Atheist Nexus Logo

Evolution of Homo sapiens and institutions as a consequence of chaos

It is difficult to believe that Iraq was once a garden of Eden that supported large populations and had lush fields of crop and a thriving culture. Climate change ended that era. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey: The Immortals: Contemplate the future ... explains the history of that ancient part of the world from 5,000 years ago, the city of Uruk, and the legendary story of an actual man Gilgamesh, and Enheduanna, the earliest known author of written literature, a woman, who lived in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 BCE. The poems she wrote represent the first existing account of an individual's consciousness of her inner life."

These ancient stories have a resonance with the stories of the Old Testament; they are retold in the New Testament with a new cast of characters 2,000 years ago. 


Cosmos Asks If Humanity Has What It Takes To Survive. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, starts in the cradle of civilization, Iraq, with the development of written language that communicates across time and space and the flood myth that found its most recent iteration in the Old Testament as Noah.

Climate change is real. Anient myths based on actual events or series of events tell of prosperous times and desperate times. Historically, with loss of food and water sources, people urgently tried to survive famine, wars, destruction of cultures, genocide of people who were neighbors and cousins, and profound chaos followed as a natural consequence. A common thread through all these events is reliance on a superhuman energy to save them. Can humanity survive another climate change? Is there a superhuman being waiting in the clouds who will save us? 

The cynic in me says that nothing will change until we take responsibility for what is happening,  park our combustion engines in recycle bins, spend more time doing things that sustain life, i.e. grow our own food, produce goods and services closer to consumption, find pleasure, rest and restoration in simpler desires, be content with what we have and end this merry-go-round of consumption. 

The optimist in me says it can be done, it is being done in some families and communities and life can be full of pleasure and contentment without all the frills. 

Climate change will result in forced changes in human activity. History tells us of 5,000 years ago in Iraq and the chaos of climate change and wars that destroyed more than they built.  These factors precipitated reliance on a superhuman energy to explain their world.

In this modern time, we can survive the chaotic consequences of global climate change and evolve into stronger individuals. The institutions will have to change, i.e. family life, community participation, and how humans use power with others in an effort to protect the planet. War is an obsolete means to achieve desired ends of survival. Superhuman stories cannot be the source of solving modern problems. We need to think our way through this chaos and create a participatory form of living together that values diversity. 

Views: 24



Join Atheist Nexus

Support Atheist Nexus

Donate Today



Help Nexus When You Buy From Amazon


Nexus on Social Media:


Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service