Planetary Dreams

Title: Planetary Dreams – The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth

Author: Robert Shapiro

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1999 (First)

ISBN: 978-0-471-17936-8

Pages: 273

Life is the most wonderful phenomenon mankind has stumbled upon so far, through the entire length of its existence. Atheists and believers alike stand in awe at the marvel, arguing among themselves on how this miracle originated. And we, or some of us, are much too concerned about super intelligent beings sending messengers in the form of UFOs or flying saucers to tinker with mankind. Life, even though taken for granted on our dear earth, has been a question of deep concern to societies from time immemorial. They dreamed about grand vistas and intelligent beings on the planets of the solar system, including the moon which was considered a planet till Galilean times. Colourful but fanciful accounts were made about the life forms existing on these worlds and for a time, there were arguments among the scientific community itself regarding the presence of sentient beings in Mars. Manned exploration to the Moon and unmanned ones to Mars has finally set at rest speculations about the habitability of these worlds, which were found to be stone dead. Robert Shapiro, who is an expert in DNA research and a professor of chemistry at New York University, brings out various scenarios in which life may be encountered in the solar system and speculates about the multitudinous forms they may assume. The readers may however be warned that the author’s remarks and suggestions sometimes veer uncomfortably towards pseudo-science which may mislead beginners, or unsuspecting readers.

Many of the contents of the book may not be admissible as hard scientific fact. Many arguments fall short of the rigor required in convincing the public. Moreover, the witnesses listed by the author are not altogether fit to perform the role they are asked to fulfill. We see Al Gore whose opinion is masqueraded as scientific evidence! Then again comes a patent attorney in Germany who conducts biochemical experiments in his free time, contributing to the evidence pool. To add to the chaos, opinions of noted scientists are given when the given sentiment does not relate to their chosen fields of work. Shapiro quotes Lord Kelvin, one of the most prominent physicists of the 19^th century to assert that “overwhelmingly strong proofs of intelligent and benevolent design lie all around us” (p161). What the author does not tell is that Lord Kelvin is considered to be a poor judge of events, even in his specialized field of study. He is remembered for his pompous and ridiculous remarks around the 1890s that all concepts in physics would be understood in a few years of time and physics would be dead by the new century! That was when revolutionary concepts like quantum mechanics and relativity were not even thought of. Whatever may be the author’s true intention, the book appears to be a clever device to plant in the reader’s mind the illogical principle that life originated as a result of intelligent design. Time and again, Shapiro glorifies design, but observing a tactical economy of words. He lets a sentence drop here, a hint there and a clue over there, all pointing to the same destination – intelligent design. This greatly eats away at the relevance and desirability of the work.

The book presents a ‘Life Principle’ which predicts that life will sprout everywhere the right ingredients are present. The final form may differ from what we get to know on Earth. Silicon-based and quite extraordinary beings are possible. In a survey of probable locations in the solar system, Shapiro asserts that intelligent life may not be viable anywhere on the solar planets other than the Earth. Mars, Europa (Jupiter’s satellite) and Titan (Saturn’s satellite) are the best candidates for the time being. Mars was considered to be the habitat of intelligent beings till only a hundred years ago, when the ‘stretch marks’ on its surface was confused with irrigation canals familiar to us. However, the Viking missions and the Pathfinder mission put paid to our hopes of finding a living there. But the author doesn’t let go of it easily. He argues that the automated probes chose a landing site which is perfectly calm, level and not likely to be interrupted by anything, whether organic or inorganic, such as large boulders. This precaution defeats the very purpose of finding life there, as any area present with life forms may not offer ideal conditions for a supposed ‘vehicle parking lot’. Ever partial to controversy, he further goes on to declare that some of the Viking experiments designed to detect traces of life turned up positive results. The author’s departures from established scientific procedure are tiresome and confusing for the general reader who may think that ‘is’ science.

The book must be credited for coming up with an idea of representing the whole of the known world in a scaled model, which he calls Cosmic Museum, that is of course imaginary but made as a proposal for the government to spend money on. The concept of scaling up or down the artifacts – depending on whether it is a bacterium or a galaxy – is really a remarkable exercise not seen in many other books of this genre.

