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Five - EXTRATERRESTRIALS

  Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.
Emerson
 

In the July 2000 issue of Scientific American, there is an article by Ian Crawford entitled Where Are They?. This article refers to the alien cultures who are supposed to be relatively near us in the universe. The article is a good one. You should read it.

Many of us make a number of assumptions about contact with alien cultures. These assumptions have led to the establishment and the efforts of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). SETI attempts to discover other intelligent life by monitoring electromagnetic emissions (primarily radio waves) from space. It might be advisable to examine some of these assumptions.

First we must assume that this ET (Extraterrestrial Intelligence) exists. The probability of this, within our present framework of knowledge, is a large one. Odds are, the ET does exist.

Second, the ET is sufficiently like us to make communication possible. In other words, the ET has the same basic time frame as our own, our curiosity about the universe, etc. Chances are that with the expected number of ET types out there, some of them will conform to our expectations.

Third, the ET is advanced enough to be able to use radio to communicate. This one is dubious. Odds are that some ET types will have developed radio. Others will not have developed radio. Still others will have gone far beyond our knowledge of radio and will be using a better means of communication. The ones who now use radio will find that it requires too much power to be practical for use in broadcasting to the universe at large (see an article entitled Intergalactically Speaking by George W. Swenson, Jr., also in the July 2000 issue of Scientific American). According to the author with minimal antenna areas the required transmitting power greatly exceeds the generating capacity of the world. With mammoth antennas, on the other hand, the power requirements are modest, but the transmitting and receiving beams are so narrow it would be almost impossible for the would-be correspondents to find one another in the unfathomably large volumes of galactic space.

At the end of this article is more:   As this analysis suggests, the use of radio waves as a medium for making interstellar contact is discouraging. The galaxy's enormous distances inevitably require fantastic measures - stunningly high transmitter power or huge antennas and impractically narrow beams... Certainly the kind of systems that would be needed... are probably beyond the resources of ... Earth... even if contact could... be made, the time delay before a response to a message would be received might very well stretch into many centuries... this is clearly a project for many generations in succession... In all likelihood, it would require an enduring organization based on immutable dogma - like one of the world's major religions.

The foregoing arguments are ones with which I wholeheartedly agree. The few ET types who may be within our technological time frame would not be able to mount the resources or to have the will to sustain a long-range communication effort. But what of those which have gone beyond us?

Those who have gone beyond will, very likely, have progressed only because they have passed certain tests that the universe gives to all so-called intelligent life. It seems fair to say that life everywhere in the universe will have evolved to our level through competition. This presupposes war and weapons development leading to the point where a race can annihilate itself. The test is to survive beyond the possible annihilation point. Those who survive beyond that point would very likely have a different perspective than we. They would be wise enough to have gone beyond our paranoia, greed, and selfishness. And if they had actually evolved without the need for competition, then they would never have developed our greed and selfishness. In either of these two scenarios, they would have realized that we are insane and would prefer to avoid us (why try to talk with someone who is stark raving mad?).

The second test is to get beyond the pollution barrier. Once a race has become wise enough to meet the first test, this second one should be an easy one to meet. There is only one way to avoid the ultimate pollution of a planet and the ensuing consequences. That way is to control the population so that it does not exceed the number which can live on the planet without adversely changing the environment.

At this time on Earth, there are two basic reasons for overpopulation. Both are consequences of the fact that our biological evolution is largely based upon competition. The first is each group's fear of being overrun by other groups. Since life began on Earth, each species has attempted to become as numerous as possible. Humans have had families, clans, tribes, religions, corporations, and governments who have advocated procreation so that the group can dominate and thus survive comfortably among the other groups. Even when some of us have reached a stage where we do not feel that we need to have our group continue to grow, our traditions force us to continue in this growth.

The seond reason is the biological need for sex. This need can be met without the population growing because we have the means to prevent births when we wish to do so. But once again, our traditions often prevent us from doing so.

On a planet in which paranoia, greed, and selfishness has been overcome, it is but a short step to overcoming the pollution barrier. But any ET types which have overcome such a barrier will consider us too insane and too stupid to be trusted. Nor would such an ET have any desire to migrate except in the case of a disaster such as the destruction of his residence from natural causes.

The third test is the one of objectivity and true intelligence. As long as a group has a belief system that is counter to survival or is insistent upon proselytizing, it is indicating a lack of objectivity and intelligence and may not survive the natural disasters of the universe (giant meteor impacts, climate changes, etc.). Such groups are a waste of time to our advanced ET types and we would probably not be contacted.

Regardless of the number of tests for our advanced ET types to pass, it seems apparent that they would have nothing in common with us and no need to talk to us. In fact, they would find it uncomfortable to do anything but observe us if they could do so. After all, we are rather backward and somewhat unique examples of cosmic comedy. Which leads me to mention a very possible fourth test - the one of having a good sense of humor. Our advanced ET types would be very likely to have an advanced sense of humor.

The fourth assumption for ET contact, is that an advanced ET would wish to communicate with us. This has already been covered.

The fifth assumption is that we have not yet been contacted. Very likely, we have been contacted but in ways that we do not recognize or acknowledge. We would probably not recognize an advanced form of PCM. If UFO's are ET vehicles, we do not officially acknowledge that they exist. So let's examine these things further.

How would an advanced ET choose to communicate? This ET would probably use a form of PCM. It (or he or she) would not use radio as we know it because it would be too slow. Instead, the ET would use a much faster means of communication.

How would an advanced ET think in terms of travel between stars? It would not wish to have colonies except what would be needed to avert its own demise as a race in case of a local disaster - because it has already learned to take care of its own planet and has no desire to overpopulate. It might be interested in trade of a very sophisticated nature. Space travel is too time-consuming and requires too much effort to simply use it to buy alien groceries. It would have to be curious enough to wish to look at other places, so perhaps exploratory vehicles would be reasonable investments as long as extremely fast communication between the home world and the vehicle were possible.

So it seems that deep space vehicles might be launched. If so, how fast would they go? Travel between stars would probably never exceed the speed of light. According to the currently accepted theories, such an accomplishment is not possible in this universe. According to the theory developed by Mart Gibson and myself, FTL travel is even more unlikely. So in cosmic terms, any spacecraft developed by the advanced ET would probably be slow.

This means that the craft would have to be almost as long-term self-sustaining as a planet. Generations of its crew would have to pass between one port and another. Perhaps the longevity of the crew could be extremely long, but in the passage of hundreds of years, it would seem that even cloning new bodies would be inadequate to prolong one's life.

If we suppose that almost instantaneous communication between the home world and the ship would be possible, then the cultural bond would remain. This would be especially true if the energy for this faster-than-light communication were free, originating from a distant part of the universe. Does such a concept seem beyond any possibility? Perhaps not. The universe is a perfect place for communication and navigation at long distances using the energy and the positions of pulsars which are supposedly neutron stars formed from the gravitational collapse of stars which have exploded. There are other huge sources of radiant energy as well and they can be tapped.

 

Join the company of lions
rather than assume the lead among foxes.
The Talmud
 

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