The Future of Life on Earth The biggest threat to life on Earth seems to arise from the activities of the human race itself. Barring catastrophic cosmic events, such as those that are thought to have caused or contributed to the extinction of most species on Earth at various points in time, the risk of self-destruction by humanity, even within very short time-scales, cannot be denied. Armed conflicts, involving thermo-nuclear, chemical or bacterial weapons, certainly constitute the greatest potential risk at least to highly-evolved species on our planet. Though critically important at this moment, the long-term protection cannot lie in maintaining fragile legal agreements between nations, but in research and education. In improving our knowledge-base, both in depth and by involving all citizens in a quest for knowledge and understanding, against ignorance and despotism. Claus Madsen - ESO European Affairs Officer