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datapad
Thursday, March 31, 2005
you guys haven't seen the last of me yet! haha, just something else interesting that came up. read somewhere about how some christians believe that the fact that we exist despite the incredibly small probability of life occurring implies the existence of the creator. for those who still think that is true read on. the probability of life forming might be incredibly miniscule, but that still does not mean that it will not occur right? in fact, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for it not to occur, since there is after all a finite probability of it occurring! in other words, no matter how small the probability of life formation can be, as long as it is not zero, it HAS to occur somewhere in the infinite expanse of our universe! as such, wherever and whenever life springs up in the universe and if through the process of evolution intelligent sentient beings actually come into existence, some of them will also start doing the math and think "omigosh, the chances of life formation is so incredibly tiny, yet we are still here! thank the maker!!" sad, isn't it. where is your logic and common sense, people? we are not LUCKY, BLESSED NOR FORTUNATE to be alive, we just happened to be alive because the circumstances allowed life to form on earth despite the amazingly low probabilities of such an event occurring. as of anywhere else in the universe. Quote: Originally posted by: rls To rebut the issue of proof of scripture in secular records, one such instance is in reference to the biblical name of Nimrod in Genesis 11:1 thru 6. We know for a fact that there are hooded capes that are colored red. We know for a fact that there are wolves and grandmothers. Thus based on your approach to logic, Little Red Riddinghood and thus Mother Goose fairytales are true! Or perhaps this will help you understand how useless anecdotal evidence or coincidental conformations are when it comes to evaluating reality. A math book is not accepted as factual/ correct because one page states 2+2=4 if it also states that 4+4=6 and 6+6=8. To show that the bible does have some limited coincidence with historical reality does not prove thayt the bible is any more accurate than Mother Goose. And I am not aware of anyone that was killed by people that follow Mother Goose, unlike the millions that have been tortured and killed by followers of the bible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ok, so that's all from Hypography i guess. on a sidenote, i had someone tell me the other day that our universe is too elegant and beautiful for it to have just sprung into existence. i really wish to clarify that this entirely human concept of elegance and beauty is simply put, human. our brains are naturally wired to perceive orderly and organised things (basically, low states of entropy) as being elegant and beautiful. as such, the ONLY reason why the universe is so elegant and beautiful is because WE ARE WIRED TO PERCEIVE IT IN THAT WAY! looked at from a purely objective and logical point of view, there is nothing elegant or beautiful about the universe-- it is simply a temporal procession of physical processes, and one big demonstration of the second law of thermodynamics--- that things progress from orderly to chaotic. that is all. there is nothing beautiful or elegant about the way life is formed, about the way planets are formed, about how ecological biodiversity works. it is purely physics at work, and such events occurred simply because the physical laws governing it allowed it to occur. if only humans being were wired to perceive utter and complete chaos as elegant and beautiful, then we would not consider the current state of our universe to be very much the work of a creator at all. also, as an example, what if other supposedly sentient beings like say, chimpanzees don't perceive elegance and beauty the same way? what if the only things that are elegant to them are things shaped like crescents and are yellow in color? if the universe doesnt resemble and operate similarly to a banana, of course they wouldn't be under the impression that a creator was behind the scenes to produce such well ordered and interrelated systems of causes and effects, would they? and as such, they wouldn't believe in the existence of god and burn in hell for that? hahahah, and that also leads me to the utterly ridiculous assumption that earth, and humans in particular, are the Main Characters of the universe. so only humans have a soul, only humans die and either go to heaven or hell? putting it bluntly, what kind of bullshit is that. my opinion, is that the only reason why only humans die and go to heaven is because only humans can write in a language understood by other humans and as such only humans could have written the holy bible. thank you all and have a nice day. and once again, please click on the link 'multiverse in 6 dimensions' and introduce yourselves into my perception of cosmology based on purely logical reasoning, and perhaps spare me those lengthy and difficult to understand explanations on how the universe came about that i myself do not wish to reiterate. end of advertisement. "Quote:
