The Fermi Paradox and the Lifecycle of a Biosphere, or the Grand Cosmic Opera
Prokaryotes (bacteria
and other single-celled organisms lacking a nucleus) appear about 4 billion
years ago.
Eukaryotes (organisms
consisting of cells with a nucleus inside an envelope) appear about 2.5 billion
years ago.
Complex lifeforms (such
as bilaterally symmetric vertebrates with a circulatory system) emerges during
the Cambrian explosion 541 million years ago.
Our solar biosphere
continues to mature through cycles of extinction and proliferation over the
next half a billion years.
When the time for reproduction
approaches, Gaia releases a volatile catalytic biofilm (complex, tool-using
species), which disperses widely (through proliferation, migration,
colonization, and globalization). Its purpose is to accelerate the antientropic
processes required for this stage of life, which it does by consuming most of
the available planetary resources.
The completion of this
task is preceded by an abrupt change in the composition of the atmosphere and
the release of electromagnetic signals into space. Following this, seed pods
are scattered in three volleys, one into local orbit (i.e. the first
satellites), one across the solar system (Voyager et al.), and finally and most
significantly one into nearby systems (exploration with the first warp drive).
At this point, the
biosphere, having spent itself in the effort of seeding another garden, reaches
the natural end of its life. With any luck, one of the seed pods has reached
another potentially habitable planet. Cut off from all support, the droplets of
residual catalyst (consisting of astronauts and pioneers) on the pod quickly
evaporates, but not before introducing a hitchhiking microbe or two into the
virgin sterile environment, beginning the cycle anew.
Ironically, the majesty
of this cosmic circle of life is lost on the space travelers, who from their
short-term, cerebrocentric perspective only see that their attempt at
colonization has ended tragically, with the extinction of life on earth and the
demise of the last humans on an unpromising dead rock. Cue the Lion King...
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