Ecco una donazione per Via Pozzo 6: “3001 the final odyssey” di Arthur Clarke, quarto capitolo della saga di Odissea nello spazio, riassunto da mio fratello che ha quattordici anni e lo ha appena finito:

Siamo in un futuro molto più lontano di quello dei precedenti libri: il protagonista dei due precedenti, Heywood Floyd detto Woody è polvere da molti secoli. E così tutti i suoi discendenti.
La storia si apre nei pressi di Ganimede. Un certo Chandler si appresta ad approdare su una cometa di passaggio per ricavarne ghiaccio. Questo corpo spaziale lavora in concomitanza con chi estrae ghiaccio dalle profondità della Luna: entrambi gli equipaggi invieranno il preziosissimo ghiaccio sul caldissimo Venere, per produrre oceani artificiali sul pianeta. I pochi esperti che abitano Venere stanno rendendo il Pianeta il più simile alla Terra possibile, come è avvenuto con Ganimede, con Marte e con la Luna.
Chandler non può credere ai suoi occhi quando vede galleggiare nello spazio un corpo alla deriva: recuperato, viene identificato come Frank Poole. L’astronauta faceva il suo ritorno nel sistema solare dopo mille anni di girovagare nell’immensità cosmica. Ucciso da Hal nel 2001, Poole viene riportato alla vita (non chiedermi come). In un primo momento non ricorda nulla, poi i ricordi riaffiorano: la sua percezione del millennio trascorso equivale a pochi istanti.
Poole si sveglia in un mondo totalmente assurdo per un uomo del XX secolo: perfino la lingua è leggermente cambiata, oltre che la cultura e il modo di pensare.
I cambiamenti più grossi si hanno nella tecnologia, sebbene siano minori, se vogliamo, di quelli che ci sono stati tra il 1001 e il 2001.
Quattro gigantesche torri sovrastano la Terra. E’ la Città delle Stelle, costituita da un anello all’altezza dell’equatore che collega Torre Africana, Torre Asiatica, Torre Oceanica e Torre Americana. Quattro Torri di diecimila piani circa, che portano dal pianeta madre alle colonie dello spazio con un’ascensore di diamante, materiale così diffuso dopo la scoperta del 2061 (giganteschi frammenti di carbonio cristallizzato nei pressi di Giove-Lucifero).
Frank Poole accetta di unirsi a Chandler in una spedizione su Ganimede, oggi totalmente abitato: la città principale, Anubis City supera di non poco i 50.000 abitanti, chiusi nelle tre cupole che inglobano il centro urbano.
Frank qui conosce il rettore dell’Università ganimediana e si intrattiene in conversazioni teologiche: nel 3001 i progressi della scienza hanno portato a non avere quasi più bisogno di un Dio e il solo pronunciare il suo nome è divenuta una quasi parolaccia.
Ma su Ganimede resta ben poco.
Tutte le navi spaziali che hanno provato, dal 2061, un’atterraggio su Europa, sono state dirottate da una sconosciuta forza. Come dissero le entità aliene nel 2010: “Tutti questi pianeti sono vostri, eccetto Europa. Non mettete piede su Europa”. Questo sicuramente per non interferire con l’evoluzione della specie che era in atto.
Ma Frank è convinto che David Bowman, vecchio amico, che ora si pensa risieda su Europa, lo lascierebbe atterrare.
E così è stato.
Poole raggiunge Europa e viene accolto da Bowman e Hal 9000, che ora si sono fusi e sono praticamente una sola cosa. Halman (fusione appunto fra Dave Bowman e Hal) spiega che ora è stato inglobato dal monolito di Europa, la Grande Muraglia, anche se non ne ha il controllo.
Halman dimostra di avere mantenuto le sue radici terrestri avvisando Frank di un pericolo imminente: gli alieni onnipotenti, hanno intenzione di eliminare l’uomo in quanto stia diventando potenzialmente pericoloso. Infatti, il segnale che diceva che Dave Bowman aveva raggiunto l’immortalità è partito nel 2001 circa. Ha impiegato 500 anni per arrivare a destinazione e la risposta delle entità ha impiegato altrettanto. Ed ecco che, 1000 anni dopo, il monolito ha ricevuto l’ordine impartito: eliminare la razza umana.
Poole avverte naturalmente le autorità.
La soluzione viene presto trovata: inviare, con l’aiuto di Halman, che si ribella alle entità che lo dominano, un potentissimo virus all’interno del monolito, per renderlo vulnerabile e inoffensivo. La tattica ha successo, a rischio e pericolo di Halman, che piomba in un sonno molto lungo, forse addirittura eterno. Anch’egli ha risentito degli effetti del virus.
L’epilogo è lungo solamente tre righe, in realtà piuttosto inquietanti: per la prima volta in quattro libri viene proposta una conversazione, sicuramente non a parole, tra due entità aliene, che lasciano intendere un ritorno futuro per adempiere il loro progetto.
Ecco le tre righe dell’epilogo che chiudono la saga: -Il loro piccolo universo è molto giovane e il loro dio è ancora un bambino. Ma è troppo presto per giudicarli; quando torneremo nei Giorni del Giudizio, valuteremo che cosa si debba salvare.-

Mio fratello sta leggendo tutta la saga di Odissea nello spazio di Arthur Clarke e ieri pomeriggio, sotto un sole fantascientifico, me ne ha proposto un riassunto dettagliatissimo.
Nel capitolo 2001 lo scrittore dà una visione chiara ed esauriente della vicenda, che invece nell’omonimo e contemporaneo film di Stanley Kubrick risulta aperta a mille interpretazioni. E’ bellissimo leggere la saga anche – e soprattutto – conoscendo il film. Si può dire agli amici di averlo capito benissimo, per esempio.

