Re: SETI
- From: "Pavil Natanovich" <pasha582@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 26 Apr 2006 08:31:22 -0700
What we call intelligence, and which is unique to Homo Sapiens Sapiens,
Unique on our planet...
is the result of some rather improbable evolution. Had the events on
Earth played out in any other way than the way they did (and with a few
highly improbable collisions with celestial objects perfectly timed)
the history of life on Earth would be vastly different, and we would
not be here. Intelligence is not the easiest advantage to obtain by
Granted. That is not to say, however, some other species would not
have evolved intelligence.
evolution. In fact, of all the millions of species on Earth, only ONE
lineage has attained human intelligence. It is far easier to be fast,
big, poisonous, or numerous, than smart.
Agreed, which is why fast, big, poisonous, and numerous have been 600
million year old trends.
What possible reason do we have to suppose that events on other worlds
parallel ours? In the entire universe, it is extremely unlikely to have
occurred more than once.
Events need not have paralleled ours. We don't expect to find bipedal
hominids on other planets--unlike what you see on Star Trek. As for
how likely or unlikely intelligence might be, we have no way of knowing
without star surveys. And the surveys give us lots of information--not
just whether or not SETI exists.
Chances are very good we will never find what we never look for. The
cost of SETI is small, and the potential payoff is huge--whether
extraterrestrials or technologically more advanced than us or not.
Personally I suspect that given suitable conditions, life is probably
fairly likely. My guess is that a large fraction of habitable planets
probably harbor life. Using earth as my single data point, I suspect
most planets that have life have single celled organisms only. For at
least three quarters of earth's history there were no multicelluar
creatures.
As you pointed out, of the hundreds of millions of species that ever
existed on our planet, only one developed significant intelligence.
However, studies indicate the ratio of brain size to body mass has been
gradually increasing in many species over the past few hundred million
years--not just ours. The closely related hominid Neandertal actually
had a larger brain/body ratio than we do. Who could say what other
species might have eventually developed technology, had ours not first
filled that niche? Given another hundred million years--look how much
has changed just since the end of the Cretaceous.
So I agree the probability of finding other intelligent life is
extremely small, and I further agree it is quite likely we may never
find it--even if it does exist. Maybe their religious beliefs prohibit
them from broadcasting radio signals into space. Who knows? But it is
still worth the search. SETI is not funded by the federal government,
even though it should be. The research aids the development of new
technology, including cryptoanalysis, which has applications far beyond
SETI.
But, it has been decided that we have far better things to spend our
money on, such as huge tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, and the
funding of offshore bank accounts for the elite, and, of course,
unprovoked wars of aggression against foreign nations, and the funding
of nobid reconstruction contracts--did I mention corporate welfare?
Far better the money should go to proven sources such as heads of
private enterprises, than that any pittance might fall to a bunch of
freaky science gearheads. God only knows what might happen should they
prove ETI exists--it could actually damage folk's religious faith back
here at home! Then who'd elect the next president in tune with Jesus?
.
- References:
- SETI
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