“Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Ancient Civilizations and Modern Scientific Discoveries”

Respond to a student’s posting with significant comments that demonstrate critical thinking by asking additional questions or adding to the body of knowledge started. If you argue, controversial issues use a reference to support your argument that adds credibility to your position. Your response to your peers work should be engaging and informative with good substance. Your responses should contribute in a meaningful way to helping advance our knowledge of the topics the class explores.  All follow-up responses should require 250-300 words.

Good Afternoon Prof. and Class,
I am requesting approval for continued research on the working title of…
    “Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Ancient Civilizations and Modern Scientific Discoveries”

Throughout millennia, people of all nationalities and religions have speculated on the idea of extraterrestrial contact. With over half the world’s population believing in some form of alien life, it is difficult to discount the possibility. The religions of the world, as of 2012, are 33% Christian, 24% Muslim, and 15% Hindu (The Top Three Religions) (Grover, 2018). Each of these religions share a commonality in the form of extraterrestrial life. Christians and Muslims refer to extraterrestrials as angels, while Hinduism refers to them as “gods”. Nearly all of the ancient religions, from around the world, refer to extraterrestrials in one way or another. Greeks, Romans, Incas, Aztecs, Mayans, and Egyptians all believed in extraterrestrials, in the form of their “gods”. With over half of the world’s population believing in extraterrestrial life, and nearly 80% of the world population believing in a mainstream religion, is the idea of extraterrestrial life still controversial?

In the Peer-reviewed journal, titled “Strategic Ignorance and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Critiquing the Discursive Segregation of UFOs from Scientific Inquiry”, outlines the underlying issue, regarding scientific stigma on the study and communication of the existence of extraterrestrial life. The scientific community, as a whole, inhibits public understanding of science, dissuades academic inquiry within the physical and social sciences, and undermines progressive space policy initiatives. (Todd, 75-95)

On 27 February, 2008, Steven Hawking presented a speech, at the TED2008 conference in Monterey, California. This article follows, primarily along the opposing lines of what Steven Hawking’s speech, titled “Questioning the Universe” delivered, about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. Hawking was quoted as stating “we don’t seem to have been visited by aliens”, “I am discounting the reports of UFO’s”, Why would they only appear to cranks and weirdos?”, Despite an extensive search by the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) project, we haven’t heard any alien television quiz show. This probably indicates that there are no alien civilizations at our stage of development within the radius of a few hundred light years.”, and “If there is a government conspiracy to suppress the reports and keep for itself the scientific knowledge the aliens bring, it seems to have been a singularly ineffective policy so far”. (Todd, 75-95)

Adam Todd goes into great detail and length, in his peer-reviewed article describing how Steven Hawking’s quotes are flawed. “We don’t seem to have visited by aliens.” Is the first quote that Adam denounces as an “argument from ignorance”. He describes the quote as “hawking exclusively evokes a particular kind of alien visitation event: Overt contact”, which is what Hollywood movies depict as alien visitation. Another quote of Hawking’s that Adam dissects is “Why would they appear to only cracks and weirdos?”. Adam describes Hawking’s quote as “the rhetorical question device includes an emotional dimension, expressing mild indignation and sarcasm, and thus works to endear Hawking to his audience.”. (Todd, 75-95)

This article provides detailed accounts of underlying issues regarding the scientific community and extraterrestrial intelligence. What the article does not include is the history of extraterrestrial intelligence in the ancient world, or current and emerging possibilities of extraterrestrial contact. I wish to conduct a research proposal, proposing the idea that extraterrestrials helped shape modern civilization by engaging in ancient civilizations. The research conducted will be primarily focused on ancient religious theology and scientific discoveries of unknown origins in the modern world. The discovery of extraterrestrial life if vital to all of Earths inhabitants. It will answer all the life-long questions and help propel us into the next age of civilization. 

Bibliography

Adam Todd. “Strategic Ignorance and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Critiquing the Discursive Segregation of UFOs from Scientific Inquiry”. Taylor&Francis. 27 April, 2018. Vol.16(1), p.75-95. [Date accessed] 11 December, 2018. https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/doi/full/10.1080/14777622.2018.1433409?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Nathan Glover. “90% of American Believe in a Higher Power”. World Religion News. 26 April, 2018 [Date Accessed] 11 December, 2018.  https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/90-americans-believe-higher-power

SETI. “2020”. 2018. [Date Accessed] 11 November, 2018. https://www.seti.org/