The Apocalyptic Singularity
Deep down in the collective inner depths of humanity, do we have a fetish for our own demise? Every headline portrays certain doom to be just around the corner. Take a look at any old TV show or movie and compare it to its modern day counterpart. It will undoubtedly have a darker, more twisted plot than the original. Or, take a look at the countless post-apocalyptic movies that Hollywood keeps churning out. A good old fashioned doomsday sells! Could there be an inevitable apocalyptic singularity that civilizations approach as resources dwindle, populations grow exponentially, and morals crumble like the staged World Trade Center attacks? Would this same conundrum we find ourselves in happen to any other civilization as it struggles to obtain a type one civilization? (Dr. Michio Kaku talks about different stages of civilizations HERE)
As we sift through our galaxy scouring for any signs of life, it appears that there are countless Earth-like planets and extrasolar systems that could harbor life. Yet, why have we not been contacted or discovered signs of other civilizations? Of course, we have just barely begun to scratch the surface. So far SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has used the following analogy to visualize their current progress for finding an alien signal. If you walked up to the ocean, dipped a cup into the water and held it up without seeing any fish, would you say that the ocean then contains no fish? Obviously, our sample size is entirely too small to make that assumption; however, what about alien civilizations contacting us? Are they waiting for a pivotal moment for first contact, or have they annihilated each other as they approached the singularity?
Humanity has unlocked many secrets of the universe, but none as deadly as the power of the atom. As we, a society, progress and mature, do you feel like we are headed on a path of enlightenment or certain destruction? If you have the time, I would enjoying reading any of your thoughts.
“I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” -J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” -John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1st Baron Acton
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