P/O

I was called the P-word a few days ago. I found it rankling. That is, I would have found it rankling if the other guy hadn't been completely, totally, scientifically wrong in what he was saying. As it was, I was still a bit bristly from the name calling, which is a sign that I am in fact a P.

I suppose I didn't help matters by then blogging a short science fiction narrative that some people were sure to think of as a pessimistic assessment of humanity. It was intended to be a piece of hope: that maybe even in the darkest of scenarios humanity will accomplish something truly unique among the countless species that have ever graced the earth. Something truly special beyond emitting electro-magnetic radiation far off into space and beyond creating indestructible polymers that end up in landfills.

Let's suppose humanity does make it to another planet and that as a species we eventually go extinct, both here on Earth and on Earth 2, but that we successfully seed Earth 2 with life, enough for the planet to begin cranking through its own forked evolution process. Is this not a noble and consequential accomplishment? I'd like to think we humans will accomplish even more than this, more than seeding N planets, that we'll advance to challenge our current understanding of thermodynamics and the very nature of the universe, but that's all science fiction for now.

I don't consider myself a pessimist. I'm simply not wrapped up in many of the same short-sighted valuation assumptions that other people take for granted. But neither do I consider myself to be an optimist. I'll tend towards optimism when I'm around pessimists, and I'll tend towards pessimism when I'm around optimists. Really, I just don't like agreement. People are generally stupid when in agreement with one another and brilliant otherwise. Why be stupid? Why be comfortable?

Everyone has their own fears about the aging process. One of mine is losing contact with people who will continue to challenge my own assumptions about things. All things. And shame on me for ever turning my back on them.