Discover the fascinating history of mankinds obsession with alien life, from ancient philosophers to blockbuster sci-fi. Examine those insights into our own human condition this obsession affords us.
Extraterrestrials Everywhere
Space historian Robert Smith says it’s hard to miss the evidence of our alien fixation
Whether it’s a spate of extraterrestrial-themed TV shows and movies popping up seemingly every month, or the enduring appeal of sci-fi classics such as ‘War of the Worlds,’ aliens have clearly staked themselves out a powerful place in human imagination.
Yes, even the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages entertained alien life as an expression of God’s divine will. Widely-educated people probably believed in life on other worlds in the 18th century, and two massive intellects of the time sparked a tremendous spat about it.
Although the frenzy for aliens slacked off a bit in the early part of the 20th century, the space race of the 50s and 60s jump-started it again. Today, the obsession continues full throttle, but instead of the great plethora of motion pictures on space aliens that came out back at that time and some TV shows like In Search Of (camel-case intentional), even America’s bicentennial was part of The Great Alien Hunt.
The Aliens Within
Smith said he believed aliens have remained popular because we’ve used them as a kind of mirror.
‘For example, the alien becomes a bit of a mirror and in trying to learn about how people conceive aliens we’re actually learning something too about what it is that people have in mind as being human,’ he says.
Aliens appear to us as significantly different from ourselves, or nearly identical… It is through the lens of aliens that we examine what our values are, our fears and aspirations as a species. Stories of alien invasions, like H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds are often used to tap into our more base fears about colonization, control and where we stand in the grand cosmic order.
It seems the musings of ancient philosophers who wondered at other worlds were after all just that, upon reading our thoughts they were pushed towards fundamental questions regarding the world and how we fit into it. By taking the step towards the ‘other,’ we gain humanity.
Conclusion
And even in the early 21st century it behooves us to follow men like Robeson, not only because he was there before we were (which doesn’t make him right)–but also because his gravestone echoes an aspect of ourselves that is eternal: a fascination with a million different kinds of alien. In the way that detective stories serve as parables for understanding human nature, our journey of discovery has helped to deduce both good and bad truths about ourselves, hopes we hold dear to our hearts from those we fear in all manner of scientific or spiritual garb. Even as we patiently wait for space vehicles to carry a man bearing Earthly gifts up into the heavens (and hopefully not returning him just yet), curiosity about what could be out there beyond us shows no signs of fading, driven by questions that seem equal parts ancient and endless—of who is traveling out there and what awaits Earthlings further down the infinite expanse.
