gravity, and chemical makeup may not be suitable for alien life. They most likely can adapt, but no planet has the exact same ingredients to sustain universal life. With China, America, Russia, India and Japan-the top five worst polluters in the world-destroying our world’s oxygen content continuously, the aliens would probably not want to breath the shit we call air.” The audience laughed again.
“Think of visiting an aquarium. We see through the glass a reef teeming with life and animals, but could we ever live there? Would we want to? No, because when we’re at an aquarium, we’re just visiting; just looking into a world that fascinates us. So, I don’t think global destruction is their plan, nor do I think colonization is their plan.” Terlaje stopped pacing and faced the audience, silent with anticipation.
“So, you’re going with the peaceful, benign contact angle? More ET and less War of the Worlds?”
“Dr. Malcolm , contrary to many scientists in our field, I don’t believe that the Earth is the trailer park of the universe. If intelligent life is monitoring our progress, as I believe, they would know that our planet is a baby compared to the multiple billions of stars and galaxies out there, and that we need time to grow, evolve. Such time takes tens of thousands of years.
“I’d like to think that tens of millions of years or more of their own evolution has given them a galactic wisdom, a cosmic patience, when they gaze upon us. They don’t need to destroy us; they need to nurture us and perhaps, give us some help.” Terlaje let that settle into the audience’s thought stream before raising the mike to his lips again. Before he could speak he noticed another hand in the upper reaches of the auditorium.
“Go ahead, miss.”
“Good afternoon, Dr. Terlaje. Dr. Zelda Snow, head of the Physics department at UCLA. I’ve read all your books, as well, and I eagerly await your next one.” This comment also elicited a warm round of applause.
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“My question is: If we are to assume a visitation is likely sometime in the future, whether benign or aggressive-if you take the approach of an alien knowing what you know about us-how would you do it? How would you come to us to actuate your plan?”
“I would come in peace,” Terlaje said firmly despite small pockets of laughter. “If I am the alien race, I would prove to this primitive life form that I can do things that they can’t, but in a positive and constructive sense. Give the Earth signs that I was there already, and that I imparted good will before actually showing myself.”
“What do you mean by that, Doctor?”
“Perhaps cure a few of their ills first, like clear an oil spill overnight; or put out a raging forest fire; clear out 75 percent of the air pollution, if that was even possible. Maybe raise the people’s level of cognitive intelligence; maybe even heal some of their sick just to show as proof. But I wouldn’t land a space vehicle down unless I was absolutely sure that the human race understood that I meant no harm, and make sure that they had the ability to accept our gestures and powers.”
“Raise their level of cognitive intelligence?” Zelda asked.
“Yes, I would implant within people an intelligence or a mental capacity to be able to do incredible things, and accept incredible things to be done for them. I would give them a set of cognitive tools-an extraterrestrial intelligence-and show them how to use it. Like they did with the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and Egyptians. I mean, does any intelligent person actually think these civilizations thought up all of that math, physics, architecture and astronomy knowledge by themselves without a history of prior learning?” Terlaje’s question was followed by a wave of verbal and bodily acknowledgements from the crowd.
“THANK YOU!” yelled out a student in appreciation.
“Doctor, can you elaborate on that concerning those cultures?” asked a different voice from the front.
“Okay. How could a race like the Mayans, who practiced ritual human sacrifice, worshipped the jaguar, and had no concept of the wheel, do mathematical equations so advanced that they counted numbers into the millions? Why would they even need to count that far?” The crowd fell silent as they considered the question. “The only thing in the millions in their existence were the stars. And without the help of telescopes and modern sextants, they were able to predict celestial events like solar eclipses, the summer and winter solstices, the procession of planets-not only in their day, but for thousands of years into the future.” He looked at the audience and opened his arms. “Number one, why was that important to them? And number two, who the hell showed them how to do it?” The crowd remained silent.
“The Egyptians, Aztecs and the Incas. How could these races quarry stones that weighed more than a house, move them over miles of jungle or desert, up steep slopes and mountainous terrain, lift them to great heights without iron cranes, wheel technology, chains, nylon rope, or hydraulic lifts; then fit them together so precisely, at such perfect angles, that you can’t even slip the edge of a razor blade between them?
“In the case of the Egyptians, the Great Pyramid of Giza, supposedly built in a span of 15 to 20 years. The mass alone is around six million tons; the volume of it is 2,500,000 cubic meters. Fifteen to 20 years? REALLY?!” Terlaje’s incredulous and snarky tone made the audience laugh again. “Let’s go with the longer estimate. If it took 20 years to build it, archeologists and masonry experts say that the masons at the time would have to set about 800 tons of cut stone every day. At 2.3 million total blocks, workers would have to move an average of 12 blocks into place, every hour, day and night without one day’s rest.”
The audience gasped at the scope, some shook their head in skepticism.
“And if that doesn’t blow your mind, or make you raise the bullshit flag, all four sides of the pyramid have an average error rate of just 58 millimeters in length! The Great Pyramid is almost perfectly lined up with the magnetic North Pole. How do you build something that huge, and align it magnetically without a compass?” He stepped forward and made a fist for emphasis.
“This is NASA precision, people! This is the highest level of architectural advancement from a race that had stone and low-density metal tools.” He looked at the audience and raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. “Really? I mean, ask yourselves-REALLY?” He shook his head as he strolled, chuckling at the absurdity.
“There is so much evidence that shows that these great buildings couldn’t have been built solely by people, much less the Egyptians of 4,000 years ago; in fact, they were built way earlier than that. It’s well documented that all three pyramids line up perfectly with the angular position of the three stars of the Belt of Orion. It’s famously known, and forced-fed to the public, all tourists, stargazers, and Egyptologists who make their money off fun facts like that.
“However, astronomers know that the pyramids and Orion don’t line up now because of celestial movement, inclination, procession, etc. But when they went backwards in time based on those calculations, the pyramids lined up perfectly with the Belt in 10,500 BC.” Terlaje took a sip from his water and looked at the astounded faces. “You all can Google the various theories, proof, myths, and calculations and decide for yourself. Plus, I’ve discussed this several times on the documentaries I’ve been on.” He took another sip. “And even if they did do it, my questions are still salient: Why was that important to them? And who the hell showed them how to do it?
“All these monuments, pyramids and temples from Mexico to Egypt, from Peru to Thailand, to Great Britain-all of them, have obvious and intentional cosmic significance. They all are aligned, arranged, pointing to, or dedicated to specific stars or constellations. None of it is random.”
“Dr. Terlaje, do you feel the same about the Nazca Lines of Peru?” asked a person somewhere off to the side.
“The Nasca Lines in Peru are one of my favorite examples,” he answered. “Stretching across 50 miles, and 190 square miles of unfertile Pampas de Jumana, geoglyphs of animals, natural objects, beings and geometric shapes so massive that they can only be seen from the air, were etched in the ground. For whom? Who was in the air around 1,360 years