We humans have had a good run, haven't we?
It takes a long time to kill something strong--Sears still has nine stores left, even though it's been dying for 50 years (since before e-commerce!)
As for we humans, #COVID19 continues to mutate, bird flu is gaining traction, global warming is accelerating, billionaires are threatening democracy to increase their wealth, nationalism is rising, and Russia expanded its bioweapon labs. I wonder how long we have--it could be centuries, but maybe not.
@augieray I don't think human beings are equipped for long term survival, males especially.
@augieray
It could be centuries, in some form. But I believe we are guaranteed to see a collapse of society within the next two generations. Whatever the timescale, in the broad scale of things, overshoot is happening now.
I don't believe at all that means we shouldn't do anything about it; trying to arrest the rate of change is always worth the effort. But I think it's wise to be realistic before you can be genuinely optimistic about the adaptability and survivability of our species.
Always the possibility of another dinosaur killer asteroid….
We are not the most long lived species in Earth history at circa 3m years compared to 180m for the dinosaurs, or 50m for crocodiles. A good run in many ways, but we are victims of our own success.
The 7th great extinction is likely to be of humans.
@augieray
I think it’s likely some mass extinction event will happen before 2050. Drought, famine, weather, all the above.
I think by the 22nd century, earth’s population will be reduced to about <100 million hunter gatherers, if we survive at all.
I'm feeling optimistic, I think we're on the cusp of change. Perhaps now is just when the stupid and violent die off and those who are smart enough to mask and protect themselves and peaceful enough to coexist and adapt to the changing world will survive.
The meek will inherit the earth?
@darwinwoodka @augieray The Renaissance was a direct result of this.