Jack Catran, "Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?"

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Jack Catran, "Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?"

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In the early 1980s, Jack Catran wrote a series of articles in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and the Humanist in response to the attempts of some cosmologists, primarily Carl Sagan, to theorize and locate the existence of intelligent life in outer-space. In 1980, he wrote the underground classic "Is There Intelligent Life On Earth" which thoroughly attempted to refute the whole idea of SETI. In the book he also argued that the global monetary system is the central cause of societal ills and that eventually the money system would give way to a moneyless technologically governed society that would eliminate waste, poverty, and crime. He was also one of the few scientists to argue that humans are probably alone in the universe. Catran appeared on radio and television arguing his point. A national television show attempted to arrange a debate between Catran and Sagan, but Sagan turned it down.

"Is There Intelligent Life On Earth?" is an introduction into the thinking behind behavioral science. It was written with novices in mind but is an entertaining read even if well educated on the subject. Jack Catran is a very straight talking man, doesn't sugarcoat his words and he also doesn't use 10 words to explain his point when he can use 5, unlike some books which can drag on this certainly doesn't happen with his book. He tears apart any romantic notions about man being divine or superior in someway over the universe and instead goes into why we are a part of the universe.

Jack touches on many points; the fallacies of what he calls 'phILOSohpers' (Intelligent Life in Outer Space) taking a jab at Sagan and other people who theorize what Alien civilizations will be like pointing out the mistake they're all making by projecting human characteristics into these civilizations, and assuming they will be like us in one form or another, whilst at the same time we have huge problems here on Earth. This is also similar to what happens in religion, with Gods having human characteristics.

Another point of the book is to discuss the money system and the effects this has on human behavior. "To a scientist, our money system should appear absurd, and yet nowhere on this planet is there a technologically-controlled system of production and distribution. The dignity of human labor is of no concern to the advance of technology. It will change our values radically because it treats man as a collective social animal and an energy-consuming machine, not as the legal, ethical, or spiritual concept that was conceived during aeons of human sweat and toil." Reads on the back of the book. Several times Jack points out his concerns about automation of industry, what will happen to the people who will remain permanently unemployed? There is no plan of action.

Many other details in the book, it would take me too long to cover, this is a must buy if you can find it. Books like this should never go out of print.

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Jack Catran, "Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?"

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