You need hobbies during a pandemic. Thinking about the future is one of mine. I'm endlessly fascinated by the possibility of making contact with aliens, for example. I know that there is no substantial evidence that somewhere out there in space there is a civilization as advanced as ours. Given the large number of stars with planets out there, it is unthinkable that there are no advanced alien civilizations. This is called the Fermi paradox.
Life should be everywhere yet everywhere we look there is only silence. One theory proposes that life is rare because all life has to pass through a Great Filter before it can evolve into a higher intelligence. Although we can quibble about the meaning of "advanced civilization," there is no question that humans are relatively advanced when compared to other species of Earth. Perhaps we made it through a great filter sometime in our evolutionary past. Among the myriad hominid species that existed, we became the dominant on the planet.
Alternatively, the Great Filter may still lie ahead of us. We might even be passing through it as we speak. Are viruses the reason why civilizations can't ever make contact?
Reminds me. It's been a while since I've seen the stars.
Read other sections
Carl Sagan said "What a waste of space" if we were the only planet with life and sentience. You've probably seen "Contact" - Sagan's book/movie about SETI and First Contact with extra-terrestrials.
Sadly, most scientists tell us it will never happen - too many lightyears between us, and even at the speed of light, too many centuries would pass before we ever sent and received messages from other galaxies.
Well, they never thought we'd put a man on the moon, either.
Filters - pandemics with a purpose - interesting thoughts, @litguru!
A waste of space indeed. We might yet find out that we're actually living in a crowded neighbourhood but everyone is self-isolating at the moment =)
Carl Sagan was amazing. I think it's just a matter of time before we make contact. Whether we should or not is a different matter.
Cheers @carolkean
Join the community in our migration to Hive, a community built blockchain for the community. All Steem account holders will receive equivalent stake on the new Hive blockchain.
Please follow @innerhive on twitter for more information.