I’ve this comfort that it does not matter. It is nearly like I need not take it so personally. The universe goes to be advantageous.
However the planet actually wants folks to become involved, that is clear. And it will not occur from enlightened politicians until everybody begins pushing for it. We want enlightened politicians, we’d like enlightened enterprise leaders. However we additionally want an enlightened citizenship that merely says: Sufficient is sufficient. We will see what is occurring to the planet now. That is what scientists mentioned would occur — and so they inform us it is simply going to worsen. It isn’t okay.
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