Word: alienable
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...human beings fascinated by alien life? The primary answer (human curiosity in the face of mystery) is obvious enough. "All men by nature desire knowledge," Aristotle said...
...that should prove to be true, the actual encounter with alien life might mark a higher stage in earthly progress, a liberation. Then theology, history, astronomy--all the strands of human thought and striving--would converge in a fusing shock of understanding that would also be a planetary self-transcendence...
While some astronomers searched for planets, others tried to detect intelligent alien life directly. In 1960, astronomer Frank Drake started Project Ozma, an attempt to look seriously for radio signals from alien civilizations. It was the first in what became a series of experiments in seti, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Several are still going on, but so far without success...
...Alien life of any sort would make biologists ecstatic, of course, but it is the prospect of intelligent life that fires most people's imagination. "That final step from life to intelligent life is probably the longest shot of all," observes Des Marais. Even so, the small band of astronomers devoted to the search for broadcasts from high-tech extraterrestrials is encouraged: their 35-year quest has always rested on the assumption that planets exist outside Earth's solar system, and the fact that they have been proved right makes the search seem considerably less quixotic...
Historically, the Roman Catholic Church regarded any discussion of alien life as heresy. Speculating about other inhabited worlds was one reason philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600. Belief that mankind has a special relationship with God is central to the monotheistic religions. The existence of alien beings, especially if they were further advanced than humans intellectually and spiritually, would disrupt this cozy view...