Il monolito nero è stato impiantato su vari pianeti dell’universo da parte di certe entità superiori, con lo scopo di far attecchire forme di vita intelligenti. In particolare, il monolito piazzato sulla terra nella preistoria educa la scimmia mediante proiezioni ipnotiche e la trasforma in uomo. La spedizione verso Giove viene organizzata perché il monolito scoperto sulla Luna, ai giorni nostri, trasmette dei segnali verso Giove. Al termine della missione su Giove, l’astronauta Bowman viene introdotto dall’entità in un particolare monolito, viene conservato in un habitat appositamente ricreato, viene fatto regredire ad uno stato embrionale e diventa a suo modo un’entità superiore.
In 2010 Odissea due, infatti, Bowman viaggia nell’etere sotto forma di entità. Un altro personaggio di 2001, Floyd, partecipa nel 2010 ad una missione fallimentare russa, ma viene ibernato prima che muoiano tutti. Le intelligenze monolitiche trasformano Giove in un nuovo Sole, permettendo alla vita su Europa di svilupparsi. In Odissea Tre o Quattro ricompare anche l’altro astronauta, Poole, che dal 2001 fluttuava alla deriva nello spazio. Ma qui la storia si complica ulteriormente, i miei ricordi approssimativi si mescolano alla spiegazione di mio fratello e propongo di fare un altro bagno in piscina.

Il tutto a 14.900 Lire, in un’edizione demodé.

I recently read three excellent books: The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke. In each case, this was my first exposure to the author’s work, and in each case I was thoroughly impressed. Each author has a powerful and distinctive voice; I will not soon confuse these books with anything else I have read. Fahrenheit in particular I recommend to anyone, regardless of their interest in science fiction, for its prose that develops in style and complexity parallel to the story and the protagonist. It’s a shockingly effective technique.

I was more interested, however, in the similarities between Heinlein’s Moon and the middle portion of Clarke’s 2001. Each carefully considers life on the lunar surface, and they reach similar conclusions on many points. There may have been some influence, but with Heinlein’s book released in 1966 and Clarke’s in 1968, the works may be considered contemporary. Naturally, both books make much of the lunar gravity and joke about people trying to descend stairs in 0.17G. Each suggests that we will utilize centripetal force for artificial gravity and extract water from lunar rock. And, most interesting to me, each suggests that the most efficient way to launch people and goods into orbit would be to use a miles-long assisted acceleration ramp. As Heinlein likes to point out, it’s gravitationally uphill to the moon and downhill to Earth. If we’re ever going to build a base on the moon, this seems like a must. I find it amusing than none of NASA’s recent program renovations includes this idea, which is at least half a century old. We certainly have the technology for it, but apparently not the budget.

Each story also considers the future utilization of artificial intelligence, with similar conclusions. In each story, traditional computer architectures have been outstripped by computers modeled on the human brain. In terms of computing power, their estimates are surprisingly accurate: Clarke’s HAL in the year 2001, although vastly powerful, is probably not quite human in terms of intelligence. Heinlein’s Mike from the year 2075 has just become self-aware, but rapidly shows himself to be more intelligent than any of his human companions. With current estimates saying AI and computing power will match human intelligence sometime between 2020 and 2040, these books are very relevant. It’s a humbling thought that we will probably build a moon base and see a computer pass the Turing Test in my lifetime.

That said, the two books have little in common in terms of political views and attitude about humanity. Heinlein is pessimistic (or realistic, depending on who you ask) about human nature and the course of politics, and his book sings the praises of practical Libertarian principles (called “Rational Anarchy” by one of his characters). Clarke is an optimist; he lets humanity get along and be at peace while we explore space, and even assumes we will have grown up enough not to offend an alien intelligence before we’ve sent a human beyond Jupiter. Overall, I think I enjoyed Moon more for its more detailed and realistic vision of the scientific and political implications of living on a different planet. Not to say Clarke isn’t terrific – I just find I enjoy Heinlein for some of the same reasons I enjoy Herbert – his holistic approach to science fiction. Only Heinlein is more relevant, more immediate, and less fantasy (Y’know it takes place in 2075 instead of 10,191).

This is an amazing set of videos. It is, in the simplest terms, a demonstration of Infinity itself. Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, takes us on a tour of the Mandelbrot Set (M-Set). It is represented as a graph of a simple mathematical equation, yet it contains the most amazing images.

As you load the YouTube videos, note that you can enlarge the image to the full size of your screen. I highly recommend that you view these videos this way. Also, you’ll want to grab your favorite snacks and drinks. And do you like Pink Floyd? They are the soundtrack to one of the most amazing visual journies you will ever take. It…is…Infinity. And it…is…beautiful.

But you are also free to talk about anything else you want. This is a Weekend Open Thread at TheZoo. Thanks for stopping by.

Part 1 of 6. Each is around nine minutes.

Part 2 of 6.

Part 3 of 6.

Part 4 of 6.

Part 5 of 6.

Part 6 of 6. I hope you’ve enjoyed them, and I hope you learned something, too.

O programa Espaço Aberto Ciência e Tecnologia (Globonews) exibido ontem vale uns minutinhos do seu precioso tempo. O programa abordou basicamente como idéias criativas do passado são realidade hoje, em entrevista com Richard Barbrook (professor de Hipermídia da Universidade de Westmintser – UK) e com Fábio Gandour (cientista chefe da IBM).

A internet promove a difusão do conhecimento por ignorar os 3 princípios básicos da física: tempo, massa e espaço. (Fábio Gandour)

Jovens têm pouca paciência para ler qualquer coisa que vá além de uma telinha de celular. Se eles não conseguem absorver essa quantidade maior de informação, como eles irão gerar conhecimento? (Fábio Gandour)

Comunicação e tecnologia são necessárias, mas não bastam para nós humanos nos relacionarmos bem. É por isso que ainda há muitos conflitos no mundo. A tecnologia nos ajuda a reunir e difundir informações, mas ainda precisamos de qualidades como tolerância e compaixão para alcançar um maior entendimento entre povos e nações (Sir Arthur Clarke)

 

Para assitir o vídeo, clique aqui. Não estou conseguindo inserir a marmotinha no post, afff

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur Clarke, famoso pelo 2001: Odisseia no Espaço, deixou-nos 3 fantásticas leis, de onde roubei este pensamento.

