Intelligent Neighbours

New Scientist Magazine (I have to admit I am a longtime fan of this popular science magazine) has had a series of articles on the search of extraterrestial intelligence and this week the coverage has encouraged a number of letters on the subject.

Two letters refer to the possibility of finding intellegent life in the form of dolphin-like creatures on another planet. One author writes 'Suppose our nearest planet with intelligent life turned out to be a watery one inhabited by intelligent, perhaps dolphin-like, creatures. These could have advanced language and a rich culture of philosophy, storytelling, poetry, music, dance and sport: but if they had no technology, we would never know about them, ....'.

I guess my question, is 'suppose our nearest planet with intelligent life turned out to be a watery one inhabited by intelligent, perhaps dolphin creatures with language and a rich culture?' - but what if that planet was not a billion miles away, but right here, under our noses.

Maybe we already share this planet with a form of life that has a different type of intelligence; one that is not setting out to manipulate its environment, but one that has developed a social intelligence that gives it an evolutionary advantage. Maybe its just us who find it hard to undertand them.

Maybe Douglas Adams was right after all.

This entry was posted by Chris Butler-Stroud on Thursday, March 27. 2008 at 19:48. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own blog. All new comments are subject to moderation before being displayed.

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Intelligent Neighbours