A wise man once said that all human activity is a form of play. And the highest form of play is the search for Truth, Beauty and Love. What more is needed? Should there be a โmeaningโ as well, that will be a bonus? If we waste time looking for lifeโs meaning, we may have no time to live โ or to play.
Arthur C. ClarkeI have a fantasy where Ted Turner is elected President but refuses because he doesn't want to give up power.
Arthur C. ClarkeHe found it both sad and fascinating that only through an artificial universe of video images could she establish contact with the real world.
Arthur C. ClarkeI suspect that religion is a necessary evil in the childhood of our particular species. And that's one of the interesting things about contact with other intelligences: we could see what role, if any, religion plays in their development. I think that religion may be some random by-product of mammalian reproduction. If that's true, would non-mammalian aliens have a religion?
Arthur C. ClarkeFinding intelligent life would encourage people and also of course the opportunity of learning a tremendous amount, but this is a danger. We might be so overwhelmed with knowledge and information, that we might be depressed or even become suicidal - because what's the point if they're thousands of years ahead of us? Why should we bother? - or become the ultimate couch potatoes.
Arthur C. Clarke