Perspective

©2022 by Vernon Miles Kerr and VernonMilesKerr.com

The deeper into space we look and listen, intelligent, extraterrestrial life is getting more, and more, improbable. Either that, or the true results of modern scientific-investigation is being withheld from the general public.

Out of the thousands of stars being discovered to have planets, only a paltry few have even been found to be orbiting in the zone where water can exist as a liquid. And, randomly-speaking how many of those few could have evolved life for at least the required, 4 billion years, that beings like us need in order to coalesce?
The vast distance in light-years between those paltry few stars, poses another problem: the time-dilation at a speed approaching that of light.

We talk of a potential “earth-like” planet being a mere 150 light years away. So, go ahead, launch a craft that cruises at, say, 99% of light-speed. On board, maybe only weeks elapse, the crew orbits the planet for 2 months, taking pics, radar-readings, listening for radio communication. They turn around and go back to Earth. Again, only weeks elapse on board. When they get back to Earth, it’s 300 years later. What good is the knowledge they bring back? It will take another 300 years to do anything about it — to get back the new set of results — assuming that the follow-up crew leaves immediately.
As a near-life-long Trekkie, I loved the premise of a Universe filled with creatures like ourselves, except for the head.😉 All those, civilizations — especially ones who had done a much better job at developing a peaceful society — were encouraging. I also liked the idea that, though the Bible said we were “unique,” We probably weren’t. That’s humbling. Humanity needs a little humility. But now, unless there’s something “behind the curtain”of science, things are looking like we are “unique.”

Is that why a theoretical supreme being would even pay us more than passing notice?