X-Message-Number: 14485 References: <> Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 16:49:08 +0200 From: David Stodolsky <> Subject: Explanation for the "Great Silence" and what it means (Copyright 1999, 2000 D. S. Stodolsky) Still there are moments when one feels free from ones's own identifications with human limitations and inadequacies. At such moments, one imagines that one stands on some spot on a small planet, gazing in amazement at the cold yet profoundly moving beauty of the eternal, the unfathomable: life and death flow into one, and there is neither evolution nor destiny; only being. - Albert Einstein Essential realities and their meanings The increasing irrelevance of traditional beliefs to modern conditions has led to an erosion of meaning for many. Recent scientific discoveries have generated new sources of meaning, which, however, have not been integrated into a comprehensive worldview. In this draft, I try to list all "realities" which are inherently meaningful from a psychological standpoint. That is, those made meaningful because of mortality salience, as aspects of basic needs, or as evolved dispositions, reaction patterns, or reflexes. Internet technology is assumed and simplifies the presentation, but it not necessary for the analysis. 1. The Atom Our Universe expanded into existence some 14 billion years ago, creating only the lightest elements, hydrogen and helium. The greater and greater clumping together of matter under the force of gravity led to the creation of stars. Some of these stars exploded, sending the heavier elements, that had been created by nuclear fusion in their cores, into space. This nuclear waste, and interstellar gas and dust, again clumping together, eventually formed our solar system, including the Earth. The iron in our bodies, for example, was formed in the cores of stars. If we are to survive as a species, we must leave the Earth. Our Sun will expand and overheat our planet in a few billion years. Climatic instability may shorten the time our planet can support life considerably. With advanced telescopes, we detect daily collisions between massive dense objects, which release enormous amounts of radiation. If one of these Gamma-Ray Bursts were to occur in our Galaxy, all planets in it would be sterilized. It is estimated that thousands of advanced civilizations exist in our Galaxy. Most of them should be tens of thousands of years ahead of us in their scientific and technological development. This is due to the life suppressing nature of Gamma-Ray Bursts. Since collisions between objects in space are proportional to the proximity of such objects, most occur in the centers of galaxies (Annis, 1999). Therefore, centrally located civilizations can start to develop shortly after such bursts. Since we are about 30 thousand light years from the Galactic center, the development of intelligent live was delayed by that length of time. It is estimated that a meeting with an advanced civilization will occur within a time frame of hundreds of thousands of years. If humans can survive meetings with alien civilizations, our continued existence does not appear to be limited by physical resources. "I have found a universe growing without limit in richness and complexity, a universe of life surviving forever and making itself known to its neighbors across unimaginable gulfs of space and time (Dyson, 1979)." References Annis, J. (1999). An astrophysical explanation for the "Great Silence." J. British Interplanetary Soc. 52. Dyson, F. J. (1979). Time without end: Physics and biology in an open universe. Reviews of Modern Physics, 51(3). <http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Global/Omega/dyson.txt> (full draft available by request to: mailto: dss -- David S. Stodolsky, PhD PGP: 0x35490763 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14485