Each person has to decide for themselves what their lives' work is worth. Some hold their lives to a very high ideal based on facts and evidence. Yes it requires additional efforts, it requires fighting the mindset passed through (European) heritage of antiquated superstions. And historically it has often required one to put their very life on the line in order to fight the ignorance of Religious superstition and authority. We have seen thru the list you yourself provided, that the only European "Scientists" that survived to be known, typically had to bow down to the gods of the authorities, or we would never have heard of their existence. They would just have been killed outright no matter how valuable their insights would have been for society. Fortunately SECULAR powers have surfaced that have fought the religious erfforts to suppress knowledge under power of death that had existed since the Christian religion has come to power. That has allowed an incredible increase in knowledge. With each gain reducing the space various gods had always been used to explain. T^oday there are few gaps left to stuff a god beleif into. Though many try everything they can to keep some gap open to allow their obsequence to ignorance to be justified internally. You however choose intentionally to sell your life out to something you readily admit you have no valid reason to accept. To each their own. It is just a shame that so many are wasting the only life we actually know we have by rejecting factual knowledge, instead you admit that "You guys want "facts," well I don't have any ..." to support the very basis for your life's philosophy. That is your choice to make. But then what do you expect when you come to a site that is based on SCIENCE? That we should all turn our back on facts and reason? But then we would NOT be a SCIENCE site. We are always glad to have a new voice join us. Open discussion is a very exciting and interesting application of personal time. But we are here to LEARN, to KNOW. And that is ALWAYS based on FACTS. Quote:
And what you find is NATURE. Anything else is made up and of no value other than as fairytale fun. It does not provide ANY value when it comes to understanding the universe we live in nor how to best live our actual lives. Quote:
Yes there are intellegent people that are followers of any number of religious superstition. However statistically, the better educated, the higher the IQ or the more highly regarded the Scientist (by their peers) the less apt they are to hold such beliefs. Quote:
Well I am. I am here to change MY POV. I am here to find out where I am wrong and what I don't know. And then to gladly adjust my POV in order to reflect the most accurate and knowledgable philosophy I can. I have only one life to offer. The ONLY way a personal can provide the most positive benefits to soceity is by following that path. Even if it takes additional effort. I am willing to make that effort." incredible! just like my essay! *beams* Quote:
It was intended as sarcastic humor, sorry if it was less than I had hoped. I have the utmost respect for all members of this forum. Our opinions do vary,.... however, I do respect your right to your opinions. The ultimate conclusion of any debate IS to change your opponents thinking,...don't you agree. There is no sense in discussing something without any plan for enlightening someone with the knowledge we have. Or,...conversely, accepting the facts presented and changing ones own worldview. You must admit that you do wish to not only share with me your opinions, but hope that I will see your point of view and adopt it as my own. I am willing to tell you that is my intention. Seems the real purpose of discussion. In the end we will likely agree that we disagree, but I look forward to the experience. OK,...that said,....lists of spiritual scientists does not prove the existence of a creator. I can provide a list of theologians that have changed their view and become atheistic, that also proves nothing other than human nature and our ability to change. There is no need to extrapolate a "creator" from what we do know. Your creator only comforts those that are uncomfortable with acknowledging the very real fact that there is much we do not know and may never know. Now,... admitting we may never know something is what rubs you believers the wrong way. YES,... it goes against our intuitive reasoning, but try to think logically, not intuitively. This is how a scientific mind sees thing, this is the knowledge you seek,...so really try. You may see things differently. and this one REALLY hits the spot: You hit that one out of the park Unc. Belief, esp belief based strictly on Faith, is wrong. We don't "believe" in "refrigerator". We don't HAVE to "believe" in it, we KNOW it exists. (Unless you want to argue that we can't KNOW if anything exists). You "believe" in something when you DON'T KNOW that it exists. I "accept" things as a matter of convenience. e.g. Gravity. Can I PROVE Gravity? No. Can I PROVE that there is not any other explantion that might some how be the more accurate explanation? I mean really, "curved time/sapce"? But if I didn't accept for convenience that something like gravity exists, I would never lift a foot off the ground, just in case I could never put it back down again, float off into space. But I know from many years of experience that I CAN lift my foot up and it will be pulled back down. Most likely it is the gravity thing that is doing it. It fits