"On this
planet, extinction is the norm – of the 4 billion species ever thought
to have evolved, 99% have become extinct. In particular, five times in
this past 500 million years the steady background rate of extinction has
shot up for a period of time."
Nietzsche's reflection on this undermines anthropocentrism and our "gift" of reason:
"In
some remote corner of the universe, poured out and glittering in
innumerable solar systems, there once was a star on which clever
animals invented knowledge. That was the highest and most mendacious
minute of 'world history'—yet only a minute. After nature had drawn a
few breaths the star grew cold, and the clever animals had to die."
Other animals will survive...some animals. They will have the last laugh. Martin Rees, Britain's Royal Astronomer and former president of the Royal Society puts the odds at 50% that humanity will survive beyond 2100.
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