Oldman
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The Search For Extraterrestrial Life: A Brief History
For as long as humans have looked to the night sky to divine meaning and a place in the universe, we have let our minds wander to thoughts of distant worlds populated by beings unlike ourselves. The ancient Greeks were the first Western thinkers to consider formally the possibility of an infinite universe housing an infinite number of civilizations.
6.21.2008 at 12:40pm - Comment by OldmanConsidering the countless numbers of galaxies similar in structure to ours, it simply can be assumed that intelligent life exists in profusion throughout the universe. However, the cosmic distances between stars with habitable planets make it improbable that civilizations ever will physically interact, or that comminication signals ever will be detected, or exchanged. Were it to become possible to find, evaluate and compare other civilizations however, it might be learned whether some intelligent life forms preserved their civilizations and their planets, while others like us followed a pattern of exhausting planetary resources, poisoning the environment, and dissolving into social disorder, lethal conflict, and famines.
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December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
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