# What's the point of planet Earth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 10, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358 "2003-11-10T05:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![escapol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90ced4/32.png) [@escapol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escapol)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/1 "2003-11-10T05:40:43Z")
If the Earth was split into a zillion pieces by a massive asteroid tomorrow what would the loss be? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/2 "2003-11-10T05:46:37Z")
No more _I love the Eighties: Strikes Back_, for one thing… ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/3 "2003-11-10T06:04:25Z")
My life. That’s really the only loss that matters, and it would be a total loss. Every person on the planet could say the same. Value, meaning, and purpose really only make sense in the context of an individual who values, for whom something thus gains meaning and purpose. So it would be a pretty big loss in my estimate, and in yours. That would be slightly offset by the benefit **Brutus** mentions, however. ---
**Author:** ![escapol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90ced4/32.png) [@escapol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escapol)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/4 "2003-11-10T06:09:05Z")
But if you, or anyone who loves you, is no longer here to mourn that loss, what does it matter? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/5 "2003-11-10T06:14:34Z")
There is no point, cuz Earth is round… oh, and **RexDart** ’s life…I am immortal and it wouldn’t bother me much, as i would just create a fantasy life like in _Lost Highway_. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/6 "2003-11-10T07:17:03Z")
> [@](#): > > what would the loss be? Potential. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/7 "2003-11-10T07:40:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by escapol \* > \*\*If the Earth was split into a zillion pieces by a massive asteroid tomorrow what would the loss be? \*\* A great reality show loved by billions upon billions of aliens throughout the galaxy. If I were feeling nihilistic I guess I’d say there wouldn’t be any big loss. It isn’t as if the universe if going to miss our tiny blue ball, right? Then again I don’t really give a rat’s patootie what the universe thinks. If the Earth were to be split into a zillion pieces by a massive asteroid it’s going to ruin **my** day! I’d have to find somewhere else to keep all my stuff. Marc ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/8 "2003-11-10T11:00:21Z")
This is the only place in the universe where conscious thought is known to exist. It would be a shame if, in the midst of such an arid wasteland, this amazing and delicate flower were to be crushed. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/9 "2003-11-10T11:17:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SentientMeat \* > \*\*This is the only place in the universe where conscious thought is known to exist. \*\* Nitpick: is known _by mankind_ to exist. Or is that an implied condition of the verb ‘known’? ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/10 "2003-11-10T12:11:40Z")
I’m happy with the statement that Earth is the only place known for certain that life exists to us here, at least if concede that you and I exist anyway… And the loss would be potential - at least until we manage to colonise other places in the solar system and eventually beyond. To me that is the best advert for space technology development. So long as we stay solely here we are doomed for certain when the sun runs out of puff, and meantime we potentially have all our eggs in one basket whilst nuclear weapons are still around. AIthough I guess the cockroaches might survive the second threat and evolution would have to start all over again from those critters… ---
**Author:** ![dal\_timgar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dal\_timgar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dal_timgar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/11 "2003-11-10T19:42:27Z")
I would never have to read a question like that again. Damn, when is that asteroid going to get here? Dal Timgar ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/12 "2003-11-10T23:51:56Z")
> [@](#): > > If the Earth was split into a zillion pieces by a massive asteroid tomorrow what would the loss be? What wouldn’t the loss be? We wouldn’t be able to teach the alien civilizations about velcro, for one thing. Surely that should count. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/13 "2003-11-11T06:22:11Z")
No more Big Macs. Anywhere. Ever. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/14 "2003-11-11T06:26:41Z")
It’ll give Obi-Wan a headache. Whaddya mean you don’t care about Obi-Wan, you selfish creep?! ---
**Author:** ![HeartOfGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@HeartOfGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeartOfGold)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/15 "2003-11-11T06:45:03Z")
I don’t know about a loss…but Trillian’s white mice were upset the first time… ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/16 "2003-11-11T07:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > And the loss would be potential - at least until we manage to colonise other places in the solar system and eventually beyond. And for a good time after that, unless some miracle technology is invented shortly. Earth is the only self-sustaining place in the universe that can support life, that we know about. I think that makes it pretty unique. Maybe someday we’ll be able to replicate a self-sustaining ecosystem somewhere else, but until that happens, I would say Earth is pretty damned important, at least from our point of view. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/17 "2003-11-11T07:57:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by escapol \* > If the Earth was split into a zillion pieces by a massive asteroid tomorrow what would the loss be? One life. And we’d lose all our bonus shields and teleports. Unless we were out of lives, in which case we’d have to put in another quarter. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/18 "2003-11-11T08:28:53Z")
Earth is the seed that could grow into a conscious galactic civilisation; there may be no other intelligent life in the whole galaxy, so it is up to us, and our descendents (genetically modified and artificial and simply human) to fill this role. We have every reason to be optimistic about the potential for such an enterprise; some ideas here * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/19 "2003-11-11T12:51:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by escapol \* > \*\*But if you, or anyone who loves you, is no longer here to mourn that loss, what does it matter? \*\* It doesn’t matter that no one would be around to mourn the loss. It would be the loss of **our entire world** , and what could be more important than that? ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358/20 "2003-11-11T13:46:22Z")
To me, the loss would be catastrophic. To the universe as a whole, one dust mote among billions would cease to exist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-planet-earth/212358.md?page=2)