The movie Children of Men isn't up yet (should be somewhere this year though) but I happened to find some information about in over at IMDB.com while surfing around.

Frankly the plot description gave me the impression that it was another one of those crappy, big-budget, badly written sci-fi movie in the lines of War of the World. Here's what was said:

"In 2027, as humankind faces the likelihood of its own extinction, a disillusioned government agent agrees to help transport and protect a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea where her child's birth may help scientists to save the future of mankind."

But I tell you, the trailer was awesome... Watch it here! Makes me very interested in it. Here's the link to IMDB, and the official website.

But come to think of it, do you think such a situation is plausible - humans losing the ability to procreate, leading to the ultimate extinction of our species?

Thinking in evolutionary terms, perhaps this is indeed possible, with the world facing severe overpopulation in the coming years, and governments advocating the use of birth control in many parts of the world. Perhaps this could also happen when genetically selecting the gender of your child has created an imbalance in the evolutionary equation (but it seems that this movie is not exploring this possibility). Or perhaps even more plausible is the trend of women having children later in life, or the conscious choice of not having children at all. Or maybe, with the constant threat of terrorism that eventually leads to a World War 3 that becomes more deadly and destructive, men and women might have learnt not to procreate at all.

Perhaps as all these trends could culmulate into evoluntion's decision to stop procreation altogether.

Then again, even if that is really the case, I think that 2027 is too short a time span for this to happen.

But I shudder to think about the kinds of effects our antics of playing God will have on mankind eventually - people killing just to satisfy their sick gratification, people extending life, people playing with life, people experimenting with life... Animals survived without us humans on a strict order of nature that maintained an equilibrium, taking only what is needed from Nature and returning it in equal amounts, and it was truly the survival of the fittest. However, our incredible cognitive capacity has made us fear death, made us greedy for more out of life, taking more from Nature than is needed and trying to alter it for our own benefit.

I too am guilty of that. But I'm caught up in this cycle that I cannot escape. I guess I just hope for the best in future.

UK thwarted an attempt by terrorists to blow up 10 aeroplanes on board, causing a frantic search for the perpetrators and the beefing up of security to a riduculous state (no bags on board now? I guess in future maybe even clothings with pockets are not allowed on board). But we can't blame them, can we?

I can't help but think about this again - what good will it do to these people if everyone else in the world is killed by them?

And to think intellectuals are the ones getting into this ball game.