I. like all living things, am a product of this planet. There are constant reports of people amazed at the many coincidences of nature, but these are really illusions. There are no coincidences. We merely belong.

We are not "fortunate" to have evolved on this particular planet, at this particular time. This is the only place and time we could be. No other planet holds the wonders of Earth at this place and time.

The Solar system passes easily through the habitable zone of the Milky Way galaxy, just as the Earth passes easily through the habitable zone of the Solar system. There are other rocks and moons and planets within the habitable zone of the Solar system, just as there are other main sequence stars passing through the habitable zone of the Milky Way, but none of those stars are Sol, and none of them so perfectly match the properties of Sol, just as none of those other rocks, moons and planets are not Earth. We are here because this is where we fit best. This is our incubator, our nursery. This is our starting point.

The Earth was randomly struck again and again by heavy impactors, bringing with them all the things needed for life -- except one thing... That one thing was the end of the world.

The end of the world happened approx. 4.5 billion years ago. the mighty impactor, believed to be about the size and mass of the planet Mars, struck the Earth. An impact of that magnitude would transform the surface to molten magma, vaporizing all the accrued water and smoothing the surface of the planet -- wiping the slate clean. The splash of this impact remains with us today in the form of our protective Moon. A Moon which takes some of the impactor load off the primary, and slowly orbits, keeping her primary’s mantle stirred nice and hot, which in turn charges the very protective magnetosphere.

What happened in that impact, though, was the creation of a new environment. Life was born shortly thereafter, and profusely. Was there any life before? As there is no data anywhere on the face of this planet older than 4.5 billion years, the answer to this question remains a complete unknown.

We're all products of random chance. We only plan to take advantage of it.

Cheers,
Dan