Do you care what happens next?

Some humans are not imbued with curiosity. Enough of us are, however, that all of human history has resulted. What’s over the next hill? What’s on the other side of this ocean? What is that hot burning light in our sky and where does it go at night? What does Saturn look like when it eclipses the sun? What's happening? Who am I? Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? What do I mean by who am I?If it wasn’t for the curiosity, the questioning, the search for answers, the search for knowledge, we would be nothing better than cows grazing on the open plains.Your Mr. Picard may see knowledge of our universe’s origins, future, ends, as powerless and yet these questions had the power to spur all of human development from that first moment some monkey looked to the night sky in wonder.I have to agree with Mr. Picard’s view that this is the source of madness, however. Most of human history has been madness, hasn’t it.For me personally, a great internal itch that nags the back of my mind would quiesce knowing these answers about our universe. No, that knowledge would not make me rich, get me laid or solve global warming, but it would give me some internal comfort, a bit of calming peace like when a tough job is finally done well.I have always liked the idea of a cyclical universe. Even if it is trillions upon trillions of eons after the last photon finally flatlines out of existence in this universe, I find a bit of satisfaction that another quantum fluctuation, or our neighboring brane-world bangs into ours, would flood our universe with energy again precipitating yet another inflationary-big bang or whatever. It just appeals to me. Whatever the case may be, cyclic or not, the most satisfying piece would be the knowing.

Is that all there is, a dichotomy? Can't I intellectually recognize that this oak tree is composed of star stuff while simultaneously enjoying the aesthetics of its over arching branches?Can I not understand that love is a reaction of specific chemistry and neuronal activity while simultaneously being happy and fulfilled in being bathed in its warmth?Just because we know the composition and study the physical interconnectedness of brain lobes does not mean we cannot revel in the use of our own human conscience.Just because all things are, in fact, the sum of their parts does not preclude recognizing and, more so, appreciating the beauty and wonder of their emergent properties without evoking the absurdity of some supernatural silliness.

To my mind you are both right.Different strokes for different folks.For some, knowing the fate of this universe would matter, to a greater or lesser degree, as an intellectual curiosity. Fulfilling, satisfying, that adds perceived value to the quality of their lives. To others, such would matter no more than wondering if there is a specific lizard living under a specific rock in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. An answer adds no value, perceived or otherwise, to their lives.Tangle wins out in the end, though. 150 million years from now knowing the answer to the universe question or to the lizard question probably won't matter at all to any of the three of us.

How can you be provoked by this when they are, in fact, correct? And so are you.Perspective. Frame of reference.From the perspective of any other galaxy in the universe we are so unimportant and matter so little as to be non-existent. As far as star stuff and chemistry and evolution and life we really are neither more nor less "important" than an amoeba.To your wife, your two girlfriends and your dog, however, you are a very important and special creature that matters a great deal in their lives. Depending upon how you care to define special we humans are indeed quite special for our intellect, creativity and curiosity over any other life form on this planet.Yet, by some other definitions of special we don't even make the list.To me, the ultimate test is in the far future. 150 million years from now, other than a few curious trinkets lying in the ground, our individual lives along with the extinction of our species, will matter next to nothing.So, yeah, except as made by us individually where it can matter very dearly, none of this really matters at all. This is why philosophy sucks. I can have my cake and eat it too and while it may seem important at the time it really isn't for shit. Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.

Is there some type of problem understanding the physical dimensions of intellect? Does that understanding somehow reduce its usefulness and function?Knowing that your potato naturally contains 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (crypto-chlorogenic acid), 5-O-caffeoylquinic (neo-chlorogenic acid), 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acids, does this somehow detract from your enjoyment of its taste when baked with a little olive oil and salt? No other consciousness in the universe? Pshaw! The numbers are too big and the chemistry too active for there not to be. But that's off-topic.What is on-topic is that fact that we are as unimportant to them as they presently are to us. As far as "mattering" to our lives they are as non-existent to us as we are to them.Plus the fact that we and the amoeba and the rock on the side of the road are all products of this vast mindless cold universe and that makes the comparisons compelling not nonsensical. And that compelling comparison is that we are all come to be from the same materials from the same sources by the same physics.The only importance to be given among the three is the subjective value we ourselves assign. Your fairy tale is just an excuse to assign subjective values making you feel superior to all the rest of the stuff around you in this vast cold mindless universe that really doesn't give a damn what we think. That is just fine. That answers Omnivorous' question. And yours is as valid an answer as any.I, as I stated, don't so much care to any great extent other than having the intellectual satisfaction of knowing. That would be good.