Civilized Life in the Universe: Scientists on Intelligent Extraterrestrials

by George Basalla

This book is a selective and fascinating history of scientific speculation about intelligent extraterrestrial life. From Plutarch to Stephen Hawking, some of the most prominent western scientists have had quite detailed perceptions and misperceptions about alien Johannes Kepler, fresh from transforming astronomy with his work on the shape of planetary orbits, was quite sure alien engineers on the moon were excavating circular pits to provide shelter; Christiaan Huygens, the most prominent physical scientist between Galileo and Newton, dismissed Kepler's speculations, but used the laws of probability to prove that "planetarians" on other worlds are much like humans, and had developed a sense of the visual arts; Carl Sagan sees clearly that Huygens is a biological chauvinist, but doesn't see as clearly that he, Sagan, may be a cultural/technological chauvinist when he assumes aliens have highly developed technology like ours, but better.
Basalla traces the influence of one speculation on the next, showing an unbroken but twisting chain of ideas passed from one scientist to the next, and from science to popular culture. He even traces the influence of popular culture on science--Sagan always admitted how much E. R. Burroughs' Martian novels influenced his speculations about Mars. Throughout, Basalla weaves his theme that scientific belief in and search for extraterrestrial civilizations is a complex impulse, part secularized-religious, and part anthropomorphic. He questions the common modern scientific reasoning that life converges on intelligence, and intelligence converges on one science valid everywhere. He ends the book by agreeing with Stephen Hawking (usually a safe bet) that intelligence is overrated for survival in the universe, and that we are most likely alone.

Genres: Science

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2005

Reviews

[Kasey Haught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much a book about the possibilities of life in the universe, as a history and critique of proponents of the idea, from medieval religious perspectives to modern scientific speculation.

Basalla tends to be (reasonably) critical of many of the xenologists cited, particularly of Carl Sagan's more overenthusiastic and arguably naive claims and expectations, though he occasionally points out the deficiencies of skeptics' arguments as well.

In the end, the message of this book is of the inherent uncertainty of the subject of alien life and civilization in the universe, and how little we can actually predict in a legitimately scientific manner. A good companion for Asimov's Extraterrestrial Civilizations.

[John Carter McKnight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short potted history of astronomy and speculation about extraterrestrial life, with a social science critique of the technological determinism of SETI.

It's not likely to be anybody's first history of astronomy: while deftly done, the recap doesn't add anything new. The critique is good but fairly superficial. I'd rather read the book where he takes each element of his objections, from notions of "progress" to technological determinism, and really nails them to the wall instead of just tossing them out.

Still, it's a short and pleasant read.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any would-be sci fi writer needs to read this. and anyone who has formed an opinion on alien intelligence should read it as well but they probably won't