I wonder whether Galileo may have found interstellar travel, now visibly on our horizon, similarly inconceivable or what Thomas Jefferson would say to the improbable suggestion of an untethered book like machine with a display linked to the four corners of the globe. My aim is not to be contrary, but to point out that our conception of what is possible should not be limited by the limits of our current information and understanding.
-----Original Message----- From: Schmidt Mickey Civ 50 ES/CC [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 12:06 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: No life detected in Atacama Desert in Chile If we are looking for non-corporeal life forms, I think we may be relying upon science fiction a little too much. It is true we don't know every thing about nature but one of the necessary properties of living things is that it must use energy and release energy (metabolize). It is hard to imagine a non-physical entity being able to "gather" energy and make use of it to maintain itself or to reproduce or even protect itself. It is also difficult to imagine intellectual activity occurring without a structure of sorts to maintain connections and memory. I find the whole idea highly unlikely. Mickey D. Schmidt, -----Original Message----- From: Ingrassia, John R. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 8:57 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: No life detected in Atacama Desert in Chile I agree. As a non-scientist watching eagerly from the sidelines, I wonder why we even start with the proposition that 'life' would have to be physical in nature at all, rather than some form of energy, or other as yet undiscovered component of our universe. I realize that the physical, organic, carbon based beings may be easiest for us to discover, but surely we don't think that that's everything, do we? == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/ _______________________ Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments may be legally privileged and confidential. If you are not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the e-mail and any attachments immediately. You should not retain, copy or use this e-mail or any attachment for any purpose, nor disclose all or any part of the contents to any other person. Thank you. == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
