person is completely detached from the intellectual universe. Personally, I am more alive in the intellectual universe than in the physical universe. What I find most fascinating about the whole process is how this Continuous Creation does not allow anything to be eliminated. Even the tiniest of atoms never disappears - not only that, but it also seems to have a place and a role to play in this infinite wonder called existence. Moreover, no matter how this atom is recreated or reinvented and no matter to what powerful or forceful phenomenon it is subjected to, it always manages to make a comeback of some sort. It is never obliterated or put to an end for there is no end and nor is there a void. If this is the condition of a tiny little particle, why should the fate of non-particle or our own life be any different? We may die but depending on how we view death, we may be in fact going through a phase of a new living experience. This is true particularly when we consider the Continuous Creation we are part of to be in a way the anti-void. We may not like what is happening, we may not appreciate how life tends to perplex us, yet we have no choice but to accept our fate.
In the same sense, every species can be immortal in flesh and blood. The individual being may die and become forgotten, however, in theory the species itself and to a greater extend life, can go on forever - at least in theory. May be this can explain why it seems so natural for us as a species to aim for immortality. Other species may also be destined for immortality. It could very well be that ours only happened to be equipped differently to go about it. For many reasons it appears to me that over the years, the methods we have developed to survive were by far more advanced than those of any life forms known to us.
Despite all the follies committed in the past we have still managed to attain remarkable levels of technology and acquire impressive wealth of knowledge to the point where we appear to be the only species on earth that is able to populate other planets - theoretically at least. It seems to me that somehow we can intuitively tell that this planet could turn hostile and inhospitable one day or even disintegrate with the rest of the solar system in the distant future. Planning ahead to survive against such an eventuality is taking place right now, even though we are not aware of it. But this is not so unusual about us or about any other species for that matter. We don’t know what is happening to us until our brain is completely developed, yet that does not stop us from evolving from tiny little eggs into intelligent beings. Our interest in the cosmos does not really make much sense unless it’s somewhat related to the species quest for immortality. Right now we are in no position to understand the significance of inter- space discoveries but our subconscious - which functions in a similar fashion to the memories stored in a microchip - knows what lies ahead. This microchip of ours is embedded in our subconscious mind - unlike anything else that helps us survive on a daily basis - it only directs our energy toward surviving beyond the confine of one planet or one solar system or even one universe. We all want to live longer for a reason. On earth it does not mean much to extend our longevity to one hundred years, but when it comes to space traveling, being able to live a few extra years or better yet a few extra decades can be translated into billions of extra trekked miles. These figures could even increase many folds if life expectancy were to reach two hundred years - as some scientists have been predicting. Aside from gaining time, there are other advantages. Growing old means growing wiser and more knowledgeable. Unlike other species, our survival does not depend solely on physical strength. In most cases, it is our brain power that saves the day. We should not feel embarrassed to use every mean available to us to extend our longevity. Physically, we can count on medical science to discover cures for the diseases that bring us premature death. However, to maintain a high interest in a long life, we also need the psychological components which include, among others, the spiritual uplift and the emotional satisfaction. This is where again arts and entertainment kick in to keep us happy and therefore longing to stay alive -the reason for my earlier comments about given arts the same credit given to science and technology in increasing our longevity. Arts, sports and entertainment are among the activities that help us stave off depression and thus maintain our desire to stay alive. The bottom line is that if we want to live longer, we should make ourselves aware of this reality and take advantage of it as much as we can.
You may or may not agree with any of the foregoing explanations and you may not get impressed with any of the forthcoming ones. However, this should not undermine the main point of our discussion which is to say that only by understanding who we are would we be able to improve our chances of survival - if not turn our human experience into a wonderful celebration of life. The first thing to realize is that in principle we have been programmed to ensure the survival of the species - a trait we share with all living things. From there, every species decides on its own how to best achieve this goal. On our planet, which happened to be a small dot in a huge universe, one can easily count millions of different types of life form. Each has developed its own strategy to survive, each is completely distinguished from all others and each is remarkably ingenious in its own way. What sets us apart is our ability to think beyond the obvious. In that we are always a step ahead of any species known to us. For instance ants, bees, and some rodents are very adept at gathering and storing food, yet rather than being satisfied with this ingenious arrangement, we went ahead and learned how to grow our own food and started the exploitation of other animals. How many species care for other species, tend to them, keep them healthy and then consume them. How much more ingenious than that can it get? Moreover, our constant quest for more knowledge has been very instrumental in helping us improve our methods of farming, enhance efficiency and increase productivity. Although our way of life is not always friendly to the ecology, one day it will be. It’s all part of the learning process we are accustomed to go through before doing the right things. Although destroying the environment does not help our image as a superior intelligent species, it could be a testimony for our great flexibility to adapt to any conditions. Animals in general do not do much damage to the ecology; they evolve according to the natural conditions in which they live. For this reason, they experience great difficulties whenever they are forced to adapt to new changes. Most of them are unable to adjust to any changes at all - at least in a short time. The threat facing the polar bears is a good example of how things could go wrong for a powerful species. Humans are completely different. We can practically survive anywhere on this planet. The problem is that in the process we end up changing everything around us to suit our needs. Eventually one day we will learn how to do that while preserving nature. The important thing is that we have started to become aware of our impact on the ecology and before long we will have no choice but to manage our resources wisely.
Yes, at the present time this may sound like wishful thinking. However, the reason I feel optimistic about the future of humanity has a lot to do with our triumphs and less with our failures. What is remarkable about our evolution is not just all the things stated earlier; the real miracle of our long journey is not just focused on how we had managed to morph from lifeless element, to mediocre biological bacteria, to thinking beings who were able to develop a vision and acquire emotion. Our true evolutionary miracle lies in our success in acquiring such unique spirits as imagination, creativity, innovation, invention, compassion, courage, inquisitiveness, endurance, patience and many more. Thanks to these spirits we were able to duplicate in relative terms, albeit on a tiny scale the forces of the universe. Fusing and splitting the atom were made possible by discovering how to manipulate the forces of physics which are known to us as the weak and strong forces. The electrical motor was created by controlling another force of nature: the electro -magnetic force. Understanding the force of gravity is propelling us into space. None of these accomplishments would have been made possible without the spirit of creativity, imagination and invention. Not only have we been able to duplicate the forces of nature, but more importantly, by giving birth to this spirit, we have created a new universe of our own. To me, this invisible universe of spirits, this abstract universe, this unique human spirit will never die. This spirit lives on forever as long as we aspire for a better world and as long as we try to create a more beautiful universe. And that is what has become immortal about us. The person who suffers hardship, regardless of nationality, may die young, but the spirits of endurance, stamina, determination, dedication, devotion, creativity, imagination, perseverance, patience and compassion will live forever. These spirits that were created by a single person will go on created new universes for the process of creation never stops. The human soul is not a delusion; it does exist and plays an important role in our endless journey, in our longing to create a beautiful universe. It is this soul that lives on, even if our biological