When all is said and done, we must accept that the book failed to deliver on its promises. The subtitle of the volume claims to describe the ‘quest to discover life beyond Earth’, but the subject matter don’t adhere faithfully to the spirit. True, the details of the quest is briefly outlined in about 40 – 50 pages, but most of the time, Shapiro dabbles in quasi-scientific, quasi-religious blabber. He seriously considers arguments of creationists and flying saucer observers so as to stoop to answer their folly questions! Moreover, Shapiro further says, “the three-way debate between advocates of creation, luck and cosmic evolution has been going on for a long time, and will not be resolved unless we can collect some new evidence” (p251).

Books of the popular science genre are generally riddled with measurements of distance represented in metric system and in miles, because most of the books are printed in the U.S. Many of the authors are based there and presumably, most of the readers too. Though almost all of the modern nations have already migrated to metric system including the UK, where the imperial system originated, the U.S still steadfastly latch on to the imperial units causing irritating double unit entries in books like ‘the speed of light in vacuum is 186000 miles per second or 300000 kilometer per second.’ But Shapiro, an American himself, deviates from this practice and follows a welcome tradition of using metric units alone, because he rightly felt that ‘continual insertion of equivalents in terms of miles and inches would clutter the text’. As the number of international readers grows, we may hope to see more such ventures in future.

A few colour plates are included to add visual depth to the arguments presented in the text. However, these appear to be forced, and lacks any attractiveness. Even the natural curiosity one experiences while gazing on pictures of outer space and distant planets fails to arise with Shapiro’s collection of pictures. Readers who are really interested to read about extra-terrestrial life may do well by reading 'Life As We Do Not Eat It' by Peter Ward, reviewed earlier in this blog.

The book is not recommended as strong elements of pseudoscience abound in the work.

Rating: 2 Star

The Forbidden Universe

Title: The Forbidden Universe – The Occult Origins of Science and the Search for the Mind of God

Author: Lynn Picknett, Clive Prince

Publisher:  Constable, London, 2011 (First)

ISBN: 978-1-84901-409-0

Pages: 350

Before proceeding further, let me straight away cry out at full blast the one impression that was welling up inside me – this book is perfect rubbish. Don’t even touch this filthy one, full of pseudoscientific rant. The authors claim themselves to be ‘world-renowned writers, speakers and broadcasters’, but the impression we get is that they are snake-oil peddlers. The book is neatly brought out, with fine layout and good quality print, but any positive comments end there. In fact, it is written as two parts, the first pondering over origins of modern science claiming to be from hermeticism, a little known Egyptian belief system with laughable propositions such as the material world was created by a semi-god who is the lieutenant of a more powerful being, the authors stop short of calling it God, instead naming it GUD (Grand Universal Designer) and then goes on to claim that it designed the universe, thereby trying to affirm that intelligent design is the origin of the universe. However, the first part is passable, in fact. The second part, In Search for the Mind of God is really outrageous and questions the integrity of the reader and the scientific establishment. Being pea-brained is nobody’s fault, but the authors should not expect their readers to be like them.

History of mystical thought ran deep in the Renaissance period. Modern science’s origins are thought to be on three events – Copernicus’ publication of heliocentric theory (1543), Galileo’s publication of its proof and ostracism (1633) and Newton’s publication of Principia Mathematica (1687). All three of them are claimed to be students of mystical and magical thinking, based in hermeticism by Hermes Trismegistus (thrice-great Hermes). The corpus of Hermes, Hermetica, as it is called, formed the backdrop of scientific discoveries in the renaissance period. Authors go even so far as to claim that heliocentric theory was presaged in hermetica. However hard they try to establish this, the argument is flimsy. Just because the hermeticists put the sun at the centre, every speculation which placed the sun centrally need not be extensions of the original one. Their frequent references and imagines prominence of secret hermetic societies also fail to impress. Finally, with Rene Descartes, science and magic parted ways. Cartesian logic postulated that mechanical explanations lay behind physical events.

