Intelligent life in the Universe?

May 5th, 2020 - during the Covid-19 pandemic

A pandemic is raging, the world is in lockdown, the death toll is getting higher, and some so called leaders are still calling the disease just a normal flu.

Climate change is threatening the whole planet and according to some worst case scenarios, the very existence of the human race, but on the whole we do not seem too concerned. At least we are not doing nearly enough about it.

Wars are raging around the world, and producing immense suffering, and countless refugees, but we do not seem to have the backbone to do anything about them.

We still have enough nuclear weapons in our stockpiles to assure mutual destruction, if someone decides to push the button.

Politicians seem to be more interested in staying on top of whatever dung-heap they happen to be on, than talking about real problems in society, let alone solving them.

The UN has estimated that we could end hunger in the world, and it would cost less than half a percent of global GDP per year. But though much progress has been made, there is still hunger in the world.

You get the point, we and the planet we inhabit, are really screwed up.

Well, the other day a friend mentioned that now that, during the pandemic lockdown, when he has too much time on his hands, he was just browsing the net and found the SETI Institute; for the uninitiated that is the Search for Extra Terrestial Intelligence. He is actually planning to join the search for intelligent alien life.

My first reaction was, “what a waste of time”. I mean, the way we run things on this planet, you can’t really say there is intelligent life here. And if not here, why would there be any anywhere else.

But then, I thought about it a bit more, and changed my mind, at least partly. Of course there is intelligent life in the universe, but we will never find it, so it is still a waste of time to try look for it.

I know, there is a paradox here. There is intelligent life in the universe, but we will not find it, even though we have proof that intelligent alien life exist.

The best proof that there is intelligent life in the universe, is that we have not found it.

If I was an Intelligent Alien Being, and happened to be in the neighbourhood, and took one look at the planet and us humans, I definitely would not want to have any kind of contact with us.

I mean seriously, would You?