Our Role in the Universe

The pulse of the universe is an endless cycle of creation and destruction as vast energy by its very nature never stands still and will always change form. In this universe, immortality does not even exist for atoms. We know earth itself will cease to exist one day. Whether or not our descendents can survive beyond earth is still an open question.

How do we fit into this midst and how should we consider our place in this mix. We measure our life in seconds and years. For events in the universe, time is relative and a billion years will pass with concomitant large scale changes in planets and galaxies.

I will begin this exploratory quest for our role and place by considering the meaning for all other creatures that have not reached the cognitive stage to ponder the meaning of life. For them, the picture below tells it all.

Creatures exist to propagate and evolve as nature permits. Animals must try to nurture their young until they are no longer needed and plants must produce seed to provide renewed growth. To be alive is to reproduce and evolve.

What happens over time is that one or more living thing will evolve towards enough intelligence to ponder the universe. In this view, all lesser evolved life forms may be at the mercy of the dominant one. Other species may be in more danger of extinction.

The current fittest if it survives the destruction of the solar system may surround itself with new life forms to sustain itself. Also if human descendents survive beyond the solar system, they may be in competition with other intelligent life forms for survival.

Our life and afterlife existence is part of the evolutionary process that may apply to other evolved creatures in the universe as well.

There may be a civilization that found the secret to what is currently just dark energy to us, They may be able to intelligently communicate with spirits to coordinate their power or ability to influence the material world to enhance survival in a hostile universe. Survival is the driving force of living things.

In the present we have no idea of the future fate of the human race. As such, we should fulfill our role as nature intends, to nurture our offspring to make them competitive in this grand game. While doing so, we should enjoy the wonder of life in the brief time that it is granted to us.