Các tác phẩm văn chương lưu truyền từ đời này sang đời kia, tính từ ba thể loại truyền miệng: huyền thoại, truyền thuyết, cổ tích đều là các cuộc phiêu lưu giải thích thế giới, tìm cho con người một vị trí thích hợp trong thế giới vốn có quá nhiều điều bất khả tri. Ai đó đội đá vá trời, ai đó bay trên không trung với những con chiến mã, ai đó vượt biển hàng thập kỷ để trở về với gia đình, ai đó được mẹ hoài thai với một vị thần để trở thành người có sức mạnh siêu nhiên… Vô vàn ví dụ. Đó không phải là sự phiêu lưu – tưởng tượng hay sao?
Văn chương thiên niên kỷ trước lại đặt con người trong các chuyến viễn hành với mô hình chung: bước ra khỏi cửa – hành trình – trở về nhà – chiêm nghiệm hoặc sinh ra – va đập với cuộc sống – suy nghĩ – chết đi… Các cuộc thập tự chinh, các cuộc thánh chiến, các cuộc thỉnh kinh ngàn dặm, các cuộc truyền bá văn hóa và tư tưởng, các cuộc chiến tranh dài bằng cả một đời người, các chuyến du hành xuôi – ngược thời gian, trong lòng biển, trong lòng đất, trên bầu trời và thậm chí trên cả các hành tinh khác… Vô vàn nhiều ví dụ. Đó không phải là sự phiêu lưu – tưởng tượng hay sao?
Trong đời sống văn chương hiện tại, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio – Nobel văn chương 2008 là người viết về những cuộc hành trình của chính mình qua các châu lục (nghe nói vậy). J. K. Rowling đã trở thành triệu phú nhờ những chuyến phiêu lưu của cậu bé Harry Potter trong thế giới phù thủy. Dan Brown ngày càng nổi tiếng hơn nữa với các cuộc phiêu lưu của học giả biểu tượng học Robert Langdon. Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, J. K. Rowling có thể đã dừng lại với tuyến nhân vật của mình, nhưng Dan Brown thì chưa, với dự kiến 12 cuộc phiêu lưu tất cả, mỗi chuyến ngốn mất khoảng 3 năm sáng tác, mà chúng ta muốn đợi đọc hết thì tác giả phải làm việc cật lực cho đến cuối đời.
Sự phiêu lưu – tưởng tượng trong văn chương, theo cách nghĩ của tớ, có phải là một yêu cầu đầu tiên và bắt buộc để tác phẩm được người đọc tiếp nhận và là cơ sở để lưu truyền không? Có phải là một bí mật của các tác giả – tác phẩm lớn không?
Nếu đếm cho mình ba tác phẩm yêu mến nhất, thể nào bạn đọc cũng chọn trong số vô vàn các cuốn đã đọc được một cuốn về phiêu lưu – tưởng tượng.
Sự phiêu lưu, khiến người đọc bay bổng, cho phép chủ nhân sở hữu các cuốn sách chao liệng trong tưởng tượng tới các không gian khác nhau, các mảnh đất khác nhau, các chủng tộc khác nhau, các chiều tư tưởng khác nhau… rõ ràng là có đất sống, thậm chí sống rất lâu dài về sau nữa. Đừng nói sự tưởng tượng là vô ích, chỉ làm mụ mị hoặc mê hoặc người đọc. Arthur Clarke không phải là người đã tưởng tượng ra một cách khoa học về vệ tinh bay quanh quỹ đạo hay sao? 1880, sau khi Edgar Allan Poe chết được 31 năm, bác sĩ người Anh Henry Faulds mới đưa ra kiến nghị lấy dấu vân tay của tội phạm tại hiện trường xảy ra vụ án và đưa ra lý luận gien vân tay đó sao? Văn học có thể kích thích sự sáng tạo của chính người đọc, và gần đây J. K. Rowling được trao Bắc đẩu bội tinh vì đã phục hồi lại văn hóa đọc cho hàng triệu trẻ em người Pháp, một giải thưởng ngắn gọn và hợp lý.
Bây giờ, trí tưởng tượng trong văn chương có vẻ như nghèo nàn. Không biết các nhà phê bình làm việc thế nào, các trại sáng tác làm việc thế nào, và các nhà văn của chúng ta làm việc thế nào, nhưng hình như văn chương đã khác. Văn chương đang mải đuổi theo thể loại, kết cấu, bịt các lỗ rò rỉ tri thức và cân bằng các chiều tư tưởng, cho bằng người cái đã. Rồi tìm cách tân, mới hơn nữa, lạ hơn nữa. “Tôi thấy tôi cũng hậu hiện đại đấy chứ”, ôi chao, sao mà phải thế? Văn chương thiếu cái gốc của sự tưởng tượng, thiếu phiêu lưu thì sao mà hay được? Sự tưởng tượng phải có tầm, và phải riêng có, viết ma quỷ đâu có dễ, viết trinh thám đâu có dễ, viết viễn tưởng càng không dễ, chuyến phiêu lưu cũng phải đặc biệt nhưng có lẽ đều bắt nguồn từ những ham muốn cổ xưa nhất của con người, không hay thì vẫn cứ là không hay, các “vỏ bọc” của văn chương đâu có giải quyết được điều gì? Mà văn chương không hay thì chỉ có vứt đi thôi.
Sao các bạn nhà văn trẻ của tớ không viết về các cuộc phiêu lưu nhỉ? Sao cứ bắt người đọc phải nghĩ theo cách nghĩ của mình, phải nhìn xung quanh bằng con mắt của mình, phải đi theo đường ray tư tưởng của mình, phải cảm nhận sự trần trụi (chẳng hạn) trong tác phẩm đúng như mình cảm nhận? Nếu cần tranh cãi và bày tỏ quan điểm, hãy viết báo và tiểu luận, đừng làm người đọc vừa ngốn sách vừa phải uống aspirin. Sao không cho người đọc sống trong một thế giới khác, một cuộc đời khác, một mong ước khác? Hành trình vượt biển của con người từ Châu Phi tới Đông Nam Á, rồi đi ngược lên Trung Hoa chẳng hạn? Số phận những dòng họ phải đổi tên vì sợ truy sát của phương Bắc từ thời Hai Bà Trưng chẳng hạn? Ngày lại ngày, vệ tinh Landsat bay qua đầu chúng ta lúc non trưa, con mắt của nó thấy gì chẳng hạn? Hãy cho người đọc nằm trên mái nhà và ngắm nghía các vì sao, bởi cuộc sống vốn đã quá mệt mỏi rồi.
Đọc văn xong mà thấy mình như vẫn ngồi nguyên một chỗ, thật tiếc tiền. Tớ thích phiêu lưu và tưởng tượng, thì nghĩ vậy thôi.
[Hãy tham dự cuộc thi Một chuyến đi của TT&VH, được phép tưởng tượng, trong phạm vi 1.200 từ ]

La infantil imagen que uno tiene del universo no abarca a imaginar cosas más espectacularse que alguna galaxia muy densa o una gran nebulosa… Y de repente, el telescopio Hubble toma estas imágenes en 1995. Son los llamados Pilares de la creación y son unas gigantescas columnas de hidrógeno (gigantescas es poco. La más grande mide unos 9,5 años luz…) de las que surgen glóbulos gaseosos evaporándose. Son tan densas que su interior se contrae gravitacionalmente generando nuevas estrellas (de aquí su nombre). Están en la nebulosa Águila (M16) situada a unos 7.000 años luz de nosotros.  Su estudio puede servir para comprender el nacimiento de nuestro sistema solar.

