Max's Thoughts

Posts

The unsettling possibility of human beings as the focal animal: A thought experiment exploring the hypothetical framework of possible cosmic observers

Back in 2008, a motherlode of western lowland gorillas was discovered by scientists in the remote, inaccessible regions of the Congo. As a lifelong admirer of Steve Irwin and his wildlife conservation efforts, I was overjoyed by the news. I closely followed the subsequent efforts to study these magnificent creatures and was particularly intrigued by the methodology adopted. Initially, every possible precaution was taken to ensure no direct contact with them. They were, for the most part, unaware that they were being observed. This has been a standard approach in wildlife research for a long time now. This news, and the global attention it received, resurfaced in my mind recently amid the discussion and furor surrounding the arrival of 3i/Atlas . It was not merely this latest interstellar object that prompted the connection, but the broader sequence of events that some scientists, notably Dr. Avi Loeb . The similarity between Dr. Loeb’s hypothesis and the earlier example of w...

Nasadiya Suktam : The Creation Hymn - A tale before time, exploring the "Nasadiya Suktam" through a modern lens

Even though I am not qualified to discuss deeper cosmological and philosophical questions, I am always fascinated by these topics. For example, ever since I heard about the big bang in school, I have always wonderd that what was there before big bang?! I am sure all the great minds in cosmology are working hard to find an answer to this question. But my mind was blown when I learned that there is a Hymn from Rigveda that precisely asks these questions. That proved two things, first, this question, how everything started is unanswered for millenia. And secondly, the people who asked it at least 4500 years ago were not primitive by any measure. Asking questions like this shows a certain level of advanced thinking. Excusing myself for a little detour I would like to take this opportunity to point out that this has been a theme in the ancient vedic texts. The vedic texts are a treasure trove for philosophical discussions. Moving back to the topic, this hymn from Rigveda is in the 10t...

In the Abyss of the Cosmos: Confronting the Terrifying Choice Between Absolute Solitude and the Haunting Presence of the Unknown

O ne of the most profound questions humanity faces is: Are we alone in the universe? Despite the vastness of space and the abundance of potentially life-supporting planets, we haven't, at least officially, encountered any extraterrestrial life forms. This leads to a deeper contemplation: Which is more unsettling—being alone in the universe or not? In my view, being alone is the more daunting prospect. Here's why: Life is an Anomaly and not a Rule : If we are truly alone, it implies that the life and especially the intelligent life is just an anomaly. It is not a common occurrence as a result of certain life generating conditions. Essentially, life then becomes a glitch in the normal order of the universe. Emotional Implication : Being alone may lead to being lonely on a cosmic level. It eliminates the possibility of any sort of "cultural exchange". The dreadful solitude will deny any chance of sharing the mysteries of the universe and existential thoughts with anyone ...

The Galileo Project - A Compelling Complementary Course to SETI

There is a certain stigma attached to the subject of investigation of extraterrestrial life. Often ridiculed by the mainstream scientific community and media by pushing it out of the fringes of mainstream science and topics. The term Ufology, though not derogatory by origin has acquired certain negative connotations in the mainstream media. But when the head of the Centre for Astrophysics at the Harvard University, Dr Abraham (Avi) Loeb puts forward compelling arguments to pursue this subject, the whole scenario changes drastically. The scientific credentials of this person are enough to prove this person's solemn intentions to pursue this subject. For most of the scientific community, this may seem like a suicidal move for his career backed by their experience of ridicule received by many of their predecessors. But, Dr Loeb is a staunch believer in scientific curiosity. Fuelled by his contagious scientific vigour, he has embarked on a journey in a practically uncharted territory ...

Abiogenesis Vs Panspermia - Why Life is Extremely Rare in the Universe?

T he very first or one of the very first candidates for the great filter is the first instance of the genesis of organic matter. In case of earth, two prominent candidates that come out on top as the answers to this question are 'panspermia' and 'abiogenesis'. Both of these questions answer many questions and give rise to many others. One important thing to keep in mind is that these two are competing theories only in case of earth. If we consider the universe as a whole abiogenesis has the potential to answer the question how does life start anywhere? This will be more clear as we discuss these in more detail in this article. In this article we will briefly see both the concepts and some of the intriguing possibilities arsing from them. Also, we will see how this ties up with the great filter hypothesis and the rarity of life in the universe. Panspermia The word ' panspermia ' is derived from the Greek words "Pan" meaning all and "Sperma" m...

The Great Filter - Does It Lie Within the Human Consciousness?

Hello readers, this is my first article of 2021 and I couldn't resist myself from going back to one of my favorite topics, the great filter. In this article, I want to discuss about the so called 'great filter'. In the context of the Fermi Paradox and the mind boggling rarity of intelligent (or even basic) life on planets outside our own, a concept of the 'great filter' was thought of. In simple terms, the filters are some challenges put forward by the universe for any kind of life to develop. As originally proposed by Robin Hanson , there are many steps in the path of evolution. One or more of these steps are so improbable that the genesis of life from dead matter is almost impossible elsewhere. However, all the steps discussed in the original paper in a sense challenges thrown by the universe or mother nature. I think one more challenge is present which is intrinsic and is purely originating in the human consciousness. This 'great filter' is closely as...

Multiverse and Simulation Hypothesis - A (Seeming) Paradox

Hello Readers, The more I think about the simulation hypothesis the more intriguing possibilities come to my mind. One of them is the apparent paradox between the simulation hypothesis and the multiverse theory. The idea stems from s simple thought, for creating such an elaborate simulation the computational power required will be astronomically (pun intended) high, therefore, anyone creating such a simulation would go for creating only 'one' simulation. However, the one creating this simulation will be outside the simulation or will be in a different universe which ultimately proves the multiverse theory. Now let's dive a little deeper in this chain of thoughts. In 2017, Zohar Ringel and Dmitry Kovrizhi published a paper which shows that just storing information about a couple of hundred electrons would require a computer memory that would physically require more atoms than exist in the universe. This paper also argues that the complexity of such a simulation grows ex...