the description extremely well. It provides a very high degree of predictablity. We can throw hunks of metal millions/ billions of miles and they wind up within walking distance of where we wanted! All because of a THEORY we have we call Gravity. Gravity as an explanation serves my purpose very well. It is very well supported by empircal and controlled lab experiments. I have performed some of those experiments myself in fact. It does not violate any other estblished/ working theories or inderstandings. It offers a high degree of predictability. So I accept it as a matter of convenience. If someone comes along that can provide anywhere near that level of support for something, like angles all pushing down on us, and others can't show reasonable error/ it doesn't violate other things without providing a workable replacement, then I would be happy to reevaluate my decision. Meanwhile, I accept gravity as a matter of convenience. Think I'll walk downstairs and get something to drink! Test out that Gravity theory again! and a subsequent post by galaxy... Freethinker, I came here with an open mind, and posted the topic of "The creator" expecting to have an intellectual discussion about scientists and their opinion regarding the existence of God. A simple "No, I don't believe there is a creator because..." would have been enough, I would respect your opinion and move on. On the other hand, all you seem to do is try to change others opinion and try to belittle people who's opinion is different than yours. oh please, galaxy, what is the whole fucking point of an "intellectual discussion if no progress is made, no misguided opinions are corrected (not change, mind you, CORRECTED) and all people do is simply nod, say "ho hum, you're entitiled to your opinion", and then just bloody MOVE ON???? the screwed up cerebrums of certain people. remind me never to bang my head against anything hard ever again in future, lest i turn theist. sigh. i have to post this. taken off a science site cum forum which used to be my homepage: " Quote:
Well, this is a SCIENCE Site, as has been mentioned numerous times. As such, personal BELIEFS are of little value other than as a curiousity or example of how NOT to understand REALITY. Where we always butt heads is exactly at that point. You express your BELIEFS and don't care that you can't PROVE them. You have specifically stated that you BELIEVE in a god while admitting you have nothing that would serve as valid proof to support that belief. OK, then why get upset when I include your past statements in my posts? If you have issues with what I post because of my FACTS being wrong, PLEASE correct them. I am always anxious to find out where I am wrong and more than willing to change my stance when that happens. I would do no less for anyone here. And I would hope they would have the intellectual curiousity to also appreciate being corrected and the honesty to adapt their world view based on the corrected facts. Quote:
OK, yes I am intolerant. I can not stand by and watch the blatant attacks against logic and science we so often are confronted with here by those trapped in antiquated supersitions. I have, do and will attack any such misinformation and often outright lies (such as the claim that Einstien in any way had Theistic beliefs!). " three cheers for FreeThinker! (for those who know who he is)
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
WARNING : STUPIDITY ALERT! For another example of why the singapore education system has failed, please go here: http://www.blogger.com/profile/7607629 and here's a fine example of the pot calling the kettle black: "only12belove said... u know some people kept their money in the shoe .. maybe that is why ... but I feel just so sad for them as they are both very old ... for the woman, I am imagine all her dreams of a new life utterly destroyed .. they may be really stupid but hey, what's wrong with being stupid ... they still have the right to be happy isn't it..." =D plus, im a little bored right now, so do allow me some time to nitpick: Claris said... haha. i almost laughed off my chair. so dogs really dont get herpes. yay, my estimation is right. just how exactly do you laugh off a chair? or estimate that dogs don't get herpes? o_O I THINK IM FEELING TREMORS IF THERES ANY SORT OF EARTHQUAKE IN THE NEWS TML THEN I REALLY DID FEEL IT. HOHO.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
X indicates WATCHED ( )Napoleon Dynamite WHY NO MATRIX I SHALL ADD MATRIX IN: (X) The Matrix and just for fun, termainator too. (X) Terminator and some neat Colin Farrel movies, like: (X) Phone Booth Speaking of Daredevil, how can anyone miss out: (X) PEARL HARBOR?! ok this is so boliao. which lamer impersonated me, took my quiz, got full marks, and yet misspelled my email.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I made a Quiz for you! Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard! and part 2! I made a Quiz for you! Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard! and not counting yaxy's fired bb gun = fired gun crap, i got more crosses than he does!! ahahaha nubcaek. i can't tag at xinyang's tagboard!! uuurgh.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
i realise that people actually read my blog! just that no one tags. ho hum.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
