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Old February 24th 17, 01:15 AM posted to sci.astro.amateur
Chris L Peterson
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Default Planet near Proxima Centauri (Travel time)

On Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:08:54 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Yes. Basically, they both ignore the fact that humans have a built-in
aversion to self-destruction else there wouldn't be any humans.


On an individual level, yes. As a species? Not apparent.

In this forum, I challenge those who don't believe in AGW because they
are factually wrong and making pseudoscientific claims in a science
forum. It has nothing to do with the survival of our species, and
everything to do with the problems created by the science denialism
and the inability to use reason and critical thinking.

So it's not "irrelevant" anymore? :-)


It is entirely irrelevant to the original topic. But Gary, and now
you, have shifted to something completely different, which is what I
responded to.


I don't think it is different. If one believes that the human race is
slated for extinction, why worry about AGW? Is it because it may affect
you personally before you "shrug off this mortal coil"?


Same question. If you believe you're going to die, why worry about
anything?

But I fail to understand why the inevitability of my personal death and
of the extinction of the human species in any way alters the meaning I
create for my own life while I am living it.


Have you ever experienced existential angst?


No.

I fail to understand the reasoning that our lives only have meaning if
we are somehow individually immortal.


I can certainly understand the pride in the human race as expressed by
Heinlein, particularly in "Starship Troopers." But you don't seem to
even have that. That's why I'm wondering. What "meaning" do you create?
What keeps you from experiencing existential angst?


Why would I have pride in my species? That makes no sense to me. I can
only take pride in things of my own making. I create my own meaning in
terms of my experiences, my friends and family, the knowledge I
discover, the knowledge I pass on. I can't understand how a person
would not find such things give meaning to their lives.

Indeed, if I required some sort of afterlife or some kind of external
judgment, then I'd consider things meaningless.