Weird News: "Aliens" Among Us and Second Genesis
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
This BBC article from earlier this week explores two fascinating ideas: the possible presence of weird, alien-like lifeforms already among us in the extreme environments of Earth, and the bizarre possibility that life may have evolved almost from scratch on this world multiple times. The latter is a particularly familiar notion for readers of H.P. Lovecraft. The Providence author was very fond of depicting exotic civilizations and creatures countless millenia older than humanity, whether they originated from the stars or from the Earth's murky pre-human eras. Curiously, the article also mentions the need to scan hostile environments for signs of life we would normally not recognize. Anyone familiar with Lovecraft's intelligent interstellar gases or ghastly fungi beings recalls the weird writer speculated intensely on the forms other types of life might take. Arguably, he often even did a more imaginative job than prominent sci-fi writers of his day.
Whether the existence of any "exotic" life will be proved by modern science is another question altogether. However, if it should happen in the near future, you can be sure to mark the victory box of another prophetic Lovecraftian notion.
