Chapter XXXII
1. Up to the end of the twentieth century evolution has dealt with biological processes and consequences only, but it won't necessarily always be that way;
2. Or perhaps more accurately, what we deem as processes and consequences of biological development may take on a wider interpretation.
3. The words Natural Evolutionary Consequence have a relative meaning; relative to a species' development and how much experience a species has in viewing other species.
4. What we view as a Natural Evolutionary Consequence now is considerably more limited than what we will view as a Natural Evolutionary Consequence in 50,000 years.
5. Our future is in space;
6. When discussing the possibility of life existing on other planets, the majority, as in over 99%, will still say IF, and feel very awkward if they don't add that little IF.
7. We can forget about UFO's altogether because it is equally possible that we've been visited as not, and even if we had, it is likely that far less than one percent of all reported sightings would be real;
8. And probably none of the pictures and videos of UFO's are real.
9. But the sheer size of the equation when calculating the possibility of life on other planets is such that it is one of those impossibilities.
10. There is no doubt.
11. There is other life in the Universe;
12. The form and relative development of that life is the only thing in question.
13. The Universe is so vast that even if life initialising was a billion to one shot, which it probably isn't, then there would still be more than a trillion other species evolving out there at any given time;
14. More than 100 trillion other species evolving out there at any given time, and then we consider just how old the Universe is and the continual birth of new Systems.
15. To consider IF in such a matter brands us as still being very primitive indeed.
16. We need to start using our minds and move beyond IF.
17. So after having ventured out into space and encountering dozens or even thousands of other intelligent species, what will be considered as a Natural Evolutionary Consequence?
18. For example, the intrusion of species from one continent to another and the subsequent damage they inflict is currently considered by most to be a consequence of something other than evolution.
19. It is considered so because it is largely through technology that such intrusions take place.
20. In 50,000 years when we have seen that a dozen other planet's dominant species experienced exactly the same thing, it will be considered a Natural Evolutionary Consequence.
21. Does this mean that we should be in a hurry to transfer species from one continent to another?
22. Obviously not, but when it does happen we shouldn't be in a hurry to use poisons or other artificial and potentially damaging methods to halt their incursion.
23. Where we draw the line on what may or may not be a Natural Evolutionary Consequence in the future, and attempting to affect it by violent means is not all that opaque in the real world.
24. Having said that, it is obviously a subject for debate, and when and where we exercise our God-like influence over the environment to change the fate of other species is something to be considered with greater regard than we gave it in the twentieth century.
25. One of the principle questions?
26. How do we decide that the extermination of fifty million individuals of a particular species is justified to save fifty thousand of another, or in some cases, only five hundred of another?
27. If you believe in evolution then we were once less advanced than any Ant or Worm running around today;
28. So, not absolutely (never absolutely to anything), but soul is either all or none, and if it is all, then there is considerably more meat on the bones of any such discussion.