(no subject)
just came across an utterly depressing thought
north polar ice cap = depleted, gone this summer
250 mya, 90% of all species went extinct
called it The Great Dying
took 4 million years for continental ecology to come back
we are not heading to that extreme of an event
maybe not even K-T bad
though that was extraterrestrial impact
then I wasn't depressed
even after the 4 million years, even after the 90%
we got the mesozoic
dinosaurs
pterosaurs
synapsids
and most of the orders of insects
after K-T
we got the Tertiary
birds
mammals
this has happened before
my decision: preserve biological and cultural heritage
expect high tolls on species and humanity
wait out the next million or two years
watch for something amazing to happen
because it will
because humans in our arrogance are a blip on the cosmic scale
even on this planet
Sagan agrees.
He says, Our notions of the Cosmos and deep time
are so feeble and provincial
life is an unbroken thread and has stood worse
we are but a minor player on the cosmic stage
in our arrogance and self importance we imagine ourselves greater
than specks on a pale blue dot suspended in a sunbeam
which we know to be reality
north polar ice cap = depleted, gone this summer
250 mya, 90% of all species went extinct
called it The Great Dying
took 4 million years for continental ecology to come back
we are not heading to that extreme of an event
maybe not even K-T bad
though that was extraterrestrial impact
then I wasn't depressed
even after the 4 million years, even after the 90%
we got the mesozoic
dinosaurs
pterosaurs
synapsids
and most of the orders of insects
after K-T
we got the Tertiary
birds
mammals
this has happened before
my decision: preserve biological and cultural heritage
expect high tolls on species and humanity
wait out the next million or two years
watch for something amazing to happen
because it will
because humans in our arrogance are a blip on the cosmic scale
even on this planet
Sagan agrees.
He says, Our notions of the Cosmos and deep time
are so feeble and provincial
life is an unbroken thread and has stood worse
we are but a minor player on the cosmic stage
in our arrogance and self importance we imagine ourselves greater
than specks on a pale blue dot suspended in a sunbeam
which we know to be reality