Rare earth

Abstract

The emergence of the genus Homo, and subsequently of Homo sapiens, have led to a unique phenomenon in the history of nature where the advanced technological achievements of the species in mastering fire, combustion, the electromagnetic spectrum and nuclear power have given it the illusion of god-like powers. The arrogance of supremacy is blinding the species to its intrinsic origin from and relation with nature, endangering its survival. However, no biological entity, all the way from the DNA/RNA biomolecules to the human brain, can claim possession of intelligence - a faculty written into the laws of nature. Intelligence is no more a property of any species or individual organism than, for example, are the effects of gravity and electromagnetism to which life is subject. From its faith in omnipotent gods, to a mythological faith in human mastery over nature inherited from the scriptures, to a belief in a purported ability of computer technology to colonize extraterrestrial planets, Homo sapiens has become subject to a self-referential anthropocentric delusion (Strongman L (2007) The anthropomorphic bias: how human thinking is prone to be self-referential. Working papers no 4-07. Lower Hutt: The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1245 ). For a species which shares some 98.5 % of its genes with primates,- such fantasies deny its inextricable relationship with the terrestrial biosphere, from which it sprang.