taken from sheralyn's blog which was taken from a friendster bulletin. haveyouever: ( ) snuck out of the house ( ) gotten lost in your city ( ) seen a shooting star (X) had a serious surgery ( ) gone out in public in your pajamas ( ) kissed a stranger (X) hugged a stranger (X) been in a fist fight ( ) been arrested ( ) laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose (X) pushed all the buttons on an elevator (X) swore at your parent --er.but not in front of them ( ) been in love (X) been close to love ( ) been to a casino ( ) been skydiving ( ) broken a bone (X) been high ( ) skinny-dipped ( ) skipped school ( ) flashed someone ( ) saw a therapist ( ) played spin the bottle (X) gotten stitches (X) drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour--or water (X) bitten someone ( ) been to Disneyland (X) gotten the chicken pox (X) kissed a member of the same sex --looks at timo, ys, jingwen... -.-" (X) been to Japan (X) ridden in a taxi (X) shoplifted --china police can't possibly arrest me for this, can they? ( ) been fired ( ) had a crush on someone of the same sex (X) had feelings for someone who didn't reciprocate ( ) stolen something from your job ( ) gone on a blind date (X) lied to a friend (X) had a crush on a teacher ( ) been to Europe ( ) been married ( ) gotten divorced ( ) had children ( ) seen someone die (X) had a close friend die ( ) been to Africa (X) Been on a plane ( ) Purposely set a part of myself on fire (X) Eaten Sushi ( ) Been snowboarding ( ) Met someone in person from the internet ( ) lost a child ( ) done hard drugs ( ) tried killing yourself ( ) fired a gun -bb pellet guns? ^^ (X) purposely hurt yourself -ah. JUDO TRAINING. (X) taken painkillers ( ) miss someone right now hm. revealing.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
there are many stupid people in this world. i have just been reminded of that mind-numbing fact by visiting the comments section of xiaxue's latest post about IQ questions. how horrible! sometimes i wonder what it must feel like to be one of them. it's stuff like these http://www.blogger.com/profile/7389714 that really makes my blood curdle. shudder. i love march training camp man. can't wait for june camp! ^^ school sucks.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Alwyn, your best quality shines through in how Creative you are The fact that you're an inventive and creative person who usually has an abundance of imagination and ideas really draws people to you! But that's not the only thing. Your answers on the test indicate you're an independent person who is usually able to handle things in a self-sufficient manner. You are a smart person who is more able to understand complex concepts than many other people are, too. In all, there are 15 qualities that help define you when you're at your best. Those are the traits potential employers, friends, and partners look for in you. What makes you unique is your particular distribution of those 15 qualities. We've found that your particular combination of qualities is rare — only 1 in 10,000 people share the same general mix of traits. Those are great odds if you're trying to show a potential employer, colleague, friend, or date why you're exactly the right person for them. Alwyn, your true talent is spatial ability Your ability to visualize objects in three-dimensional space gives you a unique view of the world. Because of this talent, you are much better than most people at imagining new designs including floor plans, page layouts, and three dimensional objects. How do we know that's your true talent? While you were taking the test, we calculated your responses to each test question and rated your skills in 5 areas. You scored highest on spatial ability. People like you are usually great when it comes to putting together assemble-it-yourself furniture or other household items — whether the items arrive with instructions or not. Your spatial skills also help you understand the finer points of how things work. And that's just a small part of what we know about you from your test results. You also have other hidden talents that can have a dramatic effect on your career, your life and how other people see you. The test you've just taken is a short version of the Five Factor model of identity. Among psychology experts, this approach has become broadly accepted for its accuracy and consistency. The five dimensions in this model give a complete description of your personality traits: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Negative Emotionality. Read below to see your scores and understand what they mean. less curious more curious Openness To Experience Your high score in the Openness category means that you probably have a strong creative streak. Your broad intellectual curiosity and your interest in the various arts set you apart. Some people may consider you somewhat of a dreamer, and your taste for variety often means moving quickly on to the next experience. This tendency makes you appear a bit flighty and inconsistent. But these elements of your personality simply reflect a character full of new ideas and charged with emotions. less focused more focused Conscientiousness Your high score in the Conscientiousness category means that you feel a strong compulsion towards duty and responsibility. You are probably a very organized person, and pride yourself