Stephen Hawking on extra-terrestrials
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Ameer Hamza
THE world's best known living astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking, has cautioned earthlings against trying to get in touch with intelligent aliens, should they exist on other planets. The probability of such extra-terrestrial life in the infinite universe is quite high, adds Hawking, in a recent documentary on Discovery channel, but it would not be wise to court proximity with them. Why ? Look at ourselves, what we are capable of, seemed to be Hawking's response ! Remember what happened to the ancient civilizations of the Americas when Columbus and his plunderers pounced on them ? God knows what the shape and size of ETs would be, but if they are 'intelligent' enough like us, and should they ever visit us , they might simply loot all our wealth and not bother to tarry a while on planet Earth !
Call it Hawking's sense of humour or cynicism, but this warning would hardly deflate members of the exclusive space club, SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). Their esoteric quest is bound to continue. In fact, at the turn of the twentieth century --- in 1999, precisely ---- SETI opened its doors to some ITC-savvy men and women because it had decided to embark on a down-to-earth computer programme to involve those who had enough intellectual curiosity to come on board, helping in the quest for cosmic intelligence.
A computer network was designed specifically to help aspiring SETI nerds to sharpen their senses, keep their antennas up and to receive possible signals from other entities/ civilizations within our own Milky Way galaxy at least, or the millions and millions of other galaxies strewn over this awesome universe, one that never ceases to fascinate human beings, ever since they started using their grey cells.
Hard-nosed scientists, serious spiritual travelers and light-weight cranks alike have been intrigued by the inconceivable vastness of the humanly-perceptible universe, and the 'Infinite Unknown'. What is the meaning of it all ? It seems absolutely irrational that intelligent life should be existing only on a single, tiny planet, revolving round an average-size sun on the edge of the Milky Way. Is it reasonable to suppose we are the only life-form that has evolved thus far to question, to seek meaning and value of all that we perceive ? Are we really so alone ?
But should ego-centric seekers, armed with giant radio telescopes and other super technology that can beam messages across aeons, be looking for humanoids ? Vain as we are, many do love to imagine that extra terrestrial intelligence will be funny little bipeds created in the image of Man ! Science fiction writers and related film makers of course are much more wildly fertile in their imagination today. The fact of the matter is, nobody knows yet where the search would lead. Bacteria and virae are believed to be visitors from 'up there' and are certainly ETs, but humans keep longing for other creatures, creatures they could consort with, so to say !
THE world's best known living astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking, has cautioned earthlings against trying to get in touch with intelligent aliens, should they exist on other planets. The probability of such extra-terrestrial life in the infinite universe is quite high, adds Hawking, in a recent documentary on Discovery channel, but it would not be wise to court proximity with them. Why ? Look at ourselves, what we are capable of, seemed to be Hawking's response ! Remember what happened to the ancient civilizations of the Americas when Columbus and his plunderers pounced on them ? God knows what the shape and size of ETs would be, but if they are 'intelligent' enough like us, and should they ever visit us , they might simply loot all our wealth and not bother to tarry a while on planet Earth !
Call it Hawking's sense of humour or cynicism, but this warning would hardly deflate members of the exclusive space club, SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). Their esoteric quest is bound to continue. In fact, at the turn of the twentieth century --- in 1999, precisely ---- SETI opened its doors to some ITC-savvy men and women because it had decided to embark on a down-to-earth computer programme to involve those who had enough intellectual curiosity to come on board, helping in the quest for cosmic intelligence.
A computer network was designed specifically to help aspiring SETI nerds to sharpen their senses, keep their antennas up and to receive possible signals from other entities/ civilizations within our own Milky Way galaxy at least, or the millions and millions of other galaxies strewn over this awesome universe, one that never ceases to fascinate human beings, ever since they started using their grey cells.
Hard-nosed scientists, serious spiritual travelers and light-weight cranks alike have been intrigued by the inconceivable vastness of the humanly-perceptible universe, and the 'Infinite Unknown'. What is the meaning of it all ? It seems absolutely irrational that intelligent life should be existing only on a single, tiny planet, revolving round an average-size sun on the edge of the Milky Way. Is it reasonable to suppose we are the only life-form that has evolved thus far to question, to seek meaning and value of all that we perceive ? Are we really so alone ?
But should ego-centric seekers, armed with giant radio telescopes and other super technology that can beam messages across aeons, be looking for humanoids ? Vain as we are, many do love to imagine that extra terrestrial intelligence will be funny little bipeds created in the image of Man ! Science fiction writers and related film makers of course are much more wildly fertile in their imagination today. The fact of the matter is, nobody knows yet where the search would lead. Bacteria and virae are believed to be visitors from 'up there' and are certainly ETs, but humans keep longing for other creatures, creatures they could consort with, so to say !