Humans to Go Extinct in 100 Years?

Grandparents say and do some funny things sometimes.

One of them once told me that our current member of parliament was involved with the Mafia, because he was Italian. Another keeps a BB gun near the back door so he can shoot the squirrels when they try to eat out of his birdfeeder.

But what are ya gonna do? They’re old. They can pretty much do what they want. Who is gonna stop them?

That’s why I’m gonna cut the Australian Professor in microbiology Frank Fenner some slack. He is 95 years old (Wow!). In 1980, he was the one who announced that Smallpox had been eradicated. A pretty famous dude with quite a distinguished career.

But last week, the Australian scientist said in an interview that “Homo sapiens will become extinct, perhaps within 100 years…It’s an irreversible situation.”

Man, talk about a supreme downer.

Everyone knows mankind has its problems and that they need to be addressed if we are to continue our domination of the planet, but its already too late? Shitty.

But I actually don’t buy it. Sure climate change is a problem. Overpopulation and food shortage is looming in the (near?) future. But we are an industrious species. We are intelligent.

We harnessed electricity, have sent spacecraft out of the solar system, cured disease and built the iPad.

Once we set our minds to it, we can invent/build/create whatever we need too.

Perhaps more importantly though, once it becomes profitable to invent these things that will avert our disaster, corporations will jump all over it. Capitalism will save the world; you heard it here first!

So good for Prof. Fenner for speaking his mind, he’s earned it. I can’t wait till I’m 95 and can say whatever I want.

I can wear those awesome old-timey hats too.