The stupid "Apex" "design" argument.....

[Brian37]

Meh, I think you imagine that we're far more frail than we actually are, and almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.  There's a significant difference between ourselves and every other animal that's ever lived on this planet, and referring to their extinctions as though it made our own inevitable ignores that completely.  We're better than our biology, which is itself more than competent.  Our technology can adapt faster than our frame.  Where all other life that has ever been hits a wall we have only begun to explore our options.  In this, we are unique on earth, though obviously not invincible.  It wasn't always thus, our situation was once far more precarious than it is now.  That time, however, has passed.  We were an apex species even then.  Today, we are -the- apex species.

In any case, I'm not sure why you responded the way you did....I was wondering who made the stupid argument you referred to (and what it was, exactly).  You're railing against people who "deny the science", but you're not presenting a very faithful summary of our place on this rock and in relation to other species yourself.  In any extinction event, trust that we'll be among the last life standing...hell, we -are- an extinction event.  We're already among the last life standing, and it doesn't exactly look good for the rest of them at present...keeps coming up aces for us though, huh?  Probably has something to do with our unique ability to stack the deck.

The planet is not frail, no, some form of life even if a big meteor like the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs I have no doubt would most likely wipe humans out, not all life. Did not click on that link? We already almost went extinct. 

No we are NOT an apex, there are other species that are better at survival than we are. The water bear has survived all 5 mass extinctions. We are way too big physically and not even a bomb shelter would protect us from the nuclear winter a global meteor impact would cause. Other life most certainly will survive, especially smaller life like bacteria and insects. 

We are only good at being humans. We are not good at being bacteria or cockroaches, because we are not the same species. We simply have DIFFERENT adaptations. 

I only agree that if we CHOOSE to pull our heads out of our asses, we can delay our extinction. Our problem is exactly what you are doing here falsely claiming we are an apex. It does not matter we can manipulate other life like plants and fish and animal meat. That only means we  have more developed brains. Calling us an apex causes the problem of stupidly thinking we don't need to manage our environment. Now maybe that is not what you meant, but that can be implied, we are very dependent on our environment and that is why we should NOT consider ourselves an "apex". 

Instead we should use our different attribute to avoid that pratfall of hubris. 

But ultimately even we will go extinct, but we will not be the last species standing. Before our planet's core runs out of energy, long before, 20,000, 200,000, 2 million, 1 billion 2 billion years from now, will still be before that happens, but what we see in evolutionary history, a cosmic event will cause another mass extinction and some life will survive and some life wont, we wont be the last life standing before all life goes extinct. 

We can only reduce the harm we do to ourselves, try to figure out how to reduce pollution and climate change, and reduce human conflict to extend our finite ride.

And again, as far as why I made this initial OP, was not aimed at other atheists who accept science say outside of giving them things to consider that they might not have, but this is more for everyone as a response to what I see from theists everywhere and their utter stupidity of denial.

[Brian37]

75% of the life that existed OR more went extinct because of the meteor impact. And that was only 1 mass extinction. Because humans depend on lots of plant and animal resources, if something as big or bigger hit us, the odds even with our modern technology, would still be against us, because the impact alone would disrupt that technology on top of killing off tons of plant and meat and fish food sources. So a meteor defense system would go a long way in extending our ride.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous...tion_event

[Brian37]

75% of the life that existed OR more went extinct because of the meteor impact. And that was only 1 mass extinction. Because humans depend on lots of plant and animal resources, if something as big or bigger hit us, the odds even with our modern technology, would still be against  us, because the impact alone would disrupt that technology on top of killing off tons of plant and meat and fish food sources. So a meteor defense system would go a long way in extending our ride.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous...tion_event

Scientist know that for whatever life dies, and so far 99% of what once was is now extinct. If you read that  article another mass extinction will kill off a large portion of life, but it will create opportunities for new life to evolve, which allowed us to evolve.  I simply doubt highly if something at that scale happens, we will be one of those species to survive.

[AFTT47]

I think we've probably reached the point where we can protect ourselves from a big asteroid. If its big enough to cause an extinction event, we should see it coming in time to get out to it and nudge it off course so it misses us.

I think we have more to worry from events of our own creation.

[Minimalist]

My parents thought the Beatles were the end of civilization.  Not because of their music but because of their haircuts.

My parents danced to it, though I figure, our parents must have been nearly the same generation. I'm a latecomer to the family and my parents were already in their 40ies in the 60ies.

I don't think my parents were ever young.  Something about that Depression mentality.

[abaris]

I don't think my parents were ever young.  Something about that Depression mentality.

Well, mine, both born in 1923, had to go through civil wars, emmigration and the war, complete with bombing raids. Didn't change their hunger to entertain themselves and to be open for new stuff though.

[Brian37]

I think we've probably reached the point where we can protect ourselves from a big asteroid. If its big enough to cause an extinction event, we should see it coming in time to get out to it and nudge it off course so it misses us.

I think we have more to worry from events of our own creation.

Can doesn't mean we've put it together yet. We have not. Yes I am sure it would not talk long, but because of global corporatism there is no money in doing the right thing. It will take governments to get funding to make that happen.

[The Grand Nudger]

Brian, we are earths apex species, there's simply nothing false in that claim.  Other species are apex limited to their specific environments, we are not.  We sit atop the whole bunch, happily munching away with no worries about being dinner ourselves. Maybe you should tone down the bitching about others when you've made yourself one of those others in your bitching, when you're the one denying such a simple concept?

 residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures prey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_predator

I get that you really like water bears, and that you really think we're gonna go the way of the dodo. I don't think you're presenting any more accurate a summary in that regard than you do in your objection to us as an apex species.

[abaris]

 residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures prey.

But we're also the only species being able to saw off the branch we're sitting on. Unless we wisen up within the next few centuries, I guess, this is exactly where we'll be heading to.

[The Grand Nudger]

We're actually not unique in that regard at all. Hell, we're the only species that even seems to know when we might be doing it, though, the only one with a chance to change course. Google St Matthews Island Reindeer.