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9 Britannica Articles That Explain the Meaning of Life
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The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is a normal spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It appears nearly edge-on in an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Moon Sagittarius Star Cloud A colorful diagram of the geologic time scale shows major eons, eras, and periods, with illustrations of key prehistoric life forms such as bacteria, jellyfish, trilobites, fishes, dinosaurs, mammals, and humans, spanning from 4,000 million years ago to the present. Measurement bars at the top and bottom indicate the passage of time in millions of years, and each section is color-coded to highlight evolutionary milestones. dancing skeletons Darwin: On the Origin of Species Leonardo da Vinci: Vitruvian Man Ciro Ferri: Triumph of Bacchus Computer monitor displaying DNA sequencing data with multicolored horizontal bands and vertical columns, labeled with numerical markers along the left side. first edition of the EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica
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The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is a normal spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It appears nearly edge-on in an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is a normal spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It appears nearly edge-on in an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

9 Britannica Articles That Explain the Meaning of Life

(
or lack thereof.)
Written by
Richard Pallardy
Richard Pallardy received a B.A. in English from Illinois State University in 2005. He was a research editor with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. from 2008 to 2016 and worked on Britannica Blog from 2010...
Richard Pallardy
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Moon
MoonThe Moon, covered by clouds.

The articles in this list don’t have all the answers. However, they serve as a useful primer on the basics—what we know about the universe and how our species evolved, how we perpetuate ourselves, and how we die, and the logical tools we use to understand our world. You’re just a click away from understanding.

universe

Sagittarius Star Cloud
Sagittarius Star CloudThe Sagittarius Star Cloud as seen through the Hubble Space Telescope.

The universe is 13.7 billion years old. Earth formed, at the earliest, 4.6 billion years ago. You’re what, 85 years old, max? Ponder thy own significance. Ouch, right? I mean, uh, behold the grandeur of the cosmos
pretty telescope pics. Yay!

life

A colorful diagram of the geologic time scale shows major eons, eras, and periods, with illustrations of key prehistoric life forms such as bacteria, jellyfish, trilobites, fishes, dinosaurs, mammals, and humans, spanning from 4,000 million years ago to the present. Measurement bars at the top and bottom indicate the passage of time in millions of years, and each section is color-coded to highlight evolutionary milestones.
timeline of life on EarthOver hundreds of millions of years, life spread through the seas and over Earth's surface. The first life-forms were small and simple. Later forms were more complicated and diverse.

You might be slogging through the waking death of your work day, or catatonically staring at the screen during your “study break” so let me assure you: you are, in fact, alive. How did that happen? Check out Britannica’s fantastic article on life, written by Carl Sagan, Lynn Margulis, and Dorion Sagan. YOLO, indeed.

death

dancing skeletons
dancing skeletonsA Dance of Death is a woodcut print from about 1493.

You are, however, going to die. I’m not saying it’ll be anytime soon, but it’s going to happen. If you’re not, I’ll have what you’re having. Either way, brush up your understanding of mortality with Britannica’s article on death. It’s sure to come in handy. Unless you’re reading this on your phone while stepping into traffic


evolution

Darwin: On the Origin of Species
Darwin: On the Origin of SpeciesTitle page of the 1859 edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

Speaking of natural selection
how did we evolve from single-celled organisms? What forces shaped the plants and animals around us? Until we achieve the singularity and you can just upload this article to your brain, scroll through Britannica’s coverage of evolution to find out.

human

Leonardo da Vinci: Vitruvian Man
Leonardo da Vinci: Vitruvian ManVitruvian Man, silverpoint and pen and ink drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490; in the Galleries of the Academy of Venice.

Still with me, fellow primate? I know Sartre said “Hell is other people”—and may have had a point—but it couldn’t hurt to learn a little more about your fellow naked apes. Could it? Find out when you browse Britannica’s article on human evolution.

sex

Ciro Ferri: Triumph of Bacchus
Ciro Ferri: Triumph of BacchusTriumph of Bacchus, oil on canvas by Ciro Ferri, 17th century; 141 × 205.7 cm.

In this very special article, Britannica covers it all. Meiosis. Budding. Parthenogenesis. All 50 shades and then some, people.

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genetics

Computer monitor displaying DNA sequencing data with multicolored horizontal bands and vertical columns, labeled with numerical markers along the left side.
DNA sequencingA nucleotide sequence determined using DNA sequencing technologies.

Why can’t I clone myself and have him finish this list? Putting aside the fact that any clone of mine would laugh in my face and then probably unplug my computer out of spite, we’re just not there yet. At least as far as we know
 But people are doing all kinds of crazy stuff with genetics. Read more


epistemology

first edition of the EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica
first edition of the Encyclopédia BritannicaFirst edition of the Encyclopédia Britannica, published 1768–71.

Do you really know what you know? And what’s that worth? Check out Britannica’s coverage of epistemology, the study of the limits of human knowledge, to find out.

logic

Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background.
AristotleDetail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle (c. 325 bce); in the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

Now, check yourself. Are your beliefs logical? Review the basic principles of logic with Britannica’s article on the subject.

Richard Pallardy