The Cosmic Responsibility of Humankind: Our Place in the Universe
The human condition is rife with paradoxes. On one hand, we laud ourselves for our ingenuity and capability. On the other, we’re submerged in a deep-seated guilt over the impact our existence has had on our planet. The self-loathing we experience is profound. The scars we’ve inflicted upon the environment — climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and more — serve as a testament to our perceived malevolence.
For some, the remedy appears uncomplicated: shrink our ecological footprint, restore the natural world to its former glory, and embrace an existence defined by simplicity and reverence for nature. However, the problem, and the solution, is more complex than that.
The mindset that we are simply temporary passengers on this planet, just waiting for our imminent demise, is detrimental. Such a limited scope undermines our potential and ignores the vast cosmic stage we are part of. If the universe’s timeline was condensed into a 24-hour day, our existence would be but a fleeting second.
The pessimists among us assert that our purpose here is small and inconsequential. They believe that we’re nothing more than a mistake, an unfortunate side effect of evolution. However, this perspective neglects to recognize the vast potential that human existence brings to the universe.
Contrary to this belief, humanity might be nature’s ultimate achievement. We could very well be the embodiment of nature’s desire to break free from the confines of a singular planet. Every piece of our evolutionary journey, from our cognitive development to our technological advancements, could be a part of a larger design. A design aimed at ensuring not just the survival of life on Earth, but the proliferation of life throughout the cosmos.
The very fact that humans have advanced to a point where we’ve contemplated space exploration signifies the potential for life to exist beyond the boundaries of Earth. But if we don’t act on this potential, we risk not only our own extinction but that of all life as we know it.
Simplistic, romanticized notions of returning to pre-industrialized times are not only unrealistic but also detrimental to the bigger picture. While these ideas come from a place of concern for our planet, they inadvertently condemn all terrestrial life to the eventual cataclysms the universe has in store. It’s imperative to understand that, without intervention, our planet’s expiration date is set.
It’s arrogant to think that our role is just to exist in harmony with nature without a greater purpose. The universe seems to have provided us with a choice. With our current technological capabilities, we have the means to either save all life or obliterate it. The tools for salvation or destruction are in our hands.
The path forward isn’t merely about conservation for the sake of feeling good or atoning for our past mistakes. It’s about harnessing our abilities to cultivate a better future for all life. It involves understanding our place in the grand tapestry of existence and recognizing our potential to shape the fate of life itself.
Our purpose isn’t to recede into the shadows, hoping to leave as little trace of our existence as possible. Nor is it to blindly consume and expand without thought for the consequences. Instead, we must strike a balance, understanding that our duty is to both cherish the life on our planet and seek out new horizons. We are the stewards of life, entrusted with the task of ensuring its survival against the unpredictable nature of the cosmos.
In essence, our mission is clear. We must continue to protect our planet, nurture its biodiversity, and care for its ecosystems. At the same time, we should look upwards, toward the vast expanse of the universe, and prepare for the journey that awaits. Only by doing so can we truly fulfill our role as nature’s chosen ones, destined to carry the torch of life beyond the confines of our blue planet, ensuring its legacy for trillions of years to come.
Given all of the challenges we are facing, most humans on this planet cannot see past a couple decades’ time, focusing on « micro » goals such as saving the polar bears or the rainforest. However, if humans fail to develop the means to leave this planet in a perennial way, then humans will have transformed this planet into a giant concentration camp, and condemned all life to a certain death from one or another cosmic whim: an asteroid falling from the sky, “natural” climate change, the reversal of magnetic poles, a massive coronal ejection from our sun in the exact direction of Earth, or ultimately, via the death of our sun, in some 5 billion years, as it swallows our planet and all life with it, going super nova.
You might think that 5 billion years of life thriving is a good thing, but that’s due to humanity’s inability to project themselves into the future. The universe is 14 billion years old. Life appeared on this planet 4 billion years ago. Before the very last star in the universe dies, and the universe undergoes a heat death, the universe has trillions upon trillions upon trillions of years ahead of itself. Imagine all of the potential species that could exist if humanity manages to spread life throughout the solar system and eventually, the galaxy, the variety of plants, animals and insects. Our role is to transform the universe into a giant Garden of Eden where life can thrive and expand.
But to do so, we first need to overcome our self-loathing and self-flagellation, to rekindle with the purpose we serve. When we look at nature, we readily recognize its innate wisdom in the patterns and designs of all it has created. And yet, when looking at the way humanity has developed, we have nothing but criticism. If humans were truly meant to be “nice” to animals and tend to their gardens, then we could have all stayed naked in the Garden of Eden, no need to go through all of the painful experiences such as industrialization or globalization, and create a gigantic global technologically advanced civilization. The only question is whether we will use it as intended, or not.
Let me finish with a fair warning. If humans fail to serve the purpose they were designed for, mother Earth will get rid of us, pushing us out of her cosmic womb like a still-born baby. We only have two choices: serve our role by forming a collective global planetary organism which protects life and develops the means to leave this planet, or die. And sure, we will have to outgrow capitalism in order to prevent humans spreading throughout the galaxy like a cancer, but not via “degrowth” which is equivalent to a baby curling up inside its mothers’ womb, attempting at reaching a form of “stasis” because it feels guilty for affecting its mothers’ intra-uterine environment by peeing too much.
Staring directly into infinity is what it takes to be human.
