| Personal background |
|---|
In this intellectually oriented group, perhaps I'm defined more by what I'm NOT, rather than what I AM. I'm not computer literate ... nor scientifically endowed ... nor brilliant in a laboratory. I hold no patents .. have published no books ... and will never make the cover of Time Magazine. But I AM something rather singular and unique, as are all of God's creatures. That sense of uniqueness endows me with an openness of mind necessary to be a part of SETI; the security of soul which accompanies that openness forms my belief that there is other life besides ours in the Universe. So that's who I am, then: a citizen of the world, with a profound interest in what is beyond the edge of our knowledge.
Forty years ago, I was involved in a miracle which produced a perfectly formed human being. Through SETI, I hope to be part of another "birthing process," as one day we touch the face of eternity and somehow reach our couterparts.
I've spent more than six decades in all sorts of careers. I have the privilege, now, of saying how and when and where I invest my efforts ... or if I invest them at all. I've "played in the dirt" in East Texas, as an amateur archeologist ... hiked into Mexico's Copper Canyon searching for lost treasure ... and tried when possible (and my muscle tone permits) to take myself off the beaten path in life.
Participating in SETI (even remotely) is another stop along that route. True, I don't have a "hands on" role, but merely sitting on the periphery is enough to keep my blood cells pumping and my brain cells churning.
My greatest hope when I transition from this life into the next is that my place along that "road less traveled" will be unusual ... out of the ordinary ... and difficult for my survivors to locate. |
| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
|---|
For me, the concept of extraterrestrial life has never been a question, but merely an accepted fact. Discussing it is more of an intellectual exercise than a moral debate.
I'm here, complete with the capacity to ponder such a thought. How can there NOT be others? The arrogance of a species believing it is the only one in God's Universe is comic. It's like saying there's only one grain of sand on the beach ... or one molecule of water in the ocean... or one way for God to shape - and reshape - his world. It's a conceit that's mind boggling!
I'm not sure about our intercepting a signal of any sort. I think it's more likely that "they" will reach us through personal contact. We probably won't recognize them, though, since I doubt that other life in the Universe necessarily looks and acts like us.
That will be our greatest challenge --- not the initial contact. If the visitors should decide to interface with us, how will we live with and benefit from their contact? How do we think outside our existance, so we can accept theirs?
In reality, we may never have that chance. Once our counterparts see our level of intellectual and spiritual progress, they may realize that what they have to offer is far beyond what we're ready to accept. Then I believe they'll detour around Earth and continue to seek out others with a more advanced set of moral and ethical values. We will then be left with our signal search ... and hope.
In the final analysis, perhaps that's what SETI is REALLY all about! I think it's more than just an ongoing scan for a long-sought signal from somewhere in the Universe. For me, it's a ray of hope for us on this one small planet. If we can come together to reach out to unknown worlds, perhaps some day, we can come together and clasp hands to save our own.
|
| Your feedback on this profile |
|---|
| Recommend this profile for User of the Day: |
I like this profile |
| Alert administrators to an offensive profile: |
I do not like this profile |
|
| Account data |
View |
| Team |
None |
|