En fin, yo no dejo de quedarme perplejo pensando en que algo así está por ahí, en el universo… Ni Arthur C. Clarke lo hubiera imaginado.

Vota en nuestra encuesta: ¿Quién es el intelectual más grande de todos los tiempos?

My copy of this 1950s science-fiction classic has a quote by C. S. Lewis on its cover: “There has been nothing like it for years; partly for the actual invention, but partly because here we meet a modern author who understands that there may be things that have a higher claim on humanity than its own survival.” 

The other day, while reading *The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 – 1963,* I found Lewis’ entire review on *Childhood’s End.* I was surprised, though, that he did not write it to be published at all. Instead, the review is a personal letter to his pen pal and then-future wife Joy Davidman Gresham, who had cautiously recommended the book to him.  Joy subsequently showed the letter to Clarke himself, who asked Lewis if the publisher may quote from the letter for promoting the book. To which Lewis replied, “If you will let me know *which* bits of my letter your people want to use, I am sure I shall have no objection – as you know one doesn’ t like to give a free hand for *selection.* It is sometimes so done as to credit one with ungrammatical or even nonsensical sentences.” This probably explains why the above quote differs somewhat from the actual letter.

Since Lewis’ thoughts on the book mirror my own experience in reading it pretty closely, and since I suspect that people will be more interested in a review by C. S. Lewis than a review by me, I will give you the letter in full.

Here we go: 

As far as I can remember you were non-committal about *Childhood’s End*: I suppose you were afraid that you might raise my expectations too high and lead to disappointment. 

If that was your aim, it has succeeded, for I came to it expecting nothing in particular and have been thoroughly bowled over. It is quite out of range of the common space-and-time writers; away up near Lindsay’s *Voyage to Arcturus* and Well’s *First Men in the Moon.* It is better than any of Stapleton’s. It hasn’t got Ray Bradbury’s delicacy, but then it has ten times his emotional power, and far more mythopoeia. 

There is one bit of bad execution, I think: chapters 7 and 8, where the author doesn’t seem to be at home. I mean, as a social picture it is flat and stiff, and all the gadgetry (for me) is a bore. 

But what there is on the credit side! It is rather like the effect of the *Ring* [by Richard Wagner]–a self-riching work, harmony piling up on harmony, grandeur on grandeur, pity on pity. The first section, merely on the mystery of the Overlords, would be enough for most authors. 

Then you find this is only the background, and when you have worked up to the climax in chapter 21, you find what seems to be an anti-climax and it slowly lifts itself to the utter climax. The first climax (…) brought tears to my eyes. There has been nothing like it for years: partly for the actual writing– “She has left her toys behind but ours go hence with us,” or “The island rose to meet the dawn,” but partly (still more, in fact) because here we meet a modern author who understands that there may be things that have a higher claim than the survival or happiness of humanity: a man who could almost understand “He that hateth not father and mother” and certainly would understand the situation in *Aeneid* III between those who go on to Latium and those who stay in Sicily. 

We are almost brought up out of *psyche* into *pneuma* [that is, from matters of the soul to those of the spirit]. I mean, his myth does that to us imaginatively. Of course his own *thoughts* about what the higher level might be are not, in our eyes, very new or very profound: but that doesn’t really make so much difference. (Though, by the way, it would have been better, even on purely literary grounds, to leave it in its mystery, to philosophise less.) After all, few authors’ glosses on their own myths are as good as the myths: unless, like Dante, they take the glosses from other men, real thinkers. 

The second climax, the long (not too long) drawn-out close is magnificent. 

There is only one change (in conception) that I would want to make. It is a pity that he suggests a jealousy and a possible future revolt on the part of the Overlords. The motive is so ordinary that it cannot excite interest in itself, and as it is never going to be worked out of the handling cannot compensate for the banality. How much better, how much more in tune with Clarke’s own imagined universe, if the Overlords were totally resigned, submissive yet erect in an eternal melancholy–like the great heroes and poets in Dante’s Limbo who live forever “in desire but not in hope.” 

But now one is starting to re-write the book. 

Many *minor* dissatisfactions, of course. The women are all made up out of a few abstract ideas of jealousy, vanity, maternity etc. But it really matters very little: the thing is great enough to carry far more faults than it commits. 

It is a strange comment on our age that such a book lies hid in a hideous paper-backed edition, wholly unnoticed by the *cognoscenti,* while any “realistic” drivel about some neurotic in a London flat–something that needs no real invention at all, something that any educated man could write if he chose, may get seriously reviewed and mentioned in serious books–as if it really mattered. 

I wonder how long this tyranny will last? Twenty years ago, I felt no doubt that I should life to see it all break up and great literature return: but here I am, losing teeth and hair, and still no break in the clouds. 

And now, what do *you* think? Do you agree that it is AN ABSOLUTE CORKER?

Hay tres mil anos-luz hasta el Vaticano. En otro tiempo creí que el espacio no tendría poder sobre la fe, tal como creí que los cielos proclamaban la gloria de la obra divina. Ahora que he visto una parte de esta obra, mi fe se siente gravemente turbada.

Contemplo el crucifijo que cuelga en mi camarote, sobre el ordenador Tipo VI y, por primera vez en toda mi vida, me pregunto si no será nada más que un símbolo vacío.

No se lo he contado aún a nadie, pero la verdad no puede ocultarse. Los datos están aquí para que cualquiera pueda leerlos, grabados en los incontables kilómetros de cinta magnética y en los millares de fotografías que traemos de regreso a la Tierra. Otros científicos podrán interpretarlos tan fácilmente como yo. Posiblemente con mayor facilidad. Yo no soy de esos que están de acuerdo con los manejos de la Verdad que a menudo le dieron a mi Orden un mal renombre en los viejos tiempos.

