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WhatCould Happen?
Adithya Kothandhapani
Consider these questions:1. Do you think that we, humans, are in any way special?2. Do we have special laws that ascertain our future?3. Do we have answers and proof to the previous questions?
 The Universe has been estimated to be in existence for, trusting the existingfigures, around fifteen billion years. The Earth itself is old enough to tell thestory of numerous epochs. The singular event of a species as ours is indeedmarvellous, compared to the simple-structured organisms of the past; butthis does not give any tell-tale indication of a finished product, or for thatmatter, an exemption from common events - such as mutation andextinction. Or does it?Are we the end product of millions (if not billions) of years of evolution - onthe Earth or elsewhere - just to strip ecosystems of their harmony? Do wehold a unique responsibility in shaping the Earth's future; more specifically,do we take charge from here? Whatever the answer, we are not in a positionto look for them, in rocks buried deep in the Earth or the deep reaches of ourrace's memory. The answers will eventually be found; till then, we can onlyspeculate.Darwin (if he's right) has given part of the answer already. As preached byhim, life forms come, and go. Only the hardiest survive and adapt continually. The horn on a rhino stays only for a few million years (that is considering therhino survives mass extinctions), and finally, either disappears, or ends up assomething more useful, like a filter for ingestion (which it may need in time tocome, seeing the pollutant-rich food it gets nowadays). Each species enjoying'domination' status has and will continue to leave an indelible mark upon theplanet, and in the bigger picture, an irrefutable footprint on Einstein's space-time graph-sheet.The emergence of a new species, in general, is fairly insignificant. But in thecase of our rise to power, there are some things that cannot be overlookedhowever impossible it may sound. For example, if everything is of consequence, an incident such the drastic reduction in mass of the Earthwould result in the following course of events:
 
 The Earth, now with a reduced mass, would not be able to maintain it'strajectory around the Sun. The planet would firstly, be subject to violentchanges in its axis, and hence wobble precariously. Next would come theblinding speed of rotation, causing the terrestrial forces to react chaotically,triggering a possible atmospheric collapse.Secondly, till a new (and stable) orbit is achieved, the planet would be underthe constant risk of colliding with the Moon, or if our luck runs out, Mars,Venus or any neighbouring planet in range.If you are wondering why I am discussing a seemingly far-fetched fate of ourdear planet, try estimating the tonnes of destructive power our governmentscommand at the press of a button. Look further and you can ascertain themaximum possible damage. The result would dwarf the very meaning of 'Holocaust'. In other words, the sequence of events mentioned in theprevious paragraph, is a looming possibility.So, our species does hold some importance, even if it regards reducing theEarth to a twin of the Asteroid Belt. Our future is in our very hands, or so itseems. Will we compose our own funeral tune, or will we disperse acrosslimitless Space and erect cities on alien soil? The current status of the spacearound us offers the following possible 'Ends':
1.
Man is the product of evolution, Intelligent Design, or whatever youbelieve. He has been around since antiquity, and will continue to do so, till heeventually runs out of luck on this planet. In his hands, lies the future of thesurrounding environment - free for him to manipulate to either end.
2.
Man is not the final product of evolution. He will undergo variable mutationand through natural selection, some races are sustained, and others wipedout. His mutations will allow him to adapt physiologically to the changingconditions on Earth.
3.
An existing species would evolve at a more rapid rate, thus posing a threatto our domination of the Earth (though it would have to be able to multiply ata considerable rate). Either sentient or not, through brute force or sheerpsychological supremacy, this species would contend for resources and strikeat our weaknesses, thus usurping us from our position of power. This 'newand improved' species may be brought about by Nature's gradual anddevious methods or by ourselves in those hellish sites of experimentation.
4.
As in science-fiction, "an alien race, from far out in Space" could invade,destroy, colonize or even breed amongst us. (The SETI scientists would bepleased. At least all those funds will be accounted for.)
5.
The human race dies out due to uncontrolled exploitation of limited andessential resources. The ongoing crises may never be resolved and thus
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