OK, all that having been said, I do think that humans have a function to perform for the world. I think that the biosphere, while fairly robust in many ways, is also fragile to the extent that the planet could be sterilized by a cosmic catastrophe of a sufficiently devastaing nature. There have been several mass extinctions over the past 4.5 billion years, some of which nearly wiped out all the life on Earth. After each of these extinction episodes, the remaining species underwent accelerated evolution, recolonizing the newly vacated ecological niches, so that life didn't merely survive, but actually thrived. Each time, the species that remained were of a "higher" order than after previous extinctions. This process has continued until, at last, a form of life has evolved that is able to extend the biosphere of the Earth to extraterrestrial locations, either other planets or artificial habitats. This means that, if humans can spread the biosphere far enough, then it will be much less likely that a single catastrophe will wipe out our form of life.
I don't think this has in any way been guided by any sentient mind, it's just a natural process that may well happen with any inhabited planet, perhaps similar to the way an ant colony will ensure it's genetic survival by colonizing other regions.
I see the Earth as an egg, or a seed.
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The need for critical thinking is becoming critical, I'm thinking.
"If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal."
Carl Sagan
"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt."
Clarence Darrow( 1857-1938) American Lawyer |