As noted earlier, the second part is the most unfortunate. In search of the mind of God, it attempts to prove that the Universe was designed for life, particularly intelligent life, by designers euphemistically called GUD. The physical parameters and constants which seem to be fine-tuned to facilitate life, they argue, is in fact made so by the designers. The so called ‘proof’ put forth is taken from discredited or doubtful hypotheses long kept at arm’s length by main stream science. False details are also used. While discussing stellar evolution, authors rightfully point out that formation of carbon nucleus was a very fortuitous event in nuclear synthesis. Without carbon, life would not exist. They then argue that “making of carbon is a rare event according to physical laws, whereas of course, the universe is actually overflowing with it” (p.217). This is gross falsehood. The percentage of carbon among elements is less than 1% - so much for overflowing! Also, the contention that universe is fine-tuned for intelligent life also doesn’t hold water. What proof we have? If it was so optimized, why is it that life is confined only to a medium-sized rocky planet orbiting a medium-sized star in a very ordinary galaxy, among the trillions of such galaxies? And here in the solar system too, intelligent life came forth only during the last one or two billion years, out of the 14 billion since the solar system emerged. So, how can a novelty which exists in only a tiny speck of sand in the huge universe for only a fraction of the time since time itself began, claim that the entire universe and the laws that govern them are fine-tuned for it? If 99.999999% of the universe is not fit for life, let alone intelligent life, the only conclusion we can rightfully draw is that it is not designed for life, rather, life was a fluke which may not repeat again, even if the conditions are reproduced again. This realization indeed help us to keep humanity in perspective of greater things and not to lose sight of them.

The second part also negates evolution. Putting forward questions which don’t come under the purview of the theory, like ‘how life originated in the first place?’, authors declare that evolution is not the proper theory and offers their own garbage as the solution. It evokes memories of arguments like “If you don’t know the answer to this question, then what I’m saying is true”. Quoting obscure books and tainted scholars, authors argue that evolution is not proved from existing evidence. A frequent source is Fred Hoyle, who was an ardent opponent of evolution. Hoyle, who was a physicist refused to accede to Big Bang theory when it came along. In fact, ‘big bang’ is a derogatory term coined by Hoyle to discredit the new theory. Comic suggestions abound in the text. One such case is related to subatomic particles which don’t follow the diktats of cause and effect where an event may occur at two places simultaneously. This queer case of quantum mechanics is extrapolated without any sense to claim that humans may be capable of reading the future or performing mystical feats. Glorification of parapsychology abound in the book. In the end, the authors come to the weird conclusion that human conscience is part of the spirit which propels the universe and hence that spirit called GUD is the designer of this world.

The book is definitely not recommended.

Rating: 2 Star

Who Built the Moon?

Title: Who Built the Moon?
Author: Christopher Knight, Alan Butler
Publisher: Watkins Publishing 2007 (South Asian Edition)
ISBN: 978-1842-93132-5
Pages: 254

This book in fact does not deserve a place here to be reviewed, based on the ideals stated above in the title. The book is pseudo-science of the worst kind, with no real material and based on empty rhetoric and numerology! The authors assert that the moon is not a natural object and it was created artificially. We’d wonder who had made such a thing 4.6 billion years ago. Unable to pronounce any alien life, it says that humans of the future did this to facilitate life on earth early on. We’d ask how could people in the future can go to the past and create their own ancestors? There comes the obstinate reply that time travel is not discarded by laws of Physics! Of course it is not discarded, but what proof have you junkheads, to claim that it do exist? Several so called proofs are laid out in front of us, to ascertain that moon is a designed object. Many of them are comically ridiculous, but some of them are as follows.

1. The location of the moon with respect to the sun is strategic. The size of moon is 1/400th that of the sun and hence it is located at a distance of 1/400th from earth to the sun, so that eclipses can happen.

2. There are numerological significance between the sizes of earth and moon, if you express them in metric units. The metric units are revealed to mankind thousands of years ago by some external agency, which the authors call Unknown Creative Agency (UCA) first, then calls God and finally, people from the future.

3. The metric unit of length (metre) is linked to the size of barley, hence barley is a genetically engineered crop, given to mankind about 5000 years ago.

These nonsensical arguments go on and on. There is no need to replicate all of them here. With some more imagination, the authors could’ve converted this to a science fiction novel. The boisterous list of references given at the end of the book include FoxNews, CNN etc. There are also claims that the Book of Genesis in the Bible is literally true! To be fair to other religions too, they argue that the creation myths of these religions also are passable, with some suggested modifications.

