Why does the Universe exist?

Primary instincts - Self-preservation, secondary 'reproduction'
It is not 'achieved' it is 'instinctive'.
A creature (biological lifeform) MUST have these 'primary' traits.
Why?
A. Dodo-effect - Failure to recognise life-ending (Lethal, fatal) events/predators=extinction.
B. Failure to reproduce (as a species)=extinction.
Self-relevance is an 'offshoot' of both.

"Shortened their lives"
This one is a misconcept.
Noone ever lived longer, or shorter, a lifespan, than was apt.
A. By eating....blah - You'll live longer - Is utter bollux.
A lifespan can only be measured from A to B (birth n death).
No other attributes enter the equation.
B. By not jumping off a cliff/hanging yourself/severing your abdomen etc DOESN'T facilitate longevity either - For, thus is your "due date" aptly.

But what law of physics or evolution demands that we resist extinction? They have no goals and have no knowledge of them. Why not a fox that evolves to be so quick and efficient that it and it's offspring eats all it's prey and then goes extinct? A creature like 'the Alien' seems more likely than this delicate balance.

There is no 'natural law' that insists on ecological balance.

Barking up the right street - Genderising aside.

Nothing doesn't exist, amoh.
equation is flawed.
Other than your math, rest is accurate.

Quote:
Trillions - Historically, never existed...the vast majority entertained habits and attitudes that shortened their lives

Perhaps owing to my lack of elucidation you misunderstood . What I meant was, the learned, probably in the main, live longer than the ignorant, supposedly accounting for the fact that we live longer than they did

Even discounting those who consumed poisonous substances, I'd guess that other modern foodstuffs let us live longer if only by virtue of sterilization

Edited to remark, Mark, our "disagreement" is evidently one of definition. By "longevity," I merely meant "lifetime." Forgive

But again Mark thanks for doing the math

Nothing doesn't exist indeed. Its amazing that one, so many, can think it does.
Did you know the guy who came up with the exact stupid question was a French ? And of course his answer was God what else...Pourquoi y a-t-il quelque chose plutôt que rien?
The **** is this question is taken seriously all over the world and that alone tells a lot about the bunch of donkeys we all are. Its jaw dropping !

I think the universe exists because it is an infinitely pro-creative and family orientated place. This question is very similar to asking "Why do humans exist?"Simply because we are(individuals should be if they're not) family orientated and procreative beings. The Mother Earth and Father Sky concept is merely a reflection of ourselves. We are merely representatives of these immortal beings. Yes I am a Christian venturing out into the forbidden zone so to speak.

It's not a prerequisite.
But, if you do not have the self-preservation trait - You don't tend to exist for long.
If you don't preserve your existence - You die.
Is this not apparent?
There is no law that demands the resistance of extinction - But, if a species fails to adhere to such, and is not isolated from predation, it risks.............Really?

The first (Unsculptered) line - regarding 'habits' is not mine, Dale.

Why would you do that?

"Mother-Earth" and "Father-sky"?
How, (And I'm being as nice as I can, (currently)), and Why do you feel the need to genderise ( apply a male/female procognation) to physical.....
Done, mate.
This is silly.

Why are you being so picky ? ...its irrelevant...maybe he likes metaphors.

True, but I was just pointing out that it seems odd that AFAIK, there haven't been any species who went extinct because of their own evolutionary blunders. They all seem to go for external causes, food shortages, change of climate, meteor impacts, etc.

I'm sure someone will explain it as a case of them not hanging around long enough to leave enough fossils to find but if it's all random mutation and natural selection, there should have been at least one case of 'self caused extinction'. It seems 'artificially balanced'. Self preservation yes, but what about succeeding all too well?

Really Fil?
I'm not 'picky'?
You taking the piss, too?

Do I truly need to explain, or reference, why something that has no self-preservational qualities - Is fodder to that that does - REALLY?

Self-caused extinction?
US?

Not so far. I don't see that happening either.

Clearly "not as of yet".
Thus we exist, still.
You out of touch with geopolitics, petrodollar-collapse, Brics, etc?
You american?

A Yank by geography but follow geopolitics only to the extent that it affects human behavior. Don't see much correlation, other factors seem dominant. Biggest effect looks like the inability of some cultures to think in the subjunctive. Still a mystery, would like to figure out why that is.

You seem to be a person who wishes to believe that you are a stranger in a strange universe(in your own head that is), but yet it created you. I guess you will try and deny any affinity with the earth and sky or the environment that keeps you alive, just to satisfy your sense of solitude and alienation. Very i-robotic I would say