While we ponder our political fate here in this backwater corner of the universe, what is possibly going on 'out there'? Did this strange chemical/electrical combination called life occur anywhere else? Did it arise only to be smashed out of existence by a meteor (ala dinosaur extinction) or blow itself out of existence in nuclear warfare (as we may just do some day) or become paranoid and go into hiding? Is anybody, besides me, doing seti@home? [ http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ ] So far I have processed 292 work units from the Arecibo radio telescope. I think it would be fascinating to find that other intelligent life exists in the universe.

From watching movies and reading books one gets the impression that our government doesn't think we could handle the idea. Is this a valid impression or are the movies makers just making that up? Would the general population really go bonkers or would they find it "exciting and new"? Thom H. To the stars and beyond!

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2000

Answers

Stow-aways! I think we are infested with stow-aways. Is it a problem? Depends if they get into the plumbing. I think they have and it is a problem.

virus free strawberries produce 25,000 qts/acre vs a good yield of 5000 qts/acre for standard, infected plants. Suppose animals are similarly suppressed.

I think the stow-aways are bigger than a prion or virus. Look for mimicry without common genetics. Hmmmm.... What of non-carbon based live? I'd presume no competition for niche but maybe not.

My cousin is processing for seti. I think that stupid plaque was a mistake. Sagin was a fool to think that other "higher" lifeforms would not be at least as unpleasent as we are. I fear the cold war ended a bit too soon and that as a species we have not developed the teeth we need to have as a spacefaring species.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2000

I remember a discussion of the "tragedy of the commons" (where a shared resource such as a fishery is a commons, and where there is no overarching authority it seems reflexive to maximize one's own share, even if it results in overextraction, then the commons fails...) where the science-fiction writer was speculating that facing a "commons" context that perhaps civilizations were of Type I or Type II. The Type I civilizations reflexively went for maximal gain, trashed the commons, and self-extinguished. The Type II civilizations reflexively did something else that didn't sunder the commons, and were the type that became spacefaring.

I was merrily reading this until hit with "Uh-oh" sensation thinking about our forests and fisheries. Definitely Type I types around here...

Regarding sensibilities of other spacefaring types - without samples it's pretty hard not to project one's sentiments on the unknown. Kzinti or Organians?

The stowaway idea need not be particularily malicious. Doesn't the famous astronomer Fred Hoyle propose that Terran flu pandemics are extra-terrestrial in nature given the simultaneity of breakout in pre-airplane days? The snip I read posited something about comet tails crossing Earth orbit. I know that "alien" has something to do with "different" and that folklore/culturally wise "different" usually is associated with negative, but does that rationale apply here?

It strikes me that our natural history has been a series of "de-specializing" our characteristics - not at center of universe, not at center of solar system, not anywhere near center of galaxy, not only solar system with planets... I'd be extremely surprised if ours was the only life supporting site.

Languaging primates... now there's another question.

-- Anonymous, April 08, 2000