La tripulación está ya bastante deprimida, y me pregunto cómo se tomarán esta definitiva ironía. Pocos de ellos tienen algo de fe religiosa y sin embargo, no creo que sientan placer en utilizar esta última arma en su campaña contra mí…, esa guerra privada, bienintencionada pero fundamentalmente seria, que ha durado todo el camino desde la Tierra. Les divertía tener a un jesuita como astrofísico jefe. Por ejemplo, el doctor Chandler nunca pudo sobreponerse a ello (¿por qué los médicos siempre serán unos ateos tan notorios?). A veces se encontraba conmigo en la cubierta de observación, donde las luces siempre brillan mortecinas para que las estrellas puedan arder con esplendor no disminuido. Se acercaba a mí en la oscuridad y se quedaba mirando por la gran ventana de observación ovalada, mientras los cielos pasaban lentamente a nuestro alrededor al compás de la nave sobre sí misma debido a aquel impulso residual que nunca nos preocupamos de corregir.
-Aquí lo tiene, padre -me decía al fin-; se extiende por siempre jamás, y quizá Algo lo hizo. Pero el que usted pueda creer que ese Algo tiene un especial interés en nosotros y en nuestro miserable pequeño mundo es lo que me desconcierta.

Y entonces se iniciaba la discusión mientras las estrellas y las nebulosas giraban alrededor nuestro en silencio e interminables arcos más allá del impolutamente transparente plástico de la ventana de observación.
Era, creo, la aparente incongruencia de mi posición lo que divertía…, sí, divertía, a la tripulación. En vano les mostraba mis tres informes en el Astrophysical Journal, o los cinco en el Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Les recordaba que nuestra Orden ha sido famosa desde hace mucho por sus trabajos científicos. Quizá seamos pocos ahora, pero siempre, desde el siglo XVlll, hemos estado haciendo contribuciones a la astronomía y a la geofísica, desproporcionadas con nuestro número.

¿Mi informe sobre la Nebulosa del Fénix terminará con nuestro millar de años de historia? Me temo que terminará con mucho más que eso.

No sé quién dio su nombre a la nebulosa, que me parece muy poco apropiado. Si contiene una profecía, ésta no podrá ser verificada hasta que pasen varios mil millones de años. Hasta la palabra nebulosa conduce a engaño: es un objeto mucho más pequeño que esas maravillosas nubes de niebla, formadas por la materia de las estrellas aún no nacidas, que están desperdigadas a lo largo de la Vía Láctea. Lo cierto es que, a una escala cósmica, la nebulosa del Fénix es una cosa pequeña: una tenue capa de gases rodeando una única estrella.
El grabado de Loyola hecho por Rubens parece burlarse de mí desde su lugar, sobre los gráficos de los espectrómetros. ¿Qué harías tú, Padre, de este conocimiento que ha llegado a mí, tan lejos del pequeño mundo que era el universo que tú conocías? ¿Habría superado tu fe este reto, cosa que yo no he logrado?

Tú miras a la distancia, Padre, pero yo he viajado a una distancia más allá de todo lo que tú podrías haber imaginado cuando fundaste nuestra Orden hace un millar de años. Ninguna otra nave de exploración ha estado tan lejos de la Tierra: nos hallamos en las fronteras mismas del universo explorado; partimos para explorar la nebulosa del Fénix, lo logramos y vamos de regreso con nuestra carga de conocimientos. Desearía sacarme este peso de encima, pero te suplico en vano a través los siglos y los años-luz que se abren entre nosotros.

En el libro que tienes entre las manos se pueden leer claramente las palabras: AD MAI0REN DEI GLORIAM, pero éste es un mensaje en el que ya no puede creer. ¿Creerías tú aún en él, si pudieras ver lo que he hallado?

Naturalmente, sabíamos lo que era la Nebulosa del Fénix. Cada año, sólo en nuestra galaxia, estallan más de un centenar de estrellas: brillan durante algunas horas o días con una intensidad millones de veces superior a la normal, antes de regresar a la muerte y a la oscuridad. Se trata de las novas normales: los desastres habituales de nuestro universo. Yo he seguido los espectrogramas y curvas de luz de docenas de ellas, desde que comencé a trabajar en el observatorio lunar.

Pero tres o cuatro veces cada millar de años, ocurre algo junto a lo cual hasta una nova palidece para quedar convertida en una insignificancia absoluta. Cuando una estrella se convierte en supernova, puede, durante un corto tiempo, brillar más que todos los soles juntos de la galaxia. Los astrónomos chinos vieron suceder esto en el año 1054 de nuestra era, sin saber de qué se trataba. Cinco siglos más tarde, en 1572, una supernova brilló en Casiopea con tal fulgor que era visible en el cielo diurno. Han habido tres más en el millar de años transcurridos desde entonces.

Nuestra misión era visitar los restos de una de estas catástrofes, reconstruir los acontecimientos que la habían producido y, si era posible, averiguar las causas de la misma. Atravesamos lentamente las esferas concéntricas de gas que habían sido impulsadas por la explosión de seis mil años antes, y que sin embargo aún seguían expandiéndose. Eran inmensamente calientes, radiando aún una intensa luz violeta, pero ya demasiado tenues para causar cualquier daño. Cuando la estrella había estallado, sus capas exteriores habían sido lanzadas hacia fuera con tal velocidad que habían escapado completamente de su campo gravitatorio. Ahora formaban una esfera hueca lo bastante grande como para contener un millar de sistemas solares, y en su centro brillaba el pequeño y fantástico objeto en que se había convertido la estrella: una enana blanca, más pequeña que la Tierra, y no obstante un millón de veces más pesada que ella.

Las brillantes esferas de gas estaban a nuestro alrededor, cerrando el paso a la habitual oscuridad del espacio interestelar. Navegábamos hacia el centro de una bomba cósmica que había detonado hacía milenios, y cuyos fragmentos incandescentes aún seguían alejándose. La inmensa escala de la explosión y el hecho de que los restos cubrían ya un volumen de espacio de muchos miles de millones de kilómetros de diámetro robaba a la escena todo movimiento visible. Pasarían décadas antes de que el ojo desnudo detectase cualquier variación en aquellos torturados remolinos y nubes de gases y, sin embargo, la sensación de una expansión turbulenta era sobrecogedora.

Habíamos parado nuestros motores principales horas antes y avanzábamos lentamente, llevados por el impulso hacia la estrella enana. En otro tiempo había sido como el nuestro, pero había derrochado en pocas horas la energía que lo hubiera mantenido brillando durante un millón de años. Ahora era una empequeñecida miseria, acumulando avaramente sus recursos como para tratar de compensar su pródiga juventud.

