The Eerie Silence: Are We Alone In

The Origin Of Life Is One Of The Great Outstanding Mysteries Of Science.

Searching For Alternative Life On Earth Might Seem Misconceived, Because There Is Excellent Evidence That Every Kind Of Life So Far Studied Evolved From A Common Ancestor That Lived Billions Of Years Ago. Yet Most Of The Life That Exists On Earth Has Never Been Properly Classified.

The Secret Of Our Success On Planet Earth Is Space. Lots Of It. Our Solar System Is A Tiny Island Of Activity In An Ocean Of Emptiness.

It's Worth Remembering That All Technology Leaves A Footprint. For Example, Our Own Technology Is Leaving A Footprint In Terms Of Global Warming, Which Could Be Detected From A Long Way Away. One Assumes That A Very Advanced Civilization That Has Been Around Maybe Millions And Millions Of Years Would Have An Even Bigger Footprint That Might Extend Beyond Its Planet To Its Immediate Astronomical Environment.

In Time, [a Martian] Colony Would Grow To The Point Of Being Self- Sustaining. When This Stage Was Reached, Humanity Would Have A Precious Insurance Policy Against Catastrophe At Home. During The Next Millennium There Is A Significant Chance That Civilization On Earth Will Be Destroyed By An Asteroid, A Killer Plague Or A Global War. A Martian Colony Could Keep The Flame Of Civilization And Culture Alive Until Earth Could Be Reverse-colonized From Mars.