on your professional competence. Work is a very high priority in your life, and defines your vision of success. You have a careful attitude towards making decisions, and think them through carefully. With such a strong conscience, and a devotion to accomplishment, it's likely that you're considered extremely dependable. less extraverted more extraverted Extraversion Your medium score in the Extraversion category defines your social identity. You are probably comfortable in either a crowd or by yourself, and spending time alone or with company is equally enjoyable. When among others, you tend to stand in the foreground, although you may not always wish to take the position of a leader. Instead, you seem to prefer moving between the role of leader and follower, as the situation requires. You probably keep a moderately active social life; you're generally on the lookout for excitement, but certainly don't require it. You tend to keep a fairly positive emotional outlook, and people can usually count on your for some good cheer. less adaptive more adaptive Agreeableness The Agreeableness category refers to your social disposition. Your medium score indicates someone who balances the priorities of your own inner voice with the needs of others. You tend to be concerned with the harmony of the group, while maintaining a certain independence. Depending on the situation, you might adopt a stance that defers to the wishes of others, or else assert your own individuality. In this way, you have a great deal of tact, and believe in the situational equality of people. You probably have an approachable and kind personality. People probably admire you for your ability to speak your mind when appropriate. less reactive more reactive Negative Emotionality Negative Emotionality refers to your emotional reactivity. Your medium score means that you're someone who negotiates your emotions depending on your situation. Sometimes you may feel quite sensitive and emotional, while other times you may remain resilient to outside pressures. This quality of adaptation best describes your emotional character. You maintain a rational outlook, which is moderated by feelings. For example, you can sometimes feel sad, stressed, worried or embarrassed under the weight of a situation, but you are able to act quite calm and reserved, without yielding to the stress. Responsive, without being overly reactive, is the best way to describe you. Alwyn, your most positive energy is flowing from your Fourth Chakra This chakra is located in the center of your chest, near your heart. The fourth chakra represents higher emotions, such as love, tenderness, and compassion. In your case, this chakra appears to be clear and unblocked so that positive energy can flow from it freely. Radiating positive energy from your fourth chakra indicates that you've cultivated higher wisdom concerning the important life lessons associated with this energy center. You're apt to possess an emotional maturity and depth that allows you to empathize with others. Whether you're interacting with strangers or the people closest to you, your fourth chakra conveys the kind of true compassion that can set others at ease. Alwyn, on a scale of 1-100, your attraction factor is 72! How did we determine your attractiveness score? While you were taking the test, we measured your responses to questions on 5 attraction dimensions — appearance, attitude, body maintenance, energy and behavior. Here's what we found out: While your overall attraction factor is 72, you are getting most noticed by others for your appearance. Alwyn, when talking to your partner, you're a Diplomat. This means that you tend to be a cooperative partner with first-rate listening and negotiation skills. Above all, you seem to try to keep the lines of communication open between you and your significant other. In your mind, it's usually far better to talk about problems as they arise rather than sweep them under the rug. For you to really feel connected to your special someone, it's important that they hear and understand you. Ordinarily, you'll return this courtesy tenfold by paying close attention to your partner's perspective. The Brainteaser Test Are You A Mastermind? Alwyn, you answered 27 out of 30 questions correctly! Congratulations! Your score is in the 96th percentile. This means that if one hundred people took the test with you, your score would rank higher than 95 of them on average. When we analyzed your test, we also discovered that when it comes to quantitative ability, you measure in the 100th percentile. This score indicates you have unusually strong abilities when it comes to solving numerical problems. If there is a numerical pattern to be found, you'll find it. You've got a knack for noticing when something "isn't right." Whether you're conscious of it or not, you have an ability to simply understand when something doesn't add up. Also, when it comes to splitting the check, doing taxes, or determining the number of fans in a baseball stadium, you're the one people turn to. --- hmm.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
i cannot, for the life of me, understand why certain christians are so. some skulls are just impervious to logic, i guess. so is it by mere coincidence that these very same people fare so badly in their math and sciences? --- "Idiots in high places."
