Note: This article was cited within the New York Times (July 22, 2018) as an counter that is intellectual the emerging religion of “Ancient Aliens.”

The Grand Design (2012), Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow claimed that “philosophy is dead” (p in the book. 5). They wrote: “We exist but also for a short while, as well as in that time explore but a little part of the universe that is whole. But humans are a species that are curious. We wonder, we seek answers. Surviving in this world that is vast is by turns kind and cruel, and gazing during the immense heavens above, people have always asked a variety of questions: just how can we understand the world by which we find ourselves? How can the universe behave? What is the nature of reality? Where d > philosophy is dead. Philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics.” (p. 5).

Needless to say, philosophy is still alive in academic journals, Amazon books, plus the shrinking philosophy section at the Barnes & Noble bookstores. But, as a force in popular culture, contemporary philosophy is essentially dead, primarily since it has neglected to keep pace because of the discoveries in contemporary cosmology. Within the wake associated with stunning achievements of this Apollo program and also the Hubble Space Telescope (just two examples), philosophy has neglected to generate a well known cosmic narrative that integrates the origins and destinies for the human species into the vast and wondrous cosmos—an expanding universe stretching across 100 billion light years and populated with 2 trillion galaxies and untold numbers of stars, planets, lifeforms, and black holes. This death began using the crash of Apollo 8 and Earthrise.

This cosmic and failure that is philosophical ev >2001: a place Odyssey (1968) and Interstellar (2014), Hollywood populates the expanding universe with endless monsters (ex: the Alien series) and apocalyptic warfare (ex: Star Wars), complimented by hardly any awe, wonder, and discovery. The recent Star Trek films are not too distinctive from Star Wars. Here we are fifty years after Apollo and thirty years after the Hubble telescope, and the dominant ideologies are nevertheless situated in cosmic narcissism and human super-specialness—pretending to end up being the center regarding the universe or under the delusion that a Creator or Ancient Aliens are looking out for us.

When you look at the lack of a meaningful space philosophy, the hit television series Ancient Aliens (2010-) has hijacked the cosmic narratives from Apollo and 2001 and claims to describe humanity’s origins and destiny within do my homework the universe. In Ancient Aliens, we could see philosophy’s corpse that is mediated where an attempted space philosophy and cosmic narrative have crashed and they are still aflame in America in the History Channel.

Two Val >The ancient-astronaut theory draws upon two val > may have developed space travel technologies that allow them to traverse the distances that are great relative ease. at the least that’s the “wormhole” scenario depicted in touch (1997) and Interstellar (2014) . That sa we have been visited, precisely because the distances are so vast, the universe is so gigantic, and our planet is so tiny > it is highly unlikely.

Yet, such a possibility (however slim) is certainly one good reason why 2001 offers such a vision that is compelling of origins and destinies. All things considered, it could be an epochal moment to find a black monolith somewhere on the planet or the moon, beaming out a radio signal to an alert and curious species. Such a possibility is extremely appealing to me, at the very least in theory. Once the astronaut Taylor says in Planet regarding the Apes, “Out there, there must be something better than man. Has got to be.” Needless to say, if ancient astronauts have visited Earth, they would have possessed technologies that are extremely advanced been viewed as gods, angels, and miracle makers by premodern humans. Similar to the apes in 2001, the humans would have looked upon the technologies with amazement and fear. But have any astronauts that are ancient visited Earth?

Where’s the black monolith?

Where’s roughly the same as the monolith that is black 2001 — that single artifact of indisputable extraterrestrial design or origin? Where may be the evidence that is verifiable ancient astronauts or extraterrestrials visited the planet to enlighten our species, perform great deeds, and guide our art, technology, and architecture? Since I think extraterrestrial life forms surely exist also it’s possible some might be much more advanced and enlightened than our species, i will be ready to accept actual empirical evidence. Unfortunately, all of the ancient-astronaut theorists can point toward is a few mysterious artifacts, none of which are often connected to visitations that are extraterrestrial.

Where are the “Chariots of this Gods”?

Within my youth, I watched reruns or VHS tapes of 2001 and Planet regarding the Apes times that are many along with a number of other science-fiction films. I also recall viewing reruns of Chariots of the Gods and Mysteries regarding the Gods, which aired on the local television station. The shows are currently available on YouTube, and my recent viewings confirmed almost all of my original memories of them. Both films clearly tried to connect astronauts that are ancient Apollo and space exploration, with the Voyager space probe and starship Enterprise appearing early in Mysteries of the Gods. Viewing the films that are above my youth inspired me to read Chariots of this Gods?, readily available during the time in local bookstores. I viewed the films and see the book with rapt attention, precisely because von Daniken seemed to be providing “evidence” for a person narrative that was section of a larger celestial narrative away from theism that prevailed in Texas, where I happened to be born and spent my youth (in a largely secular household). Initially, this thesis was quite attractive and seemed to reflect an alternative model for human origins and possible destinies. It appeared like a attack that is plausible the cultural and historical orthodoxy regarding the age, especially the pre-Copernican ideologies associated with the proselytizing evangelicals in my suburb.

Thesis was deeply mistaken upon later reflection, however, I found myself questioning the logic of the book’s assertions and came to realize that von Daniken’s “ancient-astronaut. The book’s flaws were exposed in a 1976 Skeptical Inquirer article as well as in a written book entitled The Space Gods Revealed that featured a forward by none other than Carl Sagan.1 By 1977, Chariot associated with the Gods? was debunked in a BBC-PBS creation of Nova in an episode called “The Case of this Ancient Astronauts.”2 The episode refuted the next claims: a picture of an ancient astronaut was carved on a Mayan sarcophagus, the Nazca Lines in Peru were originally an ancient-astronaut spaceport, ancient astronauts inspired various carvings on Peruvian stones, and ancient astronauts built the pyramids in Egypt additionally the Moai statues on Easter Island.

The above assertions are being among the most ludicrous and illogical interpretations of human artifacts made by the ancient-astronaut theorists, and all are wholly unproven. The series is an attack on logic, rationality, and the nature of ev >Ancient Aliens has been on television for seven seasons suggests there are sizable audiences who are quite gullible, unable to think logically, and scientifically illiterate in many ways. Plus, you will find irresponsible and intellectually bankrupt television programmers, but that is nothing new either.

In the wake of the Trump pres >Chariots of this Gods? and Ancient Aliens, almost all for the ev that is so-called be solved.

Almost all the claims of extraterrestrial influence made on Ancient Aliens assume that human consciousness and civilization have little creativity, originality, or capacity to innovate. The general idea is that, without the assistance of the ancient astronauts, humans will be helpless and may never build such great structures or make profound scientific discoveries. Plus, the show assumes there is absolutely no available room for chance, surprise, emergence, singularities, or any of the insights of chaos and complexity theory. In the end, the series represents an assault on rationality and scientific methods, not unlike all the other paranormal movies and tv shows.