Humans have pondered over their existence for as long as written records exist, at least. Is this universe a figment of my imagination they wondered? Then Descartes decided ‘cogito ergo sum’ meaning I think, therefore I am in 1637. This heralded an age of reason, and our assumed authority over everything. Scientific American revisited the nature of being human on December 19, 2019
Climate Change is Altering the Nature of Being Human
Contributor Genevieve Guenther says climate change is teaching us we are not all-powerful. Therefore, we need to understand, and accept the limits of our planetary system. Then we need to arrange our worldview, and redistribute political and social power to enable a new order.
Genevieve recalls two great blows to our self-centered view of the nature of being human. These were Copernicus’ discovery that Earth orbits around Sun so we cannot be the center of Universe. And secondly, Darwin’s insight that all life, including human is the product of evolution. This teaches us if we cannot adapt to climate change, then we may become extinct.
New Evidence That Climate Is More Powerful Than We
Scientists at Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany have made a remarkable discovery. They believe our distant ancestor Homo Erectus (upright person) only died out 100,000 years ago as the last great ice age finally ended. This means the species lived longer than our Homo Sapiens (intelligent person) and was highly successful. And then they vanished when Earth became too warm.
The last remnants of Homo Erectus made a final stand on Java. They had crossed on land bridges from Africa across Asia until rising sea levels isolated them. The warming changed the open savanna to dense rain forest. They could no longer hunt for food and so their life’s candle flickered, and died.
The nature of successfully being human includes the ability to adapt to change, which Homo Erectus failed to do. Genevieve Guenther says if we do not adapt our worldview and our energy habits, then our Homo Sapiens could follow their Homo Erectus into oblivion.
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Preview Image: Face of Homo Erectus
