Will we become extinct?

An acquaintance (incidentally, a former deputy minister of health) once told me a story from his postgraduate internship in obstetrics. Lo and behold, the orderly telephoned him and invited him to the delivery room: "come on Sir, a unique case, an old primary, 28 years old!". As we know, there are no miracles. A woman's body is most ready for pregnancy in the third decade of life, and ideally people start having children at this age. As a matter of fact, me getting married at 28 was the last of our college circle and also the last of my siblings. My two younger sisters married earlier. The world may have changed, but human biology has not. In my generation there were practically no singles, but already in our children's generation it is quite a common lifestyle, and couples have a dog or cat as a surrogate offspring.

Of course, there are all sorts of problems in life, but I limit myself to criticizing the situation when not having offspring is a choice. Giving up the wonderful life experience of participating in the development of a little human being. Giving up the experience of one of the most important kinds of love: parental love.

I remember once when my Mom came to see me (I had only one son at the time) she looked around the study full of books and said: "well, yes, but remember, these books of yours will not follow your coffin". In a neighboring institute, a very famous professor died, a woman who devoted her family life to her scientific career. Out of respect for her, her books were left in her former office. Until. When the central heating pipes were being replaced, a hole was punched into the room below. When it was pointed out to the worker that through this hole he could hear what was going on the floor below, he, thinking little of it, scooped up the books and plugged the hole with them.

As a doctor, I often see old single women whom no one visits. They buried their husbands long ago, and having no children, they have no grandchildren either. Only social welfare.

Can the charms of life be reconciled with biology? Discovery did not prevent Maria Sklodowska from giving birth and raising two daughters.