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336 The idea that we are accompanied by intelligent but invisible others remains powerful. More than ever before, that conception is based on projections from scientific knowledge. Yet, the supposition that we share the universe with other sentient beings remains a belief, not a proven fact. That belief still provokes strenuous resistance from those most attached to anthropocentrism, although their claim that we are alone also lacks proof. Belief can become expectation. Many humans expect that finding evi- dence of alien intelligence is just a matter of time and effort. Many expect contact with extraterrestrials to take place in their lifetimes—whether it be through signals or spacecraft. Perhaps we should be wary of the temptation to believe. We must allow our conceptions to arise from an interpretation of the data rather than trying to make the data fit our conceptions, which may turn out to be wrong. Yet, we should not lightly dismiss belief, which can play an impor- tant role in cultural progress. Belief shores up our courage and strengthens our will; it can give us a sense of purpose, and the confidence to attempt more. The search requires faith, declared the Cyclopeans: faith that the quest is worth the effort, that Humankind will survive to reap the benefits of success, that other intelligences are equally curious and determined to expand their horizons. Underlying all great civilizations are shared values, shared visions, and confidence in the future. Such civilizations, Achenbach reminded us, are not constructed by the hopeless and the skeptical.* Belief can be inspiring, if it does not lead to intolerance. Martin Rees suggested that agnosticism is the only rational stance on the issue of extraterrestrial intelligence.’ That is not denial. In the absence of unassailable evidence, our collective psyche will mean- while fashion bridges into the imagination, summoning ever deeper realms of possibilities, and excavating ever farther reaches of meaning in the search for our special place in the cosmos. Aall Dise. 1a 190010 There is only one honest answer to the question of what intelligent aliens will be like and how they will behave toward us: No human knows. All of us are speculating. That does not mean that we are being frivolous; specu- lations can have value. Our speculations are a way of looking at ourselves, of thinking about Humankind from a novel perspective. The concept of extraterrestrial intel- ligence encourages us to look again at the meaning of human existence, Some Conclusions Drawn The Value of Speculation —Randall Fitzgerald, 1998"