Or, Karl der Grose, as he is known in Germany.

Charles the First, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 800 AD. Every European alive in Europe today is a descendant of “Chuck the Ace” (as I like to call him).

Every one in Europe today is related to everyone who lived in Europe 1,200 years ago. Genetics and probability attest to this.

Everyone alive in the whole world today is a direct descendant of everyone who was alive 1,600 BC.  And, here’s the interesting part, even though the amount of genetic material we all possess is vast it is finite, and at some time in the not too distant future, we will reach a point of ongoing in-breeding for the whole human race.

No matter what planets we travel to or what we bring to bear to this problem, our instruction booklet indicates we will arrive at a position from which there will be no more ‘triumphs’ for mankind. We’ll get smaller, stupider and more prone to diseases, with vastly reduced lifespans and become food for something we can’t escape from. The human genome is an enclosed system. Vast, but not at the Universal level.    

Somewhat humbling. Turns 

Out there is no “It” species.

We can relax a little. Maybe

Go a little easier on ourselves

And others, people and species.

The pressure is off

Maybe less striving is

In order. Time to chill, 

As the young ones say.