Gossip Trinidad

Odds that Demand a Verdict | Jack Davis
The long bony finger stretched across the twenty-foot screen. Eyes were glued as if it would
grab them, finger-tips properly greased in butter and salt, minds transformed. People gathered,
hundreds at a time to watch the spectacle. They scrunched together in tight rooms lined with
thick red curtains, the lights dim, the air damp. Then, that iconic voice, the line that would
humble filmmakers for years to come... “E.T. ...phone...home.” We, as a species
were memorized. And we, likewise, we continue to be. Hollywood, however, changed much
more than the rat-race film-making industry in its release of E.T in the 1980's. It wasn't the
music, the lines, the acting, or even E.T himself that keep us in awe. For me, and I presume for
many, it is the very thought, the notion, that we are not alone. Are we? If you are like me, as a
child we sat agaze at the indefinite blank sky. We were vulnerable to the question. As we grew
older, we either pretended know the answers, afraid of the unknown, or we ignored the subject
completely. So we, as a species, confined ourselves in a position to keep away from uncertainty,
to no longer stand in sheer amazement. It is with sheer astonishment at the wonders of our
universe, coupled with mathematical probability, and perhaps an inkling of faith that I firmly
endorse the presence of extraterrestrials in our universe.
If you happen to flip through a 1969 World
Encyclopedia, alike the set my greatgrandfather
gave to our bookshelf years
ago, you will find something extraordinary.
If you flip through the dusty pages to the
section on plants, you will find a section on
mushrooms. All kinds. There is, of course,
a caveat. A mushroom, to the knowledge I
acquired from a grueling semester of
freshman biology, is not a plant. So where
did 1960's science go wrong? The answer is
nothing. Science broadcasts its own
definition of life (based on 10 specific
factors), hones then on three categories of
that life, then further magnifies in
additional taxonomy. Over time, advanced
understanding of the mushroom deemed it
understanding of the mushroom deemed it did not very
did
well
not
fit
very
the plant
well
category;
fit the plant
and
category;
wa-lah!
and
the
mushroom was annexed into fungi. This brings me to my
wa-lah!
first main
the
objective—our
mushroom was
definition
annexed
of
into
life
is exactly that; our definition. It is not set in stone, it
fungi.
is not
This
a definite
brings
claim.
me
It
to
is
my
only
first
(only)
main
a
category, a means of putting one word on a commonality
objective—our
amongst nature.
definition
The mushroom
of life is
did
exactly
not
change; we did. When one peers into the nature of life,
that;
and
our
how
definition.
it progresses,
It is
we
not
find
set in
that
stone,
every
it
trait of an organism is at the expense of its environment.
is
We
not
learn
a definite
this in
claim.
basic biology;
It is only
polar
(only)
bears
a
are white to be camouflage with the snow, ducks have webbed
category,
feet
a
to
means
help them
of putting
swim,
one
and
word
so on.
on
To
a
take this a step further, not only is the nature of life dependent
commonality
on the environment,
amongst nature.
but our very
The
definition of life thrives on the foundation of unmoved
mushroom
consequence.
did
Therefore,
not change;
when
we did.
looking
When
at
what “life” is in a completely different environment, it will
one peers
not only
into
look,
the nature
feel, and
of life,
be different;
and how
it
it
will yield a different definition of life. As a society, I think
progresses,
that is one
we
of
find
the very
that
first
every
objectives
trait of an
to
consider: what do we consider life (?), and are we willing
organism
to change
is
that?
at
Are
the
we willing
expense
to consider
of its
that skeleton creature Hollywood conveyed “life.” Are we
environment.
ready for extra-terrestrial
We learn
life?
this in basic
biology; polar bears are white to be