Note: This article was cited within the New York Times (July 22, 2018) as an intellectual counter to the emerging religion of “Ancient Aliens.”

The Grand Design (2012), Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow claimed that “philosophy is dead” (p in the book. 5). They wrote: “We exist however for a short time, and in that time explore but a tiny part of the whole universe. But humans are a species that are curious. We wonder, we seek answers. Living in this world that is vast is by turns kind and cruel, and gazing in the immense heavens above, folks have always asked a variety of questions: just how can we comprehend the world by which we find ourselves? So how exactly does the universe behave? What is the nature of reality? Where d > philosophy is dead. Philosophy have not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics.” (p. 5).

Needless to say, philosophy continues to be alive in academic journals, Amazon books, and also the philosophy that is shrinking at the Barnes & Noble bookstores. But, as a force in popular culture, contemporary philosophy is basically dead, primarily since it has failed to keep up using the discoveries in contemporary cosmology. When you look at the wake of the stunning achievements of the Apollo program and also the Hubble Space Telescope (just two examples), philosophy has did not generate a well known cosmic narrative that integrates the origins and destinies for the human species to the vast and wondrous cosmos—an expanding universe stretching across 100 billion light years and populated with 2 trillion galaxies and untold numbers of stars, planets, lifeforms, and black holes. This death began aided by the crash of Apollo 8 and Earthrise.

This cosmic and failure that is philosophical ev >2001: a place Odyssey (1968) and Interstellar (2014), Hollywood populates the expanding universe with endless monsters (ex: the Alien series) and apocalyptic warfare (ex: Star Wars), complimented by hardly any awe buy essays online, wonder, and discovery. The Star that is recent Trek are not too distinctive from Star Wars. Here we are fifty years after Apollo and thirty years following the Hubble telescope, therefore the dominant ideologies are still situated in cosmic narcissism and super-specialness—pretending that is human be the center of this universe or under the delusion that a Creator or Ancient Aliens are searching out for us.

The hit television series Ancient Aliens (2010-) has hijacked the cosmic narratives from Apollo and 2001 and claims to explain humanity’s origins and destiny in the universe in the absence of a meaningful space philosophy. In Ancient Aliens, we can see philosophy’s mediated corpse, where an attempted space philosophy and cosmic narrative have crashed and they are still aflame in the us in the History Channel.

Two Val >The ancient-astronaut theory draws upon two val > may have developed space travel technologies that enable them to traverse the great distances with relative ease. at the very least that is the “wormhole” scenario depicted in touch (1997) and Interstellar (2014) . That sa > it is highly unlikely we have been visited, precisely due to the fact distances are incredibly vast, the universe is really gigantic, and our planet is really so tiny.

Yet, such a possibility (however slim) is one reason why 2001 offers such a compelling vision of human origins and destinies. All things considered, it will be an moment that is epochal find a black monolith somewhere on the planet or even the moon, beaming out a radio signal to an alert and curious species. Such a possibility is extremely attractive to me, at least the theory is that. While the astronaut Taylor says in Planet regarding the Apes, “Out there, there needs to be something better than man. Has got to be.” Of course, if ancient astronauts have visited Earth, they might have possessed extremely advanced technologies and been viewed as gods, angels, and miracle makers by premodern humans. Much like the apes in 2001, the humans could have looked upon the technologies with fear and amazement. But have any astronauts that are ancient visited Earth?

Where’s the black monolith?

Where’s the same as the black monolith in 2001 — that single artifact of indisputable extraterrestrial design or origin? Where could be the verifiable evidence that ancient astronauts or extraterrestrials visited our planet to enlighten our species, perform great deeds, and guide our art, technology, and architecture? Since i believe extraterrestrial life forms surely exist also it’s possible some could be way more advanced and enlightened than our species, i will be open to actual empirical evidence. Unfortunately, most of the ancient-astronaut theorists can point toward is a few mysterious artifacts, none of which are often linked to visitations that are extraterrestrial.

Where are the “Chariots of this Gods”?

Within my youth, I watched reruns or VHS tapes of 2001 and Planet for the Apes times that are many along with a number of other science-fiction films. I also recall viewing reruns of Chariots for the Gods and Mysteries of this Gods, which aired from the television station that is local. The shows are now available on YouTube, and my viewings that are recent the majority of my original memories of them. Both films clearly attempted to connect astronauts that are ancient Apollo and space exploration, because of the Voyager space probe and starship Enterprise appearing early in Mysteries of this Gods. Viewing the films that are above my youth inspired us to read Chariots for the Gods?, readily available at that time in local bookstores. I viewed the films and browse the book with rapt attention, precisely because von Daniken appeared to be providing “evidence” for a human narrative that was section of a larger celestial narrative away from theism that prevailed in Texas, where I became born and was raised (in a largely secular household). Initially, this thesis was quite attractive and seemed to reflect an model that is alternative human origins and possible destinies. It appeared like a attack that is plausible the cultural and historical orthodoxy of the age, especially the pre-Copernican ideologies regarding the proselytizing evangelicals in my suburb.

Thesis was deeply mistaken upon later reflection, however, I found myself questioning the logic of the book’s assertions and came to realize that von Daniken’s “ancient-astronaut. The book’s flaws were exposed in a 1976 Skeptical Inquirer article as well as in a written book entitled The Space Gods Revealed that featured a forward by none other than Carl Sagan.1 By 1977, Chariot associated with the Gods? was debunked in a BBC-PBS creation of Nova in an episode called “The Case for the Ancient Astronauts.”2 The episode refuted the following claims: a picture of an astronaut that is ancient carved on a Mayan sarcophagus, the Nazca Lines in Peru were originally an ancient-astronaut spaceport, ancient astronauts inspired various carvings on Peruvian stones, and ancient astronauts built the pyramids in Egypt additionally the Moai statues on Easter Island.

The above assertions are being among the most ludicrous and illogical interpretations of human artifacts created by the theorists that are ancient-astronaut and all are wholly unproven. In a variety of ways, the series is an attack on logic, rationality, plus the nature of ev >Ancient Aliens happens to be on television for seven seasons suggests there are sizable audiences who will be quite gullible, struggling to think logically, and scientifically illiterate. Plus, you can find irresponsible and television that is intellectually bankrupt, but that is nothing new either.

When you look at the wake for the Trump pres >Chariots of the Gods? and Ancient Aliens, almost all regarding the ev that is so-called be solved.

Practically all the claims of extraterrestrial influence made on Ancient Aliens assume that human civilization and consciousness don’t have a lot of creativity, originality, or ability to innovate. The basic idea is that, without the assistance of the ancient astronauts, humans will be helpless and may never build such great structures or make profound scientific discoveries. Plus, the show assumes there’s no room for chance, surprise, emergence, singularities, or some of the insights of chaos and complexity theory. The series represents an assault on rationality and scientific methods, not unlike all other paranormal movies and television shows in the end.