The idea that there are people out there who think they are "starseeds" with tragic amnesia about their extraterrestrial heritage wasn't new to me. But it may be to readers, who don't have the benefit of having listened to thousands of hours of Coast to Coast AM like...
extraterrestrial life
Probability of ET Life Arbitrarily Small
That's the verdict of astrobiologists on the MIT Technology Review. Now, despite the iterative hoopla on the web and in the popular media about how there *must* be ET life out there, this isn't the first time mainstream scientists have argued that the possibility of...
Junk DNA as Evidence of ET Life in our Genes? Try Again.
There have been a number of news items and articles recently (last year - I collect them) on how "junk DNA" is now known to not be junk. Here's an example. As genetic research continues to advance, this previously-assumed junk DNA (called so because it had no...
Pope Okay with Baptizing Aliens
More clear theological thinking from the catholic church. Honestly, this is muddled in so many ways: from baptismal regeneration to the failure to read the clear words of Romans 5:12, that it is HUMANITY that is morally guilty and in need of atonement for the sin of a...
Seth Shostak’s Statement of ET Faith
Read it here. Really - what's the difference between saying "in 25 years I believe we'll have proof of God's existence" vs. "In 25 years I believe we'll have proof of ETs?" Nothing (although the latter might take *more* faith).
Eastern Orthodoxy and ET Life
I came across this interesting article: "An Eastern Orthodox Perspective on Microbial Life on Mars" (Theology and Science 6:4, 2008). I'm not Eastern Orthodox, but I think this paragraph in the article's conclusion is well written and well-reasoned: To be sure, there...
John Milor vs. Gary Bates, Part 2
Continuing with the exchange between John Milor and Gary Bates. John Milor introduces Gary's second point / objection to Milor's position (that the Bible allows for alien life forms) this way: >>>> The second point Mr. Bates raised, is as follows: Point 2:...
Recent (2007) Scholarly Article on ET and Jesus
Here's another article that I think we can all benefit from in some respects. Some of it is material I've already blogged about, but other parts are items I've not yet commented on. It's a good instance of current scholars thinking about the issue of the interface of...
Vatican Baptizes ET
It's not Balducci speaking (yet). There have been a lot of articles lately on how the Vatican's chief astronomer says there might be ETs. I'm trying not to yawn. Actually, this is OLD news--as in CENTURIES and even a MILLENNIUM old. Amazing how people don't know that...
Will the Confirmation of Water on Europa Lead to Panspermia Non-Sequiturs?
You bet it will. People will erroneously conclude that water on Europa means there was or is life on Europa. Maybe ... maybe not. They'll say it invalidates a biblical creator (uh ... why?) and all sorts of other points of theology. It wouldn't. But let's stick to the...
Will Religious Beliefs Hinder First Contact?
That's the opinion of this scholarly (but ill-informed) article: Gabriel de La Torre, "Toward a new cosmic consciousness: Psychoeducational aspects of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations," Acta Astronautica 94:2 (2014): 577-583. Why do I say ill-informed? The...
Red Rain of Kerala, India and Panspermia
Is the red rain phenomena of Kerala, India, proof of extraterrestrial life? Does it contain ET DNA? Does it demonstrate a panspermia mechanism? The answers, in order, are: no, no, and no. The red rain issue seems to come up a lot. I want to use it as an example of how...
Has a UK Scientist Discovered Extraterrestrial Life?
The news of the recent experiment by Prof. Milton Wainwright of the University of Sheffield has been making news of late. In case you haven't read about it, here's a synopsis of the experiment (from the provided link) and why it has garnered interest: British...
Salvation and Extraterrestrials: Catholic Theologian’s Vast Universe
I've mentioned Thomas O'Meara before on this blog. O'Meara is a Catholic theologian who has taken an interest in the theological implications of a genuine extraterrestrial reality. I don't agree with certain of his positions (or perhaps it might be best to call them...
Not Quite Panspermia
Readers who follow the panspermia discussion in science outlets aimed at the non-specialist may find the recent news release / article from Science Daily of interest: "Organic Carbon from Mars, but not Biological." Close, but no cigar. A biological outcome would...