The primitive and paranoid culture that dominates human society today would be profoundly affected by a SETI success. Assuming of course society believed what was reported by SETI. Human beings undoubtedly have an almost unrestrained desire to explore and to learn, this is mentality is even more pronounced when we turn our attention to the final frontier of space. However, over the past one hundred or so years there have been an exceptionally large number of people who have preyed on mans desire to find life elsewhere. So many so that it invariably has made most people skeptics of even the most ardent scientific studies delving into extra terrestrial life.
Whether we are talking about crop circles, extra solar planets or even relabeling of planets in our own solar system human beings have been fooled numerous times already into believing things that simply are not true. When even respected scientists and engineers talk of extra terrestrial discoveries today the initial reaction from the public is that of skepticism at best and ridicule at worst. Those brave souls who dare to report even the most routine of UFO sightings are immediately labeled as crackpots or charlatans looking to claim fame and glory for themselves. With the prevalence of so many hoaxes already in addition to the popular science fiction movement that draws heavily on our imaginations to conjure up the most entertaining but also the most ridiculous representations of what might be out there it’s easy to understand where the public’s skepticism comes from.
That natural skepticism the public has as a result of numerous disappointments in the past is surely fueled by decades of reinforcement by our governments to divert our attention from the subject. Whether the governments of the world are actively covering up known extra terrestrial activities or just simply using other worldly fictional stories to hide top secret projects their dismissive approach to the subject robs the world of vital recognition and resources necessary for true exploration of the subject. As a result any work done by SETI and their sister organizations is relegated to the likes of fringe science and fanaticism around the world.
Looking at the universe objectively it is ludicrous to believe that the planet Earth is so unique as to support the only life in the universe. Given the sheer volume of star systems and planets that exist in the infinite vastness of our galaxy alone it is statistically impossible to even consider Earth as the only life bearing planet in the known universe. As a result the assumption must be made that life must exist elsewhere in the universe. Discovering the evidence of that life with our limited technological ability is difficult enough, having those efforts discredited as being farfetched fantasy make the task even more difficult.
Eventually undeniable evidence will be found of extra-terrestrial life, of that I have no doubt. When this occurs the societal effects on mankind will no doubt be profound. Such a discovery potentially threatens to throw society into chaos. Religion, one of the most common regulating factors in most people’s lives will be seriously affected by such a discovery. The conflict that religion has perpetually had with science will come to a climax as we learn that all the beliefs we’ve lived by for centuries are now drawn into question.
Governments of the world will face a challenge greater than anything mankind has ever faced before in history, the realization that we are no longer a society of nations in the world arena but a single insignificant civilization on a universal stage. No longer will self interest and national patriotism be enough to distinguish us from each other. We will have to realize that we are no longer Americans, British, French, or even Europeans and Asians. We are now human beings, or more precisely Earthlings. We are a diverse group of a species, but we are of one species. It is a sense of unity that few people have ever contemplated today.
Society as it is today will cease to exist. It must cease to exist in order for us to functional effectively in the universe. We will not discover another planet with life; we will discover an entire universe with a diversity of species greater than the diversity of ethnicities that we are blessed with today. In the grand scheme of things the way society functions today in its primitive almost tribal nationalities will simply be insignificant and dysfunctional on the universal stage. Even reflecting on this more universal approach to society it is impossible to foresee the effects such profound changes will have on all of us. But one thing is clear, life as we know it today will cease to exist should the SETI project prove a success.
