Aliens Among Us, Part II

So this whole debate regarding other intelligences got me thinking about that Star Trek episode The Devil in the Dark. The whole reason that episode succeeded so brilliantly was because the Horta was not only *not* human, it wasn't even recognizably humanoid. When it comes to meeting "strange new life forms" out there in the far reaches of space, we are far more likely to meet a Horta than a Klingon.

Star Trek was never really about the aliens. It's about us. The Klingons are us. And the Vulcans. And the Romulans and the Cardassians and the Ferrengi (*especially* the Ferrengi--hahaha).

But the Horta, now... The Horta reminds us that what we meet out there will not be us. It will not look like us. It will not communicate like us. It will be so alien that we may not even recognize it as an intelligent being at first. We may mistake it for a rock. Or a monster. If we're lucky, it will *feel* like us. It will feel pain. And sympathy. It will desire to protect it's own. And it will therefore desire peace. If we're lucky.

In the meantime, we can learn a lot from these other life forms we share our planet with. They could very well hold the key to our survival, not only here on earth, but also as we take our first tentative steps outward.

In the spirit of exploration, I have been attempting Spock's mindmeld technique on my rabbit. I think she's beginning to understand me. I, on the other hand, have been experiencing inexplicable cravings for lettuces...




20 Days til the Burn!