这是时代杂志的报导 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/space/article7000795.ece From The Times January 25, 2010 Royal Society meet to discuss if extra-terrestrials are here on Earth 皇家学会开会讨论「如果外星生命就在地球」 Mono Lake, California: 'home to arsenic-loving beings' Hannah Devlin 77 Comments Recommend? (32) It is the classic sci-fi scenario: discovering aliens, not in outer space, but right here on Earth, sitting next to you in the workplace, serving food in your local restaurant, or, scariest of all, in your own home. The premise might sound like the film Men in Black, but this week it will consume the great minds of science at a meeting of Britain’s most venerable institution, the Royal Society. Paul Davies, a physicist at Arizona State University, will suggest tomorrow that the search for extra-terrestrial life should be focused right under our noses. His audience will include representatives from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, while Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society and Astronomer Royal, will also lead one of the sessions. Addressing the meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programme — a quest that has fallen far short of its objectives — Professor Davies will argue that demonstrating that life has appeared more than once on Earth would be the best evidence yet that it must exist elsewhere in the Universe. Related Links Oops, that was a bad call, Earth Bill Bryson on the giants of the Royal Society He told The Times: “We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach.” According to Professor Davies, “weird” microbes that belong to a completely separate tree of life, dubbed the “shadow biosphere”, could be present in isolated ecological niches in which ordinary life struggles to survive. Likely hiding places include deserts, scalding volcanic vents, the dry valleys of Antartica or salt-saturated lakes. One team, led by Felisa WolfeSimon, of the US Geological Survey, is investigating the possibility that places that are heavily contaminated with arsenic, such as the Mono Lake in California, might support forms of life that use arsenic in the same way that other life forms use phosphorus. Not all are convinced by the “shadow biosphere” concept. Colin Pillinger, who led the Beagle 2 Mars landing mission, said: “I prefer to deal in scientific fact — this is wildly science fiction. You’d be off your trolley to go searching for arsenic-based life.” Professor Pillinger, who is due to speak at the Royal Society today, argues that Mars remains the best bet for finding alien organisms. The conference will also address the social implications of the search for alien life. Albert Harrison, from the University of California, Davis, will discuss how human beings might respond to the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence. “It is easy to imagine scenarios resulting in widespread psychological disintegration and social chaos,” he said. “But historical prototypes, reactions to false alarms and survey results suggest that the predominant response to the discovery of a microwave transmission from light years away is likely to be equanimity, perhaps even delight.” 另一篇： http://www.disclose.tv/forum/britains-royal-society-for-meets-to-discuss-the-possiblity-t14996.html Post subject: Britains Royal Society for meets to discuss the possiblityPosted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:56 pm Initiate Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:09 pm Posts: 140 Promote this topic! More info Britains most well respected institution, the Royal Society (UK national academy of science) meets this week to discuss the possibility of extraterrestrial life on earth. The Royal society is historically a key venue for scientific debate and gradual acceptance of controversial ideas into the scientific community. (So its big news that the ET topic is being seriously discussed there) For example their historic debates with Charles Darwin and the eventual acceptance into science of his theory of natural selection .. So does this upcoming debate on the ET topic indicate an increased path towards scientific acceptance of the topic? As science expands its knowledge of the universe, the probability of earth like planets out there increases every year and thus the chance of intelligent life existing in space is at a point where it must be taken seriously by scientists. Infact Governments and institutions worldwide like the Vatican have woken up to this reality and this is the reason for all the recent meetings and discussions on the topic over the last few years. Most people in the Ufo community accept that such efforts via official channels worldwide are a combined attempt to prepare humanity for immanent ET disclosure in the coming years. Here's an extract from the recent article: This week a two-day conference is being held at the Royal Society in London, titled, 'The detection of extraterrestrial life and the consequences for science and society.' Professor Paul Davies, a physicist at Arizona University will tell a meeting at the Royal Society that the best way of proving that extra-terrestrial life exists elsewhere in the universe is to use evidence from earth. The meeting at the Royal Society, which will include representatives from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the UN Office for Outer space Affairs marks the 5th anniversary of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programme. Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society will also lead one of the sessions . Prof Davies said: We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach." "I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms that we can't conceive. "And there could, of course, be forms of intelligence beyond human capacity, beyond as much as we are beyond a chimpanzee," he added. Another scientist warned: "We might like to assume that if there is intelligent life out there it is wise and benevolent, but of course we have no evidence for this. "Given the consequences of contact may not be what we initially hoped for, then we need governments and the UN to get involved in any discussions The search for aliens should start on Earth not outer space, says scientist Prof Davies said: We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach Photo: GETTY Professor Paul Davies, a physicist at Arizona University will tell a meeting at the Royal Society that the best way of proving that extra-terrestrial life exists elsewhere in the universe is to use evidence from earth. The meeting at the Royal Society, which will include representatives from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the UN Office for Outer space Affairs marks the 5th anniversary of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programme. Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society will also lead one of the sessions. Prof Davies said: We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach." He suggested that the search could focus on deserts, volcanic vents, salt-saturated lakes and the dry valleys of Antarctica - places where ordinary life struggles to survive - to find "weird" microbes that belong to a "shadow biosphere". Felissa Wolfe-Simon, from the US Geological Survey, is currently looking at the possibility that arsenic, found in contaminated places such as the Mono Lake in California, might support forms of life in the same way as other life forms use phosphorous. However, Professor Colin Pillinger, who led the Beagle 2 Mars landing mission remains sceptical. He said: "I prefer to deal in scientific fact - this is wildly science fiction. You'd be off your trolley to go searching for arsenic-based life." Prof Pillinger argues that Mars is the most likely place to find alien life. The conference will also discuss how humans might respond to the discovery of extra-terrestrial intelligence. Albert Harrison, the from University of California, said: "It is easy to imagine scenarios resulting in widespread psychological disintegration and social chaos. but historical prototypes, reactions to false alarms and survey results suggest that the predominant response to the discover of a microwave transmission from light years away is likely to be equanimity, perhaps even delight." -- 议论好胜，亦是今时学者大病。今学者於道，如管中窥天，少有所见，即自足自是，傲然 居之不疑。与人言论，不待其辞之终而已先怀轻忽非笑之意，訑訑之声音颜色，拒人於千 里之外。不知有道者从旁视之，方为之疏息汗颜，若无所容；而彼悍然不顾，略无省觉， 斯亦可哀也已！近时同辈中往往亦有是病者，相见时可出此以警励之。 ~~（明）王守仁 --

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