The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.

If we were to wipe out insects alone on this planet, the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land. Within a few months.

Ants are the leading removers of dead creatures on the land. And the rest of life is substantially dependent upon them.

Human activity equals a decline of the rest of life on earth,

To the extent that philosophical positions both confuse us and close doors to further inquiry, they are likely to be wrong.

But once the ants and termites jumped the high barrier that prevents the vast variety of evolving animal groups from becoming fully social, they dominated the world.