Creative Writing for Extraterrestrials
A college class, funded by a NASA Space Grant Consortium, contemplates
what to say to E.T.
By Michelle Nijhuis | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
from the May 15, 2008 edition
LARAMIE, WYO. - On the windswept campus of the University of Wyoming,
spring is struggling to arrive, students are fighting their way
through finals, and Jeffrey Lockwood's creative writing class is
grappling with how to talk to aliens. And they're not kidding.
"So, what this is really about is a cosmic first date?" Professor
Lockwood teases the class. "You want to look good, but not fake?"
His 11 students, gathered for their final meeting of the semester, are
discussing how to describe humanity to other civilizations. Should
they put our best collective foot forward, and tell stories that
illustrate altruism and romantic love? Should they also explain lying
and warfare?
Full article here:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0515/p20s01-woam.html