The Antennae Galaxies, located about sixty-two million light-years from Earth, take their name from the long, antenna-like arms seen in wide-angle views of the system. But, more significantly, we are mindful of the immense future that lies ahead-the post-human future where our remote descendants may transcend human limitations-here on Earth but (more probably) far beyond. We wonder whether there is life elsewhere in the cosmos. We view our home planet in a cosmic context. In this chapter, some aspects of this transition are discussed, along with some even more speculative comments about “post-human” evolution, and the future of the universe itself.Īstronomers like myself are professionally engaged in thinking about huge expanses of space and time. And it is the first when they may create electronic intelligences that surpass their own all-round capabilities, and also achieve the ability to bio-engineer their progeny. It is the first when humans may establish communities away from the Earth. But even in this vast time-perspective, the present century is special. The Earth has existed for forty-five million centuries -and even longer timespans lie ahead before the Sun dies.
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March 2023
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