What would you think if definitive proof of alien life emerged? Would it consign all religious thought to, as Mark Twain once predicted, the fate of a stuffed ornament in museums? How would suggestive confirmation of the principles of uniformity and plenitude - that if life can form on Earth it can form anywhere and thus will for everywhere - mix with confirmation of the principle of mediocrity (nothing special about humans)? Would mediocrity impact humans relation with technology and would plenitude turn science skyward?
Disclosure Day (2026), Spielberg: https://youtu.be/icDuEHSxE-w?si=jKBowVzx1K6IggNh
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Strange Eel, Erich von Däniken interpreted the Nephilim in the book of genesis as referring to aliens. So I have no doubt religion would work "we never said humans were alone" into re-drawn creation myths.
But it would be contentious and probably split most orthodox religions. Not just creation myths, but salvation myths and ideals of human specialness.
I would welcome that internal division, being a secular atheist.
It would be a revelation. (no pun intended)
Where does science come from?
Us
The absence of evidence is normally thought weak evidence to establish non-existence or non-effect, except when there has been much evidence to find the phenomena or the effect and we have reasonable grounds to expect evidence would present itself if something to see.
Rules out sky fairies but the vastness of space rules out any expectations that evidence would emerge easily of alien life?
The point here SE and I admire your oversight, but there is every chance they do exist, they just don't want to exist with us....pretty understandable really!
If you think about the vastness of the known universe, and the physical constraints of moving living beings over near infinite distances, it's highly probably that any other existing life forms may never ever come into contact with us.
Melek, well said.
I too wouldn’t be too confident I had the answers.
Given the vast gaps in our knowledge, the vastness of the universe, and its countless possibilities, it’s plausible other life forms could exist.
Add that, along with questions about God, consciousness, and the nature of reality, dark matter, dark energy, and black holes, to the long list of things we don’t really have all the answers to.
The moral of the story, for me: keep an open mind.
Hold your beliefs with conviction, sure, aliens or no aliens, religious or anti-religious alike, God(s) or no God(s), but I’d also acknowledge that I could be wrong and let others be. There is already too much conflict and destruction in the world over beliefs and power struggles: Wise aliens would probably take one look at us and keep flying on, invisibly. These aliens, they might laugh. I used to be quite anti-religious, but I can't be that way anymore.
Certainty is easy. Humility is harder, but far easier to live with.
P.S. I haven't seen the film yet, but probably will.
My humility tells me we're not alone. I don't think aliens have visited. Though an academic colleague of mine is firmly in the conspiracy camp that visits have happened but been covered up. I can't manage to get past distrust of those conspiracy theories. But I don't think we're alone. Hopefully they won't eat us.
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