A recent story struck me as a perfect way to posit a conclusion to 2022. Dr. John Elliott at Scotland's St. Andrews University asks the engaging challenge; if one of our many searches and explorations for life in the universe would detect a sign or a kind of communication signal, what would we do next?
Such a find would change everything about human existence and Dr Elliott, a computational linguist asks "are we ready for it?"
Does any nation, or organization or anyone have a plan?
"Look at the mess we made when Covid hit. We'd be like headless chickens. We cannot afford to be ill-prepared, scientifically, socially and politically rudderless for an event that could happen at any time and which we cannot afford to mismanage," says Elliott.
In the New Year, Elliott will be organizing a scientific coalition to address how to proceed. What would we say, how would we do it, and who would be the messenger? Who would write the message?
Riddle through that as we prepare for another Auld Lang Syne. The questions cause one to confront the status of who we have become as a specie on this planet.
After our long history, how would, how can we explain ourselves?
The world watches a tyrant lead his nation in war crimes and slaughter innocents. The world appears unable to stop it.
The world has never amassed such wealth and we've never witnessed more homeless, poverty stricken and destitute human beings.
For decades we have known we are trashing the planet and for as long we have refused to stop doing it.
We continue to use our most personal beliefs as cudgels and hammers of judgement and even warfare. We have a history of killing our most enlightened.
There are some who tell Dr. Elliott maybe the best response is to say or do nothing. A friend has joked the reason we've not had contact with higher or intelligent beings is because they already know about us.
I suspect it has been ever such. One need not subscribe to a particular faith to understand the idea of humanity as imperfect or broken, and maybe even slow to learn. But there are those who reach, who aspire, who inspire and raise us up. At the turn of the year, one of these years, I hope we decide they are the voices we should follow. In the meantime, we have our keepers to keep an eye on us...
Take a cup of kindness...and right good will draft ...if not for old times for those times to come.
Perhaps Dr. Elliott should enlist the dreamers, artists, poets and the mystics.
Wishing you well being and good cheer.
See you down the trail.
