I just watched the documentary Life after People from the History Channel. It was a very interesting idea. Their concept was to document the progression of the planet if humanity suddenly disappeared. The music and voice-over give it a distinctly creepy feel; which sort of makes sense given that it is discussing the planet without us. The most interesting part about it though is watching some of the scientists they interview. Their glee at how earth would restore itself when we are gone emanates from the screen. It is unsurprising, especially in the case of the Greenpeace scientist they interview. It is weird though, because if sentience is extinguished from the universe does it really matter if life goes on?
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I started (read, stopped) reading a book last year called “The world without Us” which dealt with the exact premise of the show…creepy doesn’t begin to describe it. The Earth would wipe itself clean of us, in less time than the Cold War.
But as for sentience being extinguished from the universe? Are we alone now? Universe is a big place Liam, and much of it is far older than our little corner…and who’s to say another dominant species won’t rise up? Insects, capable of controlled mutations, might develop a new strain of group sentience..if they haven’t already. Dolphins, although anatomically impaired are also quite a bit smarter than we think…during the stone age, if you were an alien looking to meet the highest form of intelligence on the planet, you would’ve been talking to whales, those silly mammals that returned to the waters after coming out.
Either way dude…don’t worry about. Just been green and don’t give those Greenpeacers the satisfaction of dying in an ecological apocalypse.
Cheers Dude.