| Scientists and Questions In the late Twentieth Century, mankind was first able to make serious attempts at communication with alien species thanks to advancing technology. People were not long in realizing that the scientific community would have to share ideas resources, and findings if they were to succeed. Even more important was the need for discussion of ethical and theoretical issues surrounding the possibility of extraterrestrial life. To encourage discussion, governments and institutions hosted seminars and discussions. The following is a reconstruction of a debate during a very important seminar. The reconstruction was found in an old archive. The location of the seminar is no longer known, but the seminar was held in the year 2142 AD. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- �I wonder if we shouldn�t just have some lunch now. This debate is going to drag on forever, isn�t it?� �Possibly,� mumbled Dr. Matthews, barely paying attention to the last remark, �but what I was saying was that Dr. Rothford�s idea is terribly short-sighted. It�s horribly limiting to think like that and believe that life other than �life as we know it� is mere speculation to be dismissed.� �That isn�t science!� bit back Dr. Rothford. �It�s science fiction.� He sat back and glared across the large conference room. The area was well-furnished and held a large oval table around which were gathered thirty-five of the best minds and most prominent figures connected with mankind�s search for fellow civilizations in the cosmos. The room was heavy with intense minds, intense beliefs, and many intense stares offered during intense debate. �Well,� volunteered Maria Alanova, �we know we�re treading a fine line. We�ve got to be able to pursue the concept of life far different than ourselves with a good deal of imagination, but we can�t let our imaginations run away with us. That�s why we approach this problem as scientists and not novelists like some of us might think.� �If there is life that is fundamentally different from us, there probably wouldn�t be any way for us to communicate at all. If we couldn�t communicate, then why bother to even work with theories that try to picture these supposed alternate life-forms?� This came from Dr. Martin, a newer and fairly agnostic member of the delegation. �We�re supposed to be the proponents of this search,� answered Dr. Baker, making a partial parry to Martin�s statement. �If you want some reasons why we should be looking our hardest for life in forms the most foreign to us,� added Maria Alanova, �I have a couple.� Her right fist was perched on her hip as she leaned forward, looking like a stern schoolteacher at her desk. �If we subscribe to the War of the Worlds motif, then we realize that we must have a good idea what�s out there lest it, knowingly or unknowingly, destroys us. If we take a good look at human history, then we realize we must know what�s out there because we seem to have a way of damaging nature and maiming foreign cultures. We could end up destroying some form of life that we never even knew existed, and that would be pathetic!� With a short nod, she relaxed her posture and sat back, arms crossed, daring others to share their thoughts. A few of the others that shared her view nodded slightly, satisfied that the short speech made what they felt clear once and for all. �Now,� began the chairman after a moment�s quiet, �if we have discovered anything today it is that one of the fundamental keys to our task is to have an open mind. We do want to hold our theorizing to a reasonable range of possibilities, and that is why we must have both sides to this debate. One group will keep us using our imaginations, the other group will act as our control, reining us in when we begin to drift. We have to keep in mind that this dichotomy is vital. I think that tomorrow ought to be a very productive session, especially if we keep today�s ideas in mind.� Maria Alanova�s ideas that surfaced in this meeting led her to further research and, shortly afterward, a doctorate degree. Her published volumes on the philosophies and theories behind mankind�s search of the cosmos would later inspire a young girl named Janette Mirrow. |