The Excluded Middle [Milky Way Musings, Episode 1]

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. All copyrighted materials contained herein belong to their respective copyright holders, I do not claim ownership over any of these materials. I realize no profit, monetary or otherwise, from the exhibition of these videos.

Visit http://milkywaymusings.com for downloads and more.
Like Milky Way Musings on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Milky-Way-Musings-Home-of-the-Carl-Sagan-Tribu...
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/callum_cglp

This is the first episode of my newest series, Milky Way Musings, which focuses on current issues in science, technology in particular and the human condition in general. Please subscribe to my channel if you wish to be among the first to see the newest episodes.

Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=callumCGLP#grid/user/0D35ED394CCFFC7B
Next Episode: When Worlds Collide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJoldxjrKbA

I wrote and narrated the script, and added visuals from:

- BBC Horizon: Are we Alone in the Universe?
- Contact (film)
- Discovery's Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
- History Channel's The Universe
- Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery
- IMAX Hubble
- IMAX Cosmic Voyage
- National Geographic's Inside the Iraq War
- NASA's Sciencecast

Original soundtrack written and performed by Marko Pandza (http://www.markopandza.com).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Carl Sagan
• Carl Sagan Tribute Series
• Milky Way Musings
• The Sagan Series
• A Universe Not Made For Us
• Wanderers
• The Gift of Apollo
• The Backbone of Night
• The Edge of Forever
• The Great Demotions
• To The Sky
• Darkness
• You Are Here
• Pale Blue Dot
• Cosmos
• The Story of Everything
• The Blessing and the Curse
• The Frailty of Knowledge
• Heaven and Hell
• The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
• Scaling Heaven
• Traveller's Tales
• Star Stuff

[Blacksun1942]

I agree with the sentiment whole-heartedly, but I take issue with a few points. No SETI scientist has ever stated that any false-positive ever discovered was even remotely likely to be genuine. Indeed, to my knowledge, the man who wrote "Wow!" decades ago has conceded that it was likely to be a reflection of an earth-generated signal. Also, it is sheer fantasy to believe that any of the pittance of habitable-zone planets so far discovered coincidentally harbors *intelligent* ET.

[callumCGLP]

@Blacksun1942 I probably should have been more overt in identifying which parts of my video are purely speculation and which aren't. Thank you for pointing that out, I will try to do better next time. In any case, I was merely pointing out that our chances are better for finding intelligent ETs now that we have the location of habitable-zone planets. I did not mean to say with certainty that these planets harbour intelligent life.

[callumCGLP]

@Blacksun1942 Also, would you mind providing a citation for your claim that Dr. Ehman conceded that the "Wow!" signal was definitively of terrestrial origin? As far as I'm aware, there still is no adequate explanation for the signals origin, and it bore all of the expected hallmarks of an extraterrestrial signal. Sagan also talks of several other anomalous signals in Pale Blue Dot, in the chapter Darkness. (Though his comments are admittedly out of date - from around 1995)

[monkeytail2002]

Am I the only one who thinks we should have more than one Hubble Telescope?

[callumCGLP]

@AMGrulz Indeed, much of what is in this video is speculation, but I think it's not unreasonable to expect such a discovery to shake the foundation of our civilization to its core.

On your second point, that's why this video is titled "The Excluded Middle". This contention is a fallacy, why can't we do both? Our resources could be better allocated to various scientific endeavours, why is science funding always first on the chopping block, and not that of the massive military budgets?

[thecritiqu]

fantastic video but i can't get through it because your voice is so terrible for such musings.

[addictedtopiano]

@monkeytail2002 the successor to the hubble space telescope is the James-Web telescope currently under construction. Nevertheless, the US Congress is looking to cut the 6.8 billion dollars in funding for it.

[arthur78]

This brought me to tears. Thank you for making these excellently produced videos; your writing and narration are beautiful.

Donate and support SETI today!

[novemberpuck]

@Blacksun1942 It is not sheer fantasy. It is hope, wonder, and mere human curiosity. If we don't wonder and we don't ask and we don't follow the "impossible" avenues, we would have accomplished very little in the way of art science or spirituality. The imagination plays an integral role in each of our lives.

[roont]

@monkeytail2002 It does. The James Webb Telescope would have seen much further then the Hubble. Its the most sophisticated piece of optical machinery we have ever constructed. And its going to be canceled for going over budget. 7 billion dollars. When the US military budget for 2010 ALONE was 680 billion.

[monkeytail2002]

@roont well that sucks.

[roont]

@monkeytail2002 James Webb is going to be cancelled. =(

[callumCGLP]

@jherr328 Not yet, no. In a couple of decades, though, when I am better established professionally, that's the plan.

[jherr328]

@callumCGLP Are you taking any serious strides towards being a politician? We need voices that have opinions like these.

[rriverstone1]

@callumCGLP In today's climate, public offices are reserved for the very wealthy, the very corrupt, the very deluded, the very sanctimonious and/or the very egotistical. I wish you well, but you seem to rational and honest for "politics." Thanks for all your work.