Just Our Vanity

Evening Star, Issue 20057, 24 December 1928, Page 7

Just Our Vanity

TRYING TO TALK TO MARS HOW COULD. MARTIANS UNDERSTAND It is little more wonderful than ordinary broadcasting to believe that in the dim and distant future communication from _ Mars might be received. I imagine that the modern system . of irrigation would liavo startled Egypt 100,000 years ago! But how can we attempt to communicate with beings whoso very sense may exist only in our imagination? (writes Professor Low in the ‘ Sunday Chronicle,’) They may he as stupid as worms or so clever th{it thought forms have replaced, their bodies. Do wo know that they have not already signalled to the earth? Can we communicate with them as we would tench a deaf, dumb, and blind child to’understand out "meaning. Have we any reason for suggesting that their lives are .sufficiently like our own to enable them to follow our system of signals or our methods of thought? I believe that a smoke screen ’3O miles long and one mile wide sent out above the dirty atmosphere surrounding this earth might he visible to observers in Mars were their instruments no better than our own. Some concerted pyrotechnic action might produce.a Martian comment; it would at least teach ns something concerning smoko screens which we could apply usefully in the next war. , It may bo the novelty of wireless and our unfortunate ignorance of this subject which leads .some to believe that any system of radio telegraphy could leave the electron layer which seems to surround this earth and penetrate to the 8.8. C. of Mars. Spiritualists are fond of saying that “ all things are possible to the mind,” hut they omit to' mention Hie specifies or details of the mind which- must be employed. Tests have been made on wave-lengths which Martians, psychically communicate to believers, hut wo da not know if the Post Office system in Mars is as comprehensive as our own, neither do we know whether education is broadcast as a monopoly in other planets, or that _ the wavelengths are maintained with sufficient accuracy for our own poor solves. Human senses are purely 'relative.. “ Air .Mars ” may so vary from our accepted standards as to despise bright lights and broadcasting. His senses, may bo more complete while many, of our own are entirely atrophied. Think how fortunate it is, for those who dwell in cities that they have not the nose of a dog and realise that. the strong, unknown oscillation ■ which;; allows; Mr Moth to return to Airs Afoth oyer u large part of an intervening city is entirely lacking in mankind. ' JUST ' OUR VANITY.- ■ ' Perhaps elephants are quite small things in Afars. Standards of _ beauty are factors of time and relativity, lor tlie most beautiful eyes in the world may look like those of a. snail to people whoso conception of space differs from our own, while the delicate skin or'a schoolgirl complexion might resemble a volcanic eruption to Alartian optics. It seems so vain for ns to suggest that our good ideas must be iollowed by other "planetary inmates. Jazz hands might act like death rays in Afars, and their organisation might ho. such that tracts of land arc set aside for ..growing bodies upon which articially educated- brains, may be'planted. How do wo know ,that solids are solids in Afars? How do wo know that wooden tables seem opaque to beings who might see by or heat rays in their own peculiar;.domain? I doubt very much if an earth worm would be impressed by. a modern theatre even if provided with a seat in tho stalls, .and.,; for similar reasons J cannot understand why we should expect these wonderful'Martians to take an intelligent or intelligible interest in our• messages of goodwill. A moment’s thought would indicate to their Dictator (l am sure that such exists in Afars) that our one idea would bo to show him how to govern Ins country and how he might benefit by the marvellous system of civilisation winch we ourselves have achieved. Human beings are seldom, interested in anything if it stands between them and their desires. , The Alartian business man with long ears, eight feet high, an immense stomach, and sancer-like eyes—J.quote the public description—would bitterly resent an attempt to float an interplanetary, communication company unless ho were first offered tho controlling interests or-a. permanent pass., i would even’-dare lo suggest that Martians may cordially dislike our morals, There is, it must he admitted, ;i perfectly sane and business-like aspect of this entire question. Our own earth becomes more crowded every day, scarcely one hour passes without our increasing the span el human knowledge beyond all conception of that which existed a few centuries ago. It is all too easy to comment with sarcasm upon attempts at progress and to adopt tho ludicrous attitude ol those who told ns that the world was flat and that flying and alike were inventions of the Devil. Above all., let educated people realise that what is good enough for.to-day is, never, worth much on the morrow. - CHANGING. WONDERS.-. Let ho one think that the old saying, “ Why did not God give ns wings if He had wanted us to fly? ” can be applied to beings who have been given minds worth all tho wings in the world put together, in order that they, .might achieve some departure from the realms of savagery in which we still, live. The wonders of the universe arc changing as we live. It is qnr business to seo that we change with, them for the better. I do not think the minds of. men will grow to a point where intelligible communication with problematical Martians will he possible for many icons to come. That is no reason whatsoever why we should not try. . I consider that, however strong may bo our private opinion; it is wrong to refuse, courteous Help to those who are vainly tryipg to convince us that we are wrong in believing that we know best,- ■-