Why do we look for ET?
So, the Kepler Space Telescope will be launched on March 5th. It will allow us, for the first time, to easily spot Earth-sized extra-solar planets based on the shadows they create when passing in front of their suns. Kepler will be followed up by two more telescopes - the Terrestrial Planet Finder, and Darwin - sometime within the next 10-12 years, which will aim to observe light reflecting off these planets, and analyze spectra so that we may discern the gases present in their atmospheres. Planets at a comfortable distance from their sun, harboring an atmosphere rich with nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, would make ideal candidates for further astrobiological exploration.
Awesome, if you ask me. But while reading about this, I started to wonder. What is it about us as a species, that we seem so desperate to prove that we're not alone? And why is the idea of not just alien life but advanced alien civilization so exciting to us? Because while looking for life in general is interesting, we don't really want to find bacteria or algae, do we. No even an extraterrestrial cow will satisfy. No, the real goal is and always has been to find someone out there like us. I'm sure many people have their own independent reasons, and there are certainly those who don't find this exciting at all, who would prefer that we are unique, or who fear what we might find out there. But it seems to me that the general populace really, really want to find someone else out there. I know I do.
Now, sure, you could look at it from a practical perspective and say that we want to expand trade and profit, discover new technologies, and have fantastic Starfleet-esque adventures, to infinity and beyond. But I think there's more at work than that simplistic imperial view. It's not the same as the early parts of the last millennium, although I understand that maybe it's hard for me to imagine that when I wasn't there myself. What we hear about now are explorers who traveled long distances over land and sea to create trade routes and exploit local peoples, but there probably were sailors back then who found the prospects of discovering a long-lost civilization exciting in and of itself. But as alien as the Gweagal were to Captain Cook, or the natives of the West Indies to Columbus and his men, those they found were not only undoubtedly human, but also considered inferior and quickly subjugated. Columbus himself wrote that he was personally disappointed by his discovery, as the "Indians" had nothing he felt was worth trading for. I hope that if we manage to find anyone else out there, we will act toward them with much greater respect than European explorers showed the people they came across. Perhaps luckily, if we do find other technologically advanced cultures, they will be much harder to reach.
Are we lonely, as a species? Are we just afraid that we're the only kid on the playground, and all we want is a friend who will play on the monkey bars with us? It's hard for me to say. I don't feel particularly lonely. I do agree with Carl Sagan's famous quotation, paraphrased from an earlier sentiment by Thomas Carlyle - "If [the stars] be not inhabited, what a waste of space." But neither do I think that that is our motivation for looking, despite our innate sense for aesthetics.
So, I don't have an answer. Maybe some of you do. Why do we look? Why are we so desperate to find someone else to talk to? What is so fascinating about the prospect of having galactic neighbors? Will we go to cookouts together? Will we share our toys?
Awesome, if you ask me. But while reading about this, I started to wonder. What is it about us as a species, that we seem so desperate to prove that we're not alone? And why is the idea of not just alien life but advanced alien civilization so exciting to us? Because while looking for life in general is interesting, we don't really want to find bacteria or algae, do we. No even an extraterrestrial cow will satisfy. No, the real goal is and always has been to find someone out there like us. I'm sure many people have their own independent reasons, and there are certainly those who don't find this exciting at all, who would prefer that we are unique, or who fear what we might find out there. But it seems to me that the general populace really, really want to find someone else out there. I know I do.
Now, sure, you could look at it from a practical perspective and say that we want to expand trade and profit, discover new technologies, and have fantastic Starfleet-esque adventures, to infinity and beyond. But I think there's more at work than that simplistic imperial view. It's not the same as the early parts of the last millennium, although I understand that maybe it's hard for me to imagine that when I wasn't there myself. What we hear about now are explorers who traveled long distances over land and sea to create trade routes and exploit local peoples, but there probably were sailors back then who found the prospects of discovering a long-lost civilization exciting in and of itself. But as alien as the Gweagal were to Captain Cook, or the natives of the West Indies to Columbus and his men, those they found were not only undoubtedly human, but also considered inferior and quickly subjugated. Columbus himself wrote that he was personally disappointed by his discovery, as the "Indians" had nothing he felt was worth trading for. I hope that if we manage to find anyone else out there, we will act toward them with much greater respect than European explorers showed the people they came across. Perhaps luckily, if we do find other technologically advanced cultures, they will be much harder to reach.
Are we lonely, as a species? Are we just afraid that we're the only kid on the playground, and all we want is a friend who will play on the monkey bars with us? It's hard for me to say. I don't feel particularly lonely. I do agree with Carl Sagan's famous quotation, paraphrased from an earlier sentiment by Thomas Carlyle - "If [the stars] be not inhabited, what a waste of space." But neither do I think that that is our motivation for looking, despite our innate sense for aesthetics.
So, I don't have an answer. Maybe some of you do. Why do we look? Why are we so desperate to find someone else to talk to? What is so fascinating about the prospect of having galactic neighbors? Will we go to cookouts together? Will we share our toys?