Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Aliens

Tonight I was watching an installment of the History Channel series, The Universe. The specific episode was focused on "Alien Moons" throughout our solar system. At one point, when referring to one of Jupiter's moons, the narrator stated that some scientists believe there is a possibility that alien life forms may possibly exist on that moon.

I can't tell you way, but that term, alien life forms, sort of struck me as odd and it got me to ponder how ANY life form could be alien.

There are a lot of different definitions for the word, alien. It means not from around here; unnatural; different; strange and a few other things. From the most myopic perspective, anything that is not me (or for you, you) is alien. It doesn't originate with me, it's not natural to me, and it's strange and different. But people rarely use the word in that context.

So, if we move out away from ourselves, what are the precise parameters? When some speak of illegal aliens what they mean are citizens of a different country. (Would ET be classified as an illegal alien? He's not from around here.) Ideas can be termed as alien if they don't fit within the accepted context and mores of a given society.

But for those who hold to the idea that a god created the universe and for Taoists who believe the universe is an ongoing natural process, how can anything contained therein truly be alien? If it exists and we are able to perceive it, then it comes from this realm of existence. Put another way, it IS from here; it IS natural; and it IS normal.

So, what's alien about it?

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