Transcript Ch16x
If you understand Evolution… Sci-Fi is Stupid New Congressional Budget • $5 Billion to for ONE mission to ONE earthlike planet. Which would you expect to find? If you understand Evolution… Sci-Fi is Stupid • The Alien Parasite Hypothesis Alien (1979) Alien Parasite (Alien, 1979) Alien (1979) Parasites evolve with their hosts. Alien Parasite Hypothesis • Parasitic activity emerges over years – Why would your host live 10 million light years away? • Lesson –Hosts and parasites evolve together. –The alien parasite hypothesis is stupid. (More issues with) Alien • "You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility….I admire its purity. A survivor … unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality....I can't lie to you about your chances, but … you have my sympathies." Perfect Organisms? • Environments are always changing. There is no intergalactic definition of “perfect.” – Conscience, remorse, and delusions are adaptations! Losing them won’t make you better! – Genes will mutate, diversify and (sometimes), eventually, build new “vessels” (Dawkins) • Lesson –Life’s perfection is in flexibility. –Calling any single living thing “perfect” is stupid. The human form is rare on earth. • Why would we expect it to evolve out there? The “Alien” Form • Intelligent life from other planets just so happens to look more human than anything else on earth! • Lesson – There is nothing inevitable about the human form! – Aliens with knees and elbows are stupid. Intelligence isn’t an Ecological Niche! Human Intelligence isn’t destiny or an Ecological Niche! • Lesson – Life isn’t trying to achieve human intelligence! – Assuming nonhumans will eventually evolve to “become more human” is stupid. • (The original) Planet of the Apes is based on the flawed “Ladder of Life” philosophy. Life on Earth with Humans Life on Earth without Humans Can Life on Earth get along without Human Intelligence? • Most life on Earth does not have human intelligence • Earth is 5 billion years old • Human intelligence is approximately 100,000 years old. • Human intelligence has only been here for 1/50,000 of earth’s existence. Human intelligence doesn’t just happen.. …but many astronomers think it does. The (dreaded) Drake Equation • The Drake Equation is a probabilistic argument used to arrive at an estimate of the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. – Carl Sagan Drake’s Numbers • R* = 1/year (1 star formed per year, on the average over the life of the galaxy) • fp = 0.2-0.5 (one fifth to one half of all stars formed will have planets) • ne = 1-5 (planets will have between 1 and 5 capable of developing life) • fl = 1 (100% of these planets will develop life) • fi = 1 (100% of which will develop intelligent life) • fc = 0.1-0.2 (10-20% of which will be able to communicate) • L = 1000-100,000,000 years during which they can communicate Drake’s Numbers • Drake – a very bright man - assumes that life will lead to intelligence, always. • Successful life forms do not need intelligence! – Why aren’t more life forms intelligent? – Why did it take us so long? • Intelligence is rare and expensive It. Is. Not. Inevitable! • Intelligence is ONE survival solution that has emerged in ONE species • Like POTA, “intelligence as destiny” is a result of the same faulty reasoning that thought of life as a ladder and not a tree. Would you search for extraterrestrial… …then why search for this? …and YOU ARE ALONE. S.E.T.I. is Stupid! If you understand Evolution… Sci-Fi is Stupid STUPID