Sunday, March 06, 2005
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/are_we_alone.html?132005 Are We Alone? Mar 1, 2005 - "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860) Are we alone? Given the immensity of the Cosmos, a mathematical impossibility. Will we ever come to know we are not alone? That's a tougher question. But should first contact occur today we could be in for a shock1. So right now may be a good time to prepare. And perhaps the best way to prepare is to imagine the possibility... Numerous psychological studies have shown that "imagining a thing" makes us more receptive to the possibility. In fact many of the great breakthroughs in scientific thought came about as a result of the proper use of the creative imagination. Sir Isaac Newton saw the motions of all moons and planets everywhere in the simple fall of a ripe apple from the boughs of a tree. Albert Einstein perceived the relativity of all time and space while contemplating the accelerated motion of a trolley car moving away from the face of a public clocktower. We human beings might want to take a few moments and think about how we will respond should ET make an appearence in our small corner of the cosmos. So, take a moment and relax. (Yes it's true, deep breathing does help!) Imagine a universe populated with many and diverse forms of intelligent life. Extend yourself through time and space toward distant systems of suns and planets. See simple organisms thrilling to the rhythms of light and matter working in harmony to develop ever more sophisticated life-forms. Follow the earliest interstellar craft as they move tirelessly from system to system toward some distant beckoning beacon of promise. Surf beams of radiant energy flung like arrows from far away lighthouses upon the Ocean of Space. Someday such imaginings may be confirmed by rock solid science - perhaps SETI will detect an indisputable signal from beyond, or "Michael Rennie" emerges as an emissary from the Galactic Federation of Planetary Systems trailed by Gort - the Wonder Robot. Given the likelihood that such space-faring or highly communicative intelligences exist, and given all the billions of years for off-world intelligence to develop the means to travel and communicate, plus our own recent efforts to find them out, why don't we know already? One, and possibly the very best answer is "We aren't ready." The human imagination also has its down-side: Imagine the initial shock and ridicule as we humans attempt to upright a world overturned by what for many will be an impossible event. Consider also how governments and institutions, groups and individuals, have responded to similar reports in the past. Remember "Mars-rock"? Do we hear much of it now? And what about pilot Hap Arnold's "flying saucer" report. Can we really say that we have taken clear-headed, scientific looks at such things? Or is our normal response one of incredulity and ridicule? Hmmmm... To know is to see truth wherever it may be found. No, we're not saying that UFO's have visited the Earth. What we are saying is that our response to those who make such claims is often one of ridicule and disrespect. Is it not possible that compassion and open-mindedness would be more appropriate? So let's seek truth where it can be found - right here on Earth. We can start by looking for unsuspected signs of intelligence around us2. Let's take a clear-eyed look at our animal friends by setting aside prejudices concerning their intelligence. Those goldfish in the aquarium can be surprisingly sensitive about things. Walk near the tank during the day and they ignore you. Come feeding time, and you are the most interesting thing in the world to them. To be sure we are very unlikely to learn that the universe is suffused with intelligence until we get past our own anthrocentrism. It took a lot of hard work (and self-sacrifice) by Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo just to get western society to finally step "up to the edge" and see that the Blue Planet is most definitely not flat nor does it act as the axis around which all things celestial swing. And even with the signs of intelligence abounding on our homeworld today we persist in thinking that all creatures exist for us, our amusement, our purposes. Under such conditions can we possibly appreciate how truly intelligent they are? And to be more germane, do we really think ET might want to come out and play with us under such circumstances? Today we don't seem to be ready to accept anything other than the myth of being alone. Yes, one way to tell this does have to do with how we relate to other creatures on the Blue Planet, but there are other reasons to doubt our readiness as well. Consider our political institutions; Why is it that our leaders and their associates spend so much time "down-playing" the truth of things, presenting specious arguments to motivate behavior, or putting controversial issues into the spin cycle? Is it because of hidden political or economic agendas? Or possibly because they don't believe we can handle reality3? Meanwhile high overhead, ET approaches the Earth - third stone from the Sun - and initiates a scan of the EM spectrum. Newscasts portray crisis after crisis, violence, conflict, bloodshed, environmental degradation. How would you - an intelligent being from elsewhere respond? Personally, I'd activate the cloaking device. ET is no dummy - he/she/it is after all an intelligent life-form possessed of advanced technology. One scan of Earth's broadcast media and ET soon comes to see that this is not a place to be trifled with: The natives are restless. Emotion overrules reason. Reaction upstages proaction. Nations practice deception and ill-will in relationships - internal and external. Angry voices shout each other down - not just on the streets but in the houses of governance as well. We are not a happy bunch. And yet the future remains always a bright star of possibility. Hope springs eternal in ET's breast (or left antibular thorax as the case may be...) ET of course, has seen such things before. Countless worlds of lesser and greater advancement have been encountered. Before ET learned the wisdom of keeping a safe distance, he-she-it actually tried to help a few troubled worlds such as our own. In the end ET may have had to overcome shock, ignorance, even bloody insurgencies. Costs were great, rewards few. Now ET waits - waits for us to pass certain tests - tests defined in some intragalactic protocol: "The Prime Directive". So the hailing frequencies are locked down. ET goes stealth. "Subspace" signals are transmitted to ET Central: "Earthlings are still at it. Planet approaching ecological crisis. Species dying off. The few have much, many have little. Schedule re-visit next solar maximum. Report over and out." Today our instruments can peer back to the very threshold of the Big Bang - nearly 13.7 million lightyears distant in time and space, millions and millions of galaxies, billions and billions of Suns. Who knows how many planets - many equal to or superior to our own in fecundity and arability. Some populated as yet only by single-cell organisms. Others by beings possessed of no organic form whatsoever. It doesn't even take the imagination to see the possibility anymore. Those of us interested in astronomy also read and watch science fiction. All the heavy lifting has been done for us. Fantastic lifeforms dwell in fabulous environs undergoing incredible adventures: Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon Five - you name it - we've seen it. And yes, many of us believe in our hearts - but even so, we want to know. Even now we scan the heavens seeking proof. The SETI project is bringing its array of parallel narrow-band scanning recievers on line. We hope against hope that some not-too-circumspect intelligence is out there broadcasting narrowband signals intentionally (or not) seeking to conclusively demonstrate their presence in our universe. Will SETI find them out? And if so, how will we respond to the reality? It is possible to uncover intelligence in this way, but intelligent life-forms not only learn from experience but in advance of experience as well. Do we here on Earth choose to project our presence intentionally into the interstellar medium4? No - that particular notion has already been discarded and perhaps wisely so. We know what we are like - others could be worse! Psychology plays a big role in choices made by intelligent creatures. When they don't trust others, they "down-play" the truth or offer specious arguments. When they make mistakes, they put things in the "spin cycle". When they see other intelligences doing these kinds of things with great regularity they know that contact is to be avoided. Perhaps this is at essence in first contact protocol. Until truth is welcomed - even at the expense of notions held dear - a world is not ready. Otherwise the cost of engagement is too high, benefits too low, and outcomes too unpredictable - or worse - dangerous. But we may detect extraterrestial intelligence in other ways. It's a solid assumption that all advancing technologies pass through a broadband em broadcast phase. During such an era civilizations "leak" evidence of their existence. Unfortunately, even our largest radio telescope would be hard pressed to detect broadband transmissions - such as Earth's - from as close as the Alpha Centauri system. Meanwhile the window on em broadcast may even be closing here on earth. How many of us watch television programs delivered by antenna today? Less than a half-century ago every house had its own "rabbit ears". One-hundred years from now we may be EM mute... We might also intercept a signal in transit between two worlds. Such an event would be serendipitous - luck would play a huge role. First we would have to be more or less line of sight. Why? Because the tighter such a signal is foused the further it travels without attenuation. Although laser (and maser) transmissions do diffract over great distances, we would still need to be well-placed to pick one up. Meanwhile such signals may not necessarily be narrow band in frequency. Why? Because phase-modulated transmission may be the most efficient way to transmit pictures, sounds, and data across space5. Despite all these barriers to revelation what practical steps can we now take to prepare for some future "first contact"? Assisted by writers of science fiction and purveyors of motion pictures, we've already made a start by imagining the possibility. Animal behaviorists have helped prepare us by investigating various types and degrees of intelligence in the natural world. Psychologists and socioligists have done the same thing in the realms of our own species. Meanwhile on an individual basis we can all learn to pay more attention to intelligence as seen within our families, among friends, associates - and even strangers. (Perhaps especially strangers.) All this makes us more aware of what intelligence is and how it is communicated. On the broadest possible levels we must all further our ability to welcome and speak truth - despite any pain it may leave in its wake. Having done our own personal work, "homeworld work" can go forward. Collectively we can work together to expunge the seeds and uproot the weeds of war on the planet. Although this means holstering our weapons, it also means overcoming a persistent propensity toward propaganda, religious strife, scientific contention, and undue corporate economic advantage. And of great importance at this time is the need to be more supportive of other homeworld species - irrespective of intelligence. Ecology teaches us that every creature plays an important role in Earth's biosphere. Perhaps it should become a matter of human education, demographical planning, economics, and political activity to ensure that this particular insight truly guides our choices and behavior. After all so long as we remain exploitative of lesser species no truly intelligent extraterrerestial species is likely to have much to do with us. Scarier still, if there are any "bad boys" out there, they could easily rationalize "taking over the joint". So let's say we clean up our act. What happens next? Isn't that enough? To live in a world where truth multiplies, nature is respected, intelligence is recognized, and peace reigns supreme is actually quite appealing in itself - for most intelligences worthy of interstellar relations. But this article is not about social transformation per se - it's about the very real possibility of first contact - something that could transpire even before our children take a leading role in the unfolding story of human history. Are we ready to get ready? If intelligence can germinate here, it can flower elsewhere. Why, of course, it's all so - "self-evident!" |
