Conversely, if we discovered traces of some simple extinct life form—some bacteria,
some algae—it would be bad news. If we found fossils of something more advanced,
perhaps something looking like the remnants of a trilobite or even the skeleton of a small
mammal, it would be very bad news. The more complex the life we found, the more
depressing the news of its existence would be. Scientifically interesting, certainly, but a
bad omen for the future of the human race.