Many people, including most scientists, teachers, and people educated in the public school system over the past 30-40 years, believe in the THEORY of evolution and place Charles Darwin on an untouchable pedestal. Yet, his close evolutionary cohort and friend, Alfred Wallace (1823-1913), declared emphatically and conclusively that there is no intelligent / significant life anywhere in the universe aside from Earth. This analysis and writing is not known by many, yet Darwin’s theory and work regarding species and life on Earth is taught broadly and known by nearly all.
Alfred Wallace was a famous naturalist, evolutionary biologist, and astronomer. This scientist is deemed by many as the co-founder of evolutionary theory. Later in his career he sought out to scientifically and practically determine if any other planet, anywhere, could house intelligent or advanced life. And his answer was a clear “No”.
Some of his reasoning includes the following criteria that an Earth-like planet would need to have: (excerpts from Wallace’s book Man’s Place in the Universe)
- (1) A distance from the sun such as to keep up the temperature of the soil to the required amount, by sun-heat alone, and to evaporate sufficient water to produce clouds, rain and a system of river circulation.
- (2) An atmosphere of sufficient extent and density to allow of the production and circulation of aqueous vapor in the form of clouds, mists and dews, and to serve also as an equalizer of sun heat during day and night, winter and summer, and also between the tropical and temperate zones.
- (3) The very large proportion of the surface covered by deep oceans, so that they surround and interpenetrate the land, and by their tides and currents keep up a continuous circulation, and are thus the chief agents in the essential equalization of temperatures.
- (4) The enormous average depth of these oceans, so that the bulk of water they contain is about thirteen times that of the land which rises above their level. This indicates that they are permanent features of the earth’s surface, thus insuring the maintenance of continuous land areas and of uniform temperatures during the whole period of the development of life upon the earth.
- (5) One of the most peculiar and least generally considered features of our earth, but one which is also essential to the development and maintenance of the rich organic life it possesses, is the uninterrupted supply of atmospheric dust, which is now known to be necessary for the production of rain-clouds and beneficial rains and mists.
- 6) All five of these conditions must be present for several thousand, or perhaps MILLIONS of years, in order for life to germinate and prosper (according to Wallace’s predetermined evolutionary theory).
A 2015 poll of Americans, reported by Newsweek, states that 54% of American adults believe in intelligent alien life. What proof is there of this theory or belief? What is causing this?
Since the early 1970’s, we have spent millions and millions of dollars, and 45 unsuccessful years, searching painstakingly for E.T. life, mainly via the SETI program. The USA has also spent considerable time and money with Mars robotic land rovers.
In late 2015 headlines were plastered about claiming that liquid water on Mars had been found! But this is not necessarily the case. What was shown were some time-elapsed photos/images on Mars that appear to be some kind of surface liquid (maybe). If it is a liquid, it is not necessarily H2O. Either way, we do not have physical samples collected of this (potential) water. While having water on Mars would be a significant finding, it does not correlate to definite life there.
Why do the majority of Americans have an infatuation with alien life theories? Is it all the Star Wars and Star Trek movies? I believe it is more than that. I believe it is a longing for something “bigger” or more grandiose than we humans. Something mysterious, and powerful. Christians know that we already have that, in God.
Wallace was not a Christian, but he knew, not for spiritual reasons, that Earth is the only place within the universe to house intelligent life. Reading his two (relevant) books from the early 1900’s might be good required reading in the public schools that require students to read Darwin’s The Origin of Species.
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What do you think? Use comment section below!—ed.
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Ken Lambert is president of Ken Lambert Mortgage Enterprises in Brentwood, NH. A former licensed mortgage loan officer in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire with more than 10 years experience in real estate and financing, Ken is the developer of patented and copyrighted new mortgage loan products and the author of several trade articles for The Scotsman Guide and Atlantic Publishing. He has also branched out into Christian writing as the co-author of a recent book on Church history—Top Ten Most Influential Christians- since the Apostles.