Nadie tenía verdaderas esperanzas de encontrar planetas. Si había habido alguno antes de la explosión, habrían sido convertidos en nubecillas de gas y su sustancia inmersa en la superior cantidad de restos producidos por la misma estrella. Pero hicimos la investigación de rutina, como siempre se hace cuando uno se aproxima a una estrella desconocida. Y para sorpresa nuestra, hallamos un pequeño mundo solitario circundando la estrella a una inmensa distancia. Debía tratarse del Plutón de aquel desconocido sistema solar, orbitando en las fronteras de la noche demasiado lejos del sol central para haber conocido nunca la vida, y cuya lejanías lo había salvado del destino de sus compañeros perdidos.

Las llamas que habían pasado junto a él había fundido sus rocas y volatilizado la capa de gas helado que debía haberlo cubierto en los días anteriores al desastre. Aterrizamos y encontramos la Bóveda.

Sus constructores habían tenido mucho cuidado en asegurarse de que la hallásemos. La monolítica señal que se alzaba sobre la entrada era ahora un muñón fundido, pero hasta las primeras fotografías a gran distancia ya nos indicaban que se trataba del trabajo de seres inteligentes. Un poco más tarde detectamos las tramas radioactivas que, a nivel continental, habían sido grabadas en las rocas. Aunque el pilón situado sobre la Bóveda había sido destruido, éste permanecía como un casi eterno faro llamando a las estrellas. Nuestra nave cayó hacia el gigantesco blanco con una flecha va hacia su meta.

El pilón debió de haber tenido casi un par de kilómetros de altura cuando fue construido, pero ahora parecía una vela que se ha fundido hasta convertirse en un charco de cera. Nos llevó una semana perforar la roca fundida, puesto que no teníamos las herramientas adecuadas para una tarea como aquélla. Éramos astrónomos, no arqueólogos, pero podíamos improvisar. Habíamos olvidado ya nuestro programa original: aquel monumento solitario, erigido tan trabajosamente a la mayor distancia posible del sol condenado, sólo podía tener un significado. Una civilización que sabía que estaba a punto de morir había jugado su última carta para ganar la inmortalidad.
Nos llevará generaciones investigar todos los tesoros que fueron colocados en la bóveda. Tuvieron mucho tiempo para prepararse, pues su sol debió de haber dado sus primeros avisos muchos años antes de la detonación final. Llevaron a aquel lejano mundo, en los días antes del fin, todo aquello que deseaban conservar, todos los frutos de su genio, esperando que alguna otra raza las hallase y no fuesen absolutamente olvidados.

¡Si hubieran tenido sólo algo más de tiempo! Podían viajar a voluntad entre los planetas de su propio sol, pero no habían aprendido aún a cruzar los abismos interestelares, y el sistema solar más cercano se hallaba años-luz de distancia.

Aunque no hubieran sido tan desconcertadamente humanos como sus esculturas muestran, no podríamos haber dejado de admirarlos y dolernos por su destino. Dejaron millares de grabaciones visuales y las máquinas para proyectarlas, junto con detalladas instrucciones pictográficas a partir de las cuales no será difícil aprender su lenguaje escrito. Hemos examinado muchas de esas grabaciones y vuelto a la vida por primera vez en seis mil años el calor y la belleza de una civilización que, en muchos aspectos, debió de haber sido superior a la nuestra. Quizá sólo nos mostrasen lo mejor, y uno no puede culparles por ello. Pero sus mundos eran encantadores, sus ciudades estaban edificadas con una gracilidad que se puede comparar con lo mejor que nosotros tenemos. Los hemos contemplado trabajando y disfrutando, y escuchado su musical lenguaje través de los siglos. Aún tengo ante mis ojos un grupo de niños en una playa de extraña arena azul, jugando con las olas tal como lo hacen los de la Tierra.

Y, hundiéndose en el mar, aún cálido y amistoso y dador de vida, se ve el sol que pronto se convertirá en traidor y aniquilará toda aquella felicidad inocente.
Quizá, si no hubiéramos estado tan lejos de casa y tan vulnerables ante la soledad, no nos hubiéramos sentido tan profundamente conmovidos. Muchos de nosotros habíamos visto ya las ruinas de antiguas civilizaciones en otros mundos, pero nunca nos habían afectado profundamente.

Aquella tragedia era algo fuera de lo común. Una cosa es que una raza decline y muera, como ha ocurrido con las naciones y las culturas en la Tierra, y otra que sea destruida de una manera tan completa en la flor de su desarrollo, sin dejar supervivientes… ¿Cómo puede reconciliarse esto con la misericordia divina?

Mis colegas me han preguntado esto, y yo les he dado las respuestas que me ha sido posible. Quizá tú lo hubieras hecho mejor, Padre Loyola, pero no he encontrado nada en los Exercitia Spiritualia que me pueda servir en este caso. No eran una gente malvada: no sé a qué dioses adorarían, si es que adoraban a alguno. Pero los he contemplado a través de los siglos y los he observado mientras su sol moribundo iluminaba por última vez la belleza a cuya conservación dedicaron sus últimos esfuerzos.

Sé las respuestas que mis colegas darán cuando regresemos a la Tierra. Dirán que el Universo no tiene propósito ni plan, y que algo así como un centenar de soles estallan cada año en nuestra galaxia, y que en este mismo momento alguna raza está muriendo en las profundidades del espacio. El que esta raza haya obrado bien o mal durante su vida no importa al fin: no hay justicia divina, pues no hay Dios.

Y sin embargo, claro está, lo que hemos visto no prueba nada de eso. Cualquiera que argumente así está dejándose llevar por la emoción y no por la lógica. Dios no tiene necesidad alguna de justificar sus acciones ante el hombre. Él, que ha creador el universo, puede destruirlo cuando lo desee. Es pura arrogancia, y se acerca mucho a la blasfemia, el tratar de decirle lo que puede o no puede hacer.

Esto podría haberlo aceptado, a pesar de lo que me cueste contemplar mundos y pueblos enteros lanzados al horno. Pero llega un momento en que hasta la fe más profunda se tambalea y, ahora, mientras miro mis cálculos, sé que al fin ha llegado a ese momento.

