Bien que je sois plutôt d'accord avec l'avertissement
de Solomon W. Golomb (août 1966 A/A, page 16) selon lequel tous les extraterrestres visiteurs ne seraient pas
nécessairement des êtres bienveillants, je voudrais mettre en avant que qu'en promulguant son idée que la doctrine
des soucoupes est un mythe de base
il semble choisir avec précaution les éléments qui correspondent à son
propre besoin psychologique profond
. Il n'a (accidentellement ? délibérément ?) pas mentionné le fait que des
nombres croissants de scientifiques en viennent à considérer les ovnis comme des manifestations de phénomènes
terrestres inconnus, ou peu connus (Aviation Week, lundi 22 août 1966, p. 48) tandis qu'un plus
petit (mais grandissant) groupe de scientifiques ont accepté, comme hypothèse de travail, la possibilité que certains
ovnis signalés puissent être un certain type d'appareil de surveillance extraterrestre.
Je suggérerai que le Dr. Golomb et d'autres of a like mind consider carefully these words of J. Allen Hynek, Chairman of the Astronomy Department of Northwestern Univ. and chief civilian consultant on UFOs to the USAF: "Scientists could have used the UFO problem to give a beautiful example of the scientific method, to show the public how they go about studying a puzzling phenomenon. Instead, most of them treated the subject with contempt. Ridicule is not part of the scientific method."
George Early
Bloomfield, Conn.
The Conclusion of Solomon W. Golomb's piece on extraterrestrial visitors (August 1966 A/A, page 16) was apparently that we had little to gain and, indeed, much to lose if we attract Them. On the contrary, it seems to me that we have much to gain; but, even if we could communicate with Them, it is unlikely that we could attract Them, for what have They to gain? There are at least five reasons Superior Intelligence would be interested in this planet and its inhabitants.
First, as many suppose, They might want to be friends with us, giving us the great knowledge They possess, irrigate our deserts, feed our starving, etc., etc. But what do They gain for Themselves? They gain about as much as man does if he teaches a herd of wild pigs etiquette.
Another possible reason for coming to Earth has been exploited fully by the motion picture industry: Their mother planet is dying out. However, couldn't a civilization capable of building a spacecraft to carry large numbers of Their people to another planet for colonization also be capable of finding a more suitable solution to Their problem?
Man might be a wonderful food for some faraway galactic connoisseurs of exotic foods. But imagine the cost of a pound of meat transported a hunder light years away. It would be much better to kidnap a few specimens and establish a farm on the home planet.
Might man be used as a slave? An advanced civilization wouldn't come all the way to Earth just to pick up some humans for use as slaves, for we are neither smart nor strong. However, a pretty blonde might make a nice pet.
Finally, the Visitors might be making routine scientific exploration. This would seem most likely. Since They would not want Their observations ruined by our becomming disturbed by Their presence, They certainly wouldn't contact us and would try to do Their work secretly.
No matter how hard we try, can we attract Them?
Brent L. Marsh
Newark, Delaware