I’d found this book in the Astronomy section of a university library. Of course, the library staff don’t read the books, but this one was rather way off the mark. The only good thing in the book is a reported comment from Magellan, the explorer during the renaissance era, regarding the conflict with the Church account of eclipses. He said, “The church says the earth is flat, but I know it is round for I have seen its shadow on the moon and I have more faith in a shadow than the church”.

Rating: 1 Star

Arctic Home in the Vedas

Arctic Home in the Vedas

Author: Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Publisher: Vijay Goel, Delhi

Pages: 188

Tilak, the renowned freedom fighter of India and a learned intellectual to adorn the pantheon of enlightened leaders of the 20^th century puts forward a new theory on the origin and birth place of the Aryan race. From the references in the Vedas and Zend Avesta, the sacred book of the Parsis, Tilak concludes that the original home of the Aryans was well to the north of Arctic circle, which had a pleasant and habitable climate in the inter-glacial period immediately after the last ice age around 8000 BC. They migrated from the place and travelled to diverse places like Western Europe, Persia and India. References from Vedas and Brahmanas are quoted extensively throughout the book giving the arguments credence and authority. Corroborative evidence from Avesta makes the arguments powerful and lends weight to stand upright even in the face of the fiercest criticisms.

Tilak’s language is pristine and unequivocal. Whether the theory is right or wrong, the style of presentation and the author’s knowledge of the topics he is handling is impeccable. The long bibliography testifies to the determination of the ‘hard liner’ in Indian politics in early 20^th century. The time period of Aryans’ migration is categorized thus:

10,000 or 8,000 BC – The destruction of the original Arctic home by the last Ice age and the commencement of the post-Glacial period.

8,000 – 5,000 BC – The age of migration from the original home. The vernal equinox was then in the constellation of Punarvasu.

5,000 – 3,000 BC – The Orion period, when the vernal equinox was in Orion. Many Vedic hymns can be traced to the early part of this period. It was at this time that first attempts to reform the calendar and the sacrificial system appear to have been systematically made.

3,000 – 1,400 BC – The Krittika period, when the Vernal equinox was in Pleiades. The traditions about the original Arctic home had grown dim by this time and very often misunderstood, making the Vedic hymns more and more unintelligible.

1,400 – 500 BC – The Pre-Buddhistic period, when the Sutras and the philosophical systems made their appearance.

When the arguments are however examined with the cold light of reason and hindsight, they fall to the ground. The author’s reasoning is mainly based on the passages in Rig Veda which refer to long nights and dawns. Instead of treating them as poetic fantasies, Tilak takes them to mean verbatim and concludes that the Arctic days and nights are longer, sometimes up to months, these are reproductions of the dim memory of the original home of the Aryans. In some passages, the justifications are really stretched to the verge of breaking. An example goes like this, “Aditi, Mitra and also Varuna forgive if we have committed any sin against you! May I obtain the wide fearless light, O Indra! May not the long darkness come over us! (Rig Veda II, 27,14). The expression in the original for ‘long darkness’ is dirghah tamisrah and means an ‘uninterrupted succession of dark nights rather than simply ‘long darkness’.

Tilak’s unabashed eulogy of Brahmins and supremacy of Aryans is discomfiting for those readers who expect a more cosmopolitan view from one of the stalwarts of Indian nationalism. Regarding Brahmins, he says, “The Asiatic Aryans (as against European Aryans) were able to preserve a good deal more of the original religion and culture, but it seems to be mainly due to their having incorporated the old traditions into their religious hymns or songs; and made it the exclusive business of a few to preserve and hand down with religious scrupulosity these prayers and songs to future generations by means of memory specially trained and cultivated for the purpose.” and also, “the vitality and superiority of the Aryans races, as disclosed by their conquest, by extermination or assimilation of the non-Aryan races, with whom they came in contact in their migrations in search of new lands from the North pole to the Equators, if not to the farther south, is intelligible only on the assumption of a high degree of civilisation in their original Arctic home”

Overall rating: 2 Star