No podíamos asegurar, antes de alcanzar la nebulosa, cuánto hacía que se había producido la explosión. Ahora, mediante las evidencias astronómicas y las grabaciones en las rocas de aquel planeta superviviente, he sido capaz de fecharla con mucha exactitud. Sé en qué año la luz de aquella colosal detonación llegó a la Tierra. Sé cuán brillantemente la supernova cuyo cadáver se va empequeñeciendo tras nuestra nave que acelera iluminó en otro tiempo los cielos de la Tierra. Sé cómo debió de haber aparecido, muy baja sobre el horizonte del este, antes del amanecer, como un faro en aquella alba oriental.

No cabe duda alguna: al fin ha quedado resuelto el antiguo misterio. Y, sin embargo, ¡oh, Dios!, había tantas estrellas que podrías haber usado.

¿Qué necesidad había de lanzar a ese pueblo al fuego, para que el símbolo de su fin brillase sobre Belén?

***

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, más conocido como Arthur C. Clarke (16 de diciembre de 1917, Minehead, Inglaterra – 19 de marzo de 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka), fue un escritor y científico británico. Autor de obras de divulgación científica y de ciencia ficción, como El centinela o Cita con Rama y co-guionista de 2001: Una odisea del espacio.

Más “Cuentos de la semana” AQUI

Curta quase sinóptico com cara de trailer feito quando Aaron M. Ross ainda era estudante e hoje trabalha com efeitos especiais e animação na Blue Sky Studios, subsidiária da Fox.
Este curta me dá boas esperanças, pois David Fincher está prestes a adaptar o mesmo livro de Arthur Clarke, Encontro com Rama, o primeiro da tetrologia cujos livros seguintes são O Enigma de Rama, O Jardim de Rama e A Revelação de Rama. Mal posso esperar.

Legendary science fiction writer and futuristic prophet to many Arthur Clarke passed away on March 19, 2008.Clarke was 91 years old.

Author of the cult masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur Clarke has passed away at the age of 91 in Sri Lanka. Born on Dec. 16, 1917, Clarke went on to write over 100 novels and stories during his lifetime. His works were treasured by millions of readers around the world. At his 90th birthday celebration, Clarke willed mankind to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, shift to ecologically clean fuel and find evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Much of what Clarke fantasized in fiction became reality. A prime example is the author’s 1945 prediction of low-orbiting satellites hovering close to Earth to improve global communication. The geostationary orbit where these satellites travel today is known as Clarke’s Orbit.

In 2000, on the threshold of the 21st Century, Clarke spoke with KP correspondent Svetlana Kuzina. Here are a few captivating moments from the interview.

KP: Will clone people exist?

Arthur Clarke: I wouldn’t be surprised. I have information about one clone existing already, but I don’t know where.

Q: Do you want to be cloned?

A: I have the chance to rise again. NASA is launching a small satellite with hairs taken from renowned individuals. They took 6 of mine [ed. patting his thin head of hair]. Another civilization might find my hairs in 1,000,000 years. Extraterrestrials may extract my DNA and get a wonderful Clarke specimen.

Q: Are we alone in the Universe?

A: At the moment, the most probable location of living organisms is Jupiter’s satellite Europe. I still don’t know if there was or remains life on Mars although I wrote a book [on the subject].

Q: Is there a God?

A: I have known several Creationists [ed. academics asserting that God created Earth], but I couldn’t understand if they were truly mad or just pretending to be. If I were a believer, then Creationism would be blasphemy. Its supporters imagine God to be a Universal liar, who created our entire geological history book only in an effort to confuse mankind. According to their theory, God is a clumsy master of misfortune, constantly changing his creations and throwing out entire species from the evolutionary chain along the way – specifically those that Darwin didn’t discover and contemporary biologists haven’t been able to find. You would much more revere the Creator who established evolution as the foundation for the entire future at the beginning of time. Even the Vatican – while holding onto its position of the human spirit’s divine origin — said that the theory of biological evolution is more than a hypothesis in 1996. READ MORE

Legendary science fiction writer and futuristic prophet to many Arthur Clarke passed away on March 19, 2008.Clarke was 91 years old.

Author of the cult masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur Clarke has passed away at the age of 91 in Sri Lanka. Born on Dec. 16, 1917, Clarke went on to write over 100 novels and stories during his lifetime. His works were treasured by millions of readers around the world. At his 90th birthday celebration, Clarke willed mankind to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, shift to ecologically clean fuel and find evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Much of what Clarke fantasized in fiction became reality. A prime example is the author’s 1945 prediction of low-orbiting satellites hovering close to Earth to improve global communication. The geostationary orbit where these satellites travel today is known as Clarke’s Orbit.

In 2000, on the threshold of the 21st Century, Clarke spoke with KP correspondent Svetlana Kuzina. Here are a few captivating moments from the interview.

KP: Will clone people exist?

Arthur Clarke: I wouldn’t be surprised. I have information about one clone existing already, but I don’t know where.

Q: Do you want to be cloned?

A: I have the chance to rise again. NASA is launching a small satellite with hairs taken from renowned individuals. They took 6 of mine [ed. patting his thin head of hair]. Another civilization might find my hairs in 1,000,000 years. Extraterrestrials may extract my DNA and get a wonderful Clarke specimen.

Q: Are we alone in the Universe?

A: At the moment, the most probable location of living organisms is Jupiter’s satellite Europe. I still don’t know if there was or remains life on Mars although I wrote a book [on the subject].

Q: Is there a God?

A: I have known several Creationists [ed. academics asserting that God created Earth], but I couldn’t understand if they were truly mad or just pretending to be. If I were a believer, then Creationism would be blasphemy. Its supporters imagine God to be a Universal liar, who created our entire geological history book only in an effort to confuse mankind. According to their theory, God is a clumsy master of misfortune, constantly changing his creations and throwing out entire species from the evolutionary chain along the way – specifically those that Darwin didn’t discover and contemporary biologists haven’t been able to find. You would much more revere the Creator who established evolution as the foundation for the entire future at the beginning of time. Even the Vatican – while holding onto its position of the human spirit’s divine origin — said that the theory of biological evolution is more than a hypothesis in 1996. READ MORE

Legendary science fiction writer and futuristic prophet to many Arthur Clarke passed away on March 19, 2008.Clarke was 91 years old.

Author of the cult masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur Clarke has passed away at the age of 91 in Sri Lanka. Born on Dec. 16, 1917, Clarke went on to write over 100 novels and stories during his lifetime. His works were treasured by millions of readers around the world. At his 90th birthday celebration, Clarke willed mankind to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, shift to ecologically clean fuel and find evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Much of what Clarke fantasized in fiction became reality. A prime example is the author’s 1945 prediction of low-orbiting satellites hovering close to Earth to improve global communication. The geostationary orbit where these satellites travel today is known as Clarke’s Orbit.

In 2000, on the threshold of the 21st Century, Clarke spoke with KP correspondent Svetlana Kuzina. Here are a few captivating moments from the interview.

KP: Will clone people exist?

Arthur Clarke: I wouldn’t be surprised. I have information about one clone existing already, but I don’t know where.

Q: Do you want to be cloned?

A: I have the chance to rise again. NASA is launching a small satellite with hairs taken from renowned individuals. They took 6 of mine [ed. patting his thin head of hair]. Another civilization might find my hairs in 1,000,000 years. Extraterrestrials may extract my DNA and get a wonderful Clarke specimen.

Q: Are we alone in the Universe?

A: At the moment, the most probable location of living organisms is Jupiter’s satellite Europe. I still don’t know if there was or remains life on Mars although I wrote a book [on the subject].

Q: Is there a God?

A: I have known several Creationists [ed. academics asserting that God created Earth], but I couldn’t understand if they were truly mad or just pretending to be. If I were a believer, then Creationism would be blasphemy. Its supporters imagine God to be a Universal liar, who created our entire geological history book only in an effort to confuse mankind. According to their theory, God is a clumsy master of misfortune, constantly changing his creations and throwing out entire species from the evolutionary chain along the way – specifically those that Darwin didn’t discover and contemporary biologists haven’t been able to find. You would much more revere the Creator who established evolution as the foundation for the entire future at the beginning of time. Even the Vatican – while holding onto its position of the human spirit’s divine origin — said that the theory of biological evolution is more than a hypothesis in 1996. READ MORE

Legendary science fiction writer and futuristic prophet to many Arthur Clarke passed away on March 19, 2008.Clarke was 91 years old.

Author of the cult masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur Clarke has passed away at the age of 91 in Sri Lanka. Born on Dec. 16, 1917, Clarke went on to write over 100 novels and stories during his lifetime. His works were treasured by millions of readers around the world. At his 90th birthday celebration, Clarke willed mankind to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, shift to ecologically clean fuel and find evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Much of what Clarke fantasized in fiction became reality. A prime example is the author’s 1945 prediction of low-orbiting satellites hovering close to Earth to improve global communication. The geostationary orbit where these satellites travel today is known as Clarke’s Orbit.

In 2000, on the threshold of the 21st Century, Clarke spoke with KP correspondent Svetlana Kuzina. Here are a few captivating moments from the interview.

KP: Will clone people exist?

Arthur Clarke: I wouldn’t be surprised. I have information about one clone existing already, but I don’t know where.

Q: Do you want to be cloned?

A: I have the chance to rise again. NASA is launching a small satellite with hairs taken from renowned individuals. They took 6 of mine [ed. patting his thin head of hair]. Another civilization might find my hairs in 1,000,000 years. Extraterrestrials may extract my DNA and get a wonderful Clarke specimen.

Q: Are we alone in the Universe?

A: At the moment, the most probable location of living organisms is Jupiter’s satellite Europe. I still don’t know if there was or remains life on Mars although I wrote a book [on the subject].

Q: Is there a God?

A: I have known several Creationists [ed. academics asserting that God created Earth], but I couldn’t understand if they were truly mad or just pretending to be. If I were a believer, then Creationism would be blasphemy. Its supporters imagine God to be a Universal liar, who created our entire geological history book only in an effort to confuse mankind. According to their theory, God is a clumsy master of misfortune, constantly changing his creations and throwing out entire species from the evolutionary chain along the way – specifically those that Darwin didn’t discover and contemporary biologists haven’t been able to find. You would much more revere the Creator who established evolution as the foundation for the entire future at the beginning of time. Even the Vatican – while holding onto its position of the human spirit’s divine origin — said that the theory of biological evolution is more than a hypothesis in 1996. READ MORE

Legendary science fiction writer and futuristic prophet to many Arthur Clarke passed away on March 19, 2008.Clarke was 91 years old.

Author of the cult masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur Clarke has passed away at the age of 91 in Sri Lanka. Born on Dec. 16, 1917, Clarke went on to write over 100 novels and stories during his lifetime. His works were treasured by millions of readers around the world. At his 90th birthday celebration, Clarke willed mankind to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, shift to ecologically clean fuel and find evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Much of what Clarke fantasized in fiction became reality. A prime example is the author’s 1945 prediction of low-orbiting satellites hovering close to Earth to improve global communication. The geostationary orbit where these satellites travel today is known as Clarke’s Orbit.

In 2000, on the threshold of the 21st Century, Clarke spoke with KP correspondent Svetlana Kuzina. Here are a few captivating moments from the interview.

KP: Will clone people exist?

Arthur Clarke: I wouldn’t be surprised. I have information about one clone existing already, but I don’t know where.

Q: Do you want to be cloned?

A: I have the chance to rise again. NASA is launching a small satellite with hairs taken from renowned individuals. They took 6 of mine [ed. patting his thin head of hair]. Another civilization might find my hairs in 1,000,000 years. Extraterrestrials may extract my DNA and get a wonderful Clarke specimen.

Q: Are we alone in the Universe?

A: At the moment, the most probable location of living organisms is Jupiter’s satellite Europe. I still don’t know if there was or remains life on Mars although I wrote a book [on the subject].

Q: Is there a God?

A: I have known several Creationists [ed. academics asserting that God created Earth], but I couldn’t understand if they were truly mad or just pretending to be. If I were a believer, then Creationism would be blasphemy. Its supporters imagine God to be a Universal liar, who created our entire geological history book only in an effort to confuse mankind. According to their theory, God is a clumsy master of misfortune, constantly changing his creations and throwing out entire species from the evolutionary chain along the way – specifically those that Darwin didn’t discover and contemporary biologists haven’t been able to find. You would much more revere the Creator who established evolution as the foundation for the entire future at the beginning of time. Even the Vatican – while holding onto its position of the human spirit’s divine origin — said that the theory of biological evolution is more than a hypothesis in 1996. READ MORE

Tio Stan faria 80 anos hoje