To paraphrase what somebody once said in another context, the careers of all living things end in extinction. Even life itself will not endure, Homo sapience will be no exceptionto this. Not an exception, perhaps – but exceptional, nonetheless. Although most mammal species last for around a million years, and Homo sapience even its broader sense has existed for less than half that time, humanity is an exceptional species. It could last for millions of years more – or suddenly drop dead next Tuesday. The reason why Homo sapience is exceptional is that it is the only species which, as far as is known, has become conscious of its place … Continue reading A (Very) Short History of Life On Earth