Odds that Demand a Verdict | Jack Davis
T
he long bony finger stretched across the twenty-foot screen. Eyes were glued as if it would
grab them, finger-tips properly greased in butter and salt, minds transformed. People gathered,
hundreds at a time to watch the spectacle. They scrunched together in tight rooms lined with
thick red curtains, the lights dim, the air damp. Then, that iconic voice, the line that would
“E.T. ...phone...home.”
humble filmmakers for years to come...
We, as a species
were memorized. And we, likewise, we continue to be. Hollywood, however, changed much
more than the rat-race film-making industry in its release of E.T in the 1980's. It wasn't the
music, the lines, the acting, or even E.T himself that keep us in awe. For me, and I presume for
many, it is the very thought, the notion, that we are not alone. Are we? If you are like me, as a
child we sat agaze at the indefinite blank sky. We were vulnerable to the question. As we grew
older, we either pretended know the answers, afraid of the unknown, or we ignored the subject
completely. So we, as a species, confined ourselves in a position to keep away from uncertainty,
to no longer stand in sheer amazement. It is with sheer astonishment at the wonders of our
universe, coupled with mathematical probability, and perhaps an inkling of faith that I firmly
endorse the presence of extraterrestrials in our universe.
If you happen to flip through a 1969 World
Encyclopedia, alike the set my greatgrandfather gave to our bookshelf years
ago, you will find something extraordinary.
If you flip through the dusty pages to the
section on plants, you will find a section on
mushrooms. All kinds. There is, of course,
a caveat. A mushroom, to the knowledge I
acquired from a grueling semester of
freshman biology, is not a plant. So where
did 1960's science go wrong? The answer is
nothing. Science broadcasts its own
definition of life (based on 10 specific
factors), hones then on three categories of
that life, then further magnifies in
additional taxonomy. Over time, advanced
understanding of the mushroom deemed it
well category;
fit the plant
understanding of the mushroom deemed it did not very did
wellnot
fit very
the plant
andcategory;
wa-lah! and
the
theobjective—our
mushroom was
annexedof into
mushroom was annexed into fungi. This brings me to mywa-lah!
first main
definition
life
bringsclaim.
me It
to ismy
first
maina
is exactly that; our definition. It is not set in stone, it fungi.
is not This
a definite
only
(only)
objective—our
definition
of life is did
exactly
category, a means of putting one word on a commonality
amongst nature.
The mushroom
not
that;
our
definition.
It
is
not
set
in
stone,
it
change; we did. When one peers into the nature of life, and how it progresses, we find that every
notlearn
a definite
It is only
(only)
trait of an organism is at the expense of its environment.isWe
this in claim.
basic biology;
polar
bearsa
category,
a
means
of
putting
one
word
are white to be camouflage with the snow, ducks have webbed feet to help them swim, and so on.onToa
commonality
amongst
nature.
The
take this a step further, not only is the nature of life dependent
on the environment,
but our very
did Therefore,
not change;when
we did.
When
definition of life thrives on the foundation of unmovedmushroom
consequence.
looking
at
one
peers
into
the
nature
of
life,
and
how
it
what “life” is in a completely different environment, it will not only look, feel, and be different; it
progresses,
weoffind
that first
everyobjectives
trait of an
will yield a different definition of life. As a society, I think
that is one
the very
to
organism
is
at
the
expense
of
its
consider: what do we consider life (?), and are we willing to change that? Are we willing to consider
environment.
We learn life?
this in basic
that skeleton creature Hollywood conveyed “life.” Are we
ready for extra-terrestrial
biology; polar bears are white to be