It is my opinion that we, as humans, are a race with potential. We have abilities unique to our species and have mastered most other skills in some form or another. The one trait we possess that takes precedence over all the others however, is growth.

Look at us. Barely over 100 years ago, we were dying at age 40. Now the average is 67, and most live more! As our technology evolves, it enables other technology to evolve. It's a constant chain of reaction. Someone makes something, someone makes it better, someone makes it do more, someone makes something new that does it all and more, someone makes a derivative, someone makes a blatant steal, etc. etc.

Our rate of growth keeps going higher. The more intelligent we become, the longer we live. The longer we live, the more of us there will be. There more of us there are, the more intelligent we can become. Do you see where I am going with this?

Where are we going fa/tg/uys? Are humans going to transcend their organic bodies? Will it be disease or choice? Will the real world become Second Life, or god forbid, Transmetropolitan? Everybody is doing every drug; you're either dirt poor or golden toilet rich. Was Huxley right? And will we every be able to leave this world behind? Do we deserve to?

What if forego the modifications? What if we push into space instead? We research into terraforming. We begin with the moon. Then Mars. It’s successful. We keep going. We’re one of two things: the forerunners, laying down the building blocks for the future or we’re just another lucky cluster of atoms that grow into a sentient species.

I believe in the former, unfortunately. The modern world is gluttonous, narcissistic, and proud. The vanity of our race will be our downfall. We must either break away from this planet, from our extraordinary sense of entitlement, or we will end up as many of those that we mock.