| Notes ? The first piece presented (�Scientists and Questions�) drew on the idea of life in other forms presented in a magazine article �Generalized Life�. Also, the article �OK, Where are They?� posed the general question of whether theorizing about alternate life-forms was or was not mere, rather worthless speculation. This question was discussed during the debate. ? The second piece (about Jeanette Mirrow) also speculated some about life in unknown forms, which was discussed mainly in �Generalized Life�. ? The poem (third in the order) used the concept that the universe is the way it is because there are people (us, and perhaps others) observing it. This is known as the anthropic principle and it was discussed in another article entitled �Was the Universe Designed for Life?�. In addition, a catching statement about the responsibilities we would hold if indeed we are alone was made in the article �What if We Succeed?�. This is an idea I tried to convey in my poem. ? The fourth piece (�Good Tidings We Bring�) used some of the guidelines presented in �Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence� in forming parts of the plot. The title goes with apologies to the author of the lyrics to �We Wish you a Merry Christmas� ? The introduction to �Letters� used a paraphrase of a very true statement that �...in a sense, the search for extraterrestrial life is really a search for ourselves....� This statement might also be connected (though it was not written with the article in mind) with the very last line of the poem (the third piece). |