In the Solar System, there are moons with heat inside, ice outside, therefore possibly liquid water containing life between them but, until that is confirmed, Earth remains the only known abode of life. In Poul Anderson's Technic History, there are many abodes of life. Biologists can generalize from many examples instead of from just one. In Anderson's concluding future history, Genesis, any kind of organic life is extremely rare and there is no mention of any extra-terrestrial intelligences whereas post-organic intelligences of Terrestrial origin spread through and between galaxies at sub-light speeds. Thus, we are able to contemplate our universe and two very different Andersonian fictional universes.
Flandry in the Technic History thinks that life does not evolve on a planet where:
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I was reminded of "Epilogue," where Anderson speculated on how non-organic intelligent "life" might have "evolved" on a planet which had become much as Wayland is described.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment