January 9th, 2019

"Respect Life"
    Biology is the study of life, and in spite of numerous claims of UFO sightings and alien abductions, the Earth is still the only known place in the universe where life exists. At this point scientists agree that finding life elsewhere is probable. The most likely scenario is that we will discover evidence for some form of unicellular, prokaryotic life on a moon of Jupiter or Saturn, or even on a meteorite that falls to earth. However, the chances of encountering other "intelligent" life are much, much less. Why do people automatically assume that UFOs are actually alien spacecraft visiting us from star systems many light years away from Earth? That's a pretty big leap, is it not?
 "What is that thing?", "I don't know, it must be from Alpha Centuari." 
More likely it's from China, or our own top secret space program. There is a huge difference between some single-celled bacteria, and organisms intelligent enough to have mastered interstellar travel. 
   The Earth is special. Even if there is life elsewhere in the universe, which there probably is, the odds of a planet developing "intelligent" life must be incredibly, infinitesimally, small. Therefore, the Earth is special. The Earth is special because it has life, it has intelligent life, and we're not just talking about humans. The Earth and all the life on it is special, sacred even. Although we humans often like to pretend that we are somehow set apart from the Earth and all the rest of life on it, the truth is we are part of it. Not apart, but a part; a part of a larger living ecosystem. We totally depend on it. Totally.
    Those who entertain the idea that humanity will be saved from extinction by colonizing the Moon, Mars or some other off-world alternate, are surely living in a science fiction fantasy (unless they know something I don't . . . ). We need to get it through our heads that we are, in fact, totally dependent on the Earth for our very survival, for the foreseeable future.  Therefore, once again, the Earth and all the life on it is special, incredibly important; we can't live without it; it is sacred.
    So, why is biology important? Because life is important. What other reason is required? We should do our best to learn as much as we can about life. We should do our best to protect life, and the conditions that promote life. This is why unnecessary killing is wrong. What other reason is needed? It should be obvious, by now, to any thinking person, that we have a duty to protect all life on this planet simply because this is the only place in the universe where we know that not only life exists, but intelligent life exists. No other reason is required. It makes perfect logical sense. This is my position: Respect Life!