In the fall
of 2026, Chris Graney, an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory, argued that the
universe of at least 2 trillion galaxies (according to a study in 2016
using the orbital Hubble Space Telescope) probably contains few, if any,
planets capable of supporting intelligent life. This claim may come as a
surprise, given the gargantuan number of possibly habitable exoplanets in the
universe and the associated likelihood of alien life out there. The overlay of
theology onto science, as if the latter’s criteria were nugatory and thus
dismissible relative to religious doctrine, is problematic because the two
domains are arguably distinct and even unique, even though they are related. Such
a category mistake is highlighted in the film, Contact (1997), in which
religious figures (who have related political roles in the White House) impose monotheist
criteria in the selection of an astronaut for space travel, which is primarily
a scientific enterprise.
The full essay is at "Contact."
