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203 SETI; one described religion as a clear example of a retarding force slowing down the growth of civilization.’ The parallels between religion and SETI may reflect common underpin- nings—not only cosmic loneliness, but also a desire for some ultimate purpose to life. However, one can carry this argument too far. Although SETI shares some qualities and some goals with religion, its method is different. The scientific search attempts to confirm belief by experiment, not revelation. The search may offer us a more subtle satisfaction. When someone meditates on the infinite universe, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard suggested, something of its grandeur is conferred upon him or her, and he or she experiences an expansion of being, a quasi-religious state. Shostak actually compared the Arecibo observatory to a monastery, where SETI astronomers enacted their devotions, sharpened their minds, and reaf- firmed their conviction that a signal would one day come.® Science fiction may be another parallel phenomenon. It could only emerge in a context in which the claims of traditional religion were still felt, argued professor of English Mark Rose, but in which belief was, at best, problematic. Science fiction represents a secular transformation of religious concerns.’ Religion and SETI: Shared Perspectives Critics of SETI question the idea of committing resources to a scientific search that may extend beyond individual human lifetimes. Yet, it is a modest effort compared to the time, energy, and money that humans devote to their religions, which they hope will satisfy many of the same needs. Societal efforts that last for centuries often have rested on enduring organizational structures such as religions. Jill Tarter proposed that SETI may be the one example of a long-term project undertaken and continued out of individual curiosity. The search represents being willing to start something when we might not see the end, simply because we think it is very important. Starting such a search is a milestone in the maturation of a civilization. Tarter noted another parallel between a belief in extraterrestrial intelligence and a belief in God. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.* As the hierarchy of the universe is revealed to us, we will have to face this chilling truth: if there are any gods whose chief concern is man, they cannot be very important gods. A wthee O Marlen 19629 Gods, Angels, and Devils Gods, Angels, and Devils —Arthur C. Clarke, 1963?