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While that does freak me out, I'm also somewhat disturbed by the idea of leaving no trace in the universe. In today's world there is a lot of information about

While that does freak me out, I'm also somewhat disturbed by the idea of leaving no trace in the universe. In today's world there is a lot of information about us that has been recorded. In some sense we're not completely forgotten because, at least in modern societies, we have birth records, death records and all manner of other details collected about us... mentions in newspapers, pictures, video clips, etc. But there will be some point in the future where all these details will inevitably be lost and all trace of our personal existence will be unrecoverable. In some ways that's sadder than anything I can think of. I think of ancestors who were born before the advent of any sort of record keeping now are nothing more than nameless ghosts. Their only record may be some small fragment of DNA, and even then there's no guarantee that any of it was passed on after enough generations.

crispyporkbites 6y ago
That’s not true- the mere existence of you and the actions you’ve taken were and continue to be woven into the state of the universe since the day you were conceived. You made a direct and irreversible contribution to the increasing entropy of the universe and have helped push us all one step closer to ultimate equilibrium and the heat death of the universe. Be proud of your work, it is no more and no less than any other human or collection of atoms that has existed to date or ever will exist.
sokoloff 6y ago
If we don't become multi-planetary and outside of this solar system, there's a 100% guarantee that all record of humanity will be erased.
MaximumYComb 6y ago
You're not entirely gone. You are one person in a society who contributed your small to the cultural memes (in the original definition of meme). Even if you bear no children, some part of you will still exist in future generations

crispyporkbites 6y ago

That’s not true- the mere existence of you and the actions you’ve taken were and continue to be woven into the state of the universe since the day you were conceived. You made a direct and irreversible contribution to the increasing entropy of the universe and have helped push us all one step closer to ultimate equilibrium and the heat death of the universe. Be proud of your work, it is no more and no less than any other human or collection of atoms that has existed to date or ever will exist.

sokoloff 6y ago

If we don't become multi-planetary and outside of this solar system, there's a 100% guarantee that all record of humanity will be erased.

MaximumYComb 6y ago

You're not entirely gone. You are one person in a society who contributed your small to the cultural memes (in the original definition of meme). Even if you bear no children, some part of you will still exist in future generations