Paul Davies - Can We Survive Alien Biospheres?

Paul Davies - Can We Survive Alien Biospheres?

Starship Century is a symposium coordinated by the new Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination in collaboration with Gregory and James Benford, presenting ideas from their anthology of science and science fiction.

[taiwanjohn]

@2m There's a word for that. Rich Hall, who was on SNL in the 80's, published a book called 'Sniglets' which are made-up words which 'ought' to exist. He defines "point blimfark' as the point at which wagon wheels in an old Western appear to start turning backwards.

[paulziolo]

Davies is perfectly correct about the possibility of life having arisen more than once in the history of the Earth. The question is: which life is 'alien'? Life #1? Life#2? Life#n? There remain many unsolved mysteries in the history of terrestrial life: the 'Cambrian explosion', the swift repopulation of Earth following mass extinctions, the persistence of atavistic relics such as the coelacanth, the crocodilia genus and the Komodo dragon. Despite possibly multiple origins, planetary conditions will have dictated a high degree of evolutionary convergence, hence the existence of multiple hominids. Although ot is said that only homo sap remains - I personally doubt it. Humanity is NOT a single 'we-are-the-world' type family but a speciation crucible. The persistence of schizophrenia, autism, Aspergers and other relational so-called 'disorders' suggest the presence of 'aliens in our midst'. The title of Hans Jonas' 1958 book: The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Rise of Christianity is also highly suggestive. Most 'old-style' Christians believe they are not of this world and that they will finally return to their world of origin following a final apocalyptic war with the 'children of this world'. Davies is one of those top-ranking scientists who recognises the psychohistorical power of religion and its pivotal role in catalysing a recursively self-enhancing, scientific-technological civilisation.

[resurrectedstarships]

Seems to me that with some considerations his conclusion is - We Don't Know - it depends, and MAYBE we can test it, but it might be inconclusive!

[davet]

I hope the upside down glasses on the maggoo dude is a stupid joke.