The text discusses the human fascination with the concept of extraterrestrial life and the different theories and beliefs about it throughout history. It begins by acknowledging the oscillation between the belief that we are alone in the universe and the notion that there may be other beings out there, perhaps even listening to our calls for help.
The narrator then explores the difficulties we face when trying to communicate with potential alien civilizations. Even if we could reach a planet several thousand light years away, the radio signals we send would be weak and could easily be confused with random emissions from the universe. This is due to the fact that radio signals weaken over time and the vast distances involved.
The text also delves into the history of the search for life on other planets, with references to astronomers like William Herschel who believed in the existence of life on other planets and even hypothesized what these potential civilizations might look like.
The narrator also discusses Nikola Tesla, who believed he had been contacted by aliens through his radio system. Despite being unable to decipher the message, Tesla interpreted the pulsations as a form of universal language based on numerical sequences.
The text concludes by highlighting the continued fascination with the possibility of alien life, despite the lack of concrete evidence. It suggests that this fascination is rooted in our evolutionary programming to always be on alert for threats, even when those threats are invisible or non-existent. The narrator ends by asking whether we are the first to exist or the last, implying a sense of uncertainty and wonder about our place in the universe.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
- Scientists in South Korea have achieved a nuclear fusion reaction at 100 million°C for 30 seconds.
- The core of the Sun has a temperature of 15 million degrees kelvins.
- William Herschel believed that all the planets and the Sun were inhabited by different species.
- Nikola Tesla invented his radio system in 1923 and claimed to have received signals from aliens.
- Annie Clara Goget created a prize for the first person to contact a planet other than Mars.
- Thomas Dick wrote a book called The Sidereal Heavens where he speculated about the characteristics and morality of extraterrestrial beings.
- Tesla captured radio emissions from lightning, pulsars and black holes, but could not decipher them.