Recent news events about the UFO whistle-blower in the US brought back memories of this much-loved topic of decades gone by.
Growing up, UFO’s (unidentified flying objects), now known as UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomenons) and life on other planets were a far more common subject of conversation. In fact, it had a consistent role in popular culture, being the basis for many TV shows, movies and even music videos. Believe it or not, my childhood dog was an Australian Terrier called Mork. Fun fact, my kids now have a Cairn Terrier and her name is Mindy. If this means nothing to you, do yourself a favour Mork and Mindy
Seeing this in the news prompted me to question “Why don’t we talk about UFOs UAPs as much anymore?”
Initially, I figured it must be the fact that over the past few decades we have gathered more facts to suggest other life is improbable. While that may be the case, it’s estimated that we only know around roughly 5% of our universe. Statistically, given we have life in the 5% of the universe we know about, surely this means it’s as likely as it is unlikely that there is life of some form out there?
We live in what we often call the Information Age. Does this suggest we think we have all information? Is it now a social faux pas to speculate about such wonderous things? If Chat GPT doesn’t have an answer for it, do we simply believe there is no answer?
I asked Chat GPT and this was its answer “As of my last update in September 2021, there’s no definitive evidence of extraterrestrial life. Scientists continue to search for signs of life on other planets and moons, but conclusive proof remains elusive.”
Perhaps, it’s a reflection of how introspective we’ve become. Social media has given us a window into each other’s lives, which is often a prompt for us to question our own. Are we looking inward more than we’re looking to the stars?
Put simply, it’s likely not one factor, but a combination of many. But it does raise a question that we should all ask ourselves. Are we losing our imagination?
I watched a great series recently on Netflix called Abstract, The Art Of Design. Episode 4 of the second series features Cas Holman, designer of play. It’s a fascinating watch and insight into how unstructured and infinite possibility play makes us more curious and inventive, but also more confident in our own skin. I strongly recommend the watch.
Cas reminds us of the power of imagination, something we seem more than comfortable promoting to our children, yet, something we tend to let go of as we ‘grow up’. You may go so far as to say that those who hold onto their imagination as they get older find themselves on the fringe of society as eccentrics. Again, suggesting we undervalue imagination as we become older and dare we say it, wiser.
Imposter Syndrome is a popular topic of late i.e. when smart, capable people underestimate their abilities. However, when it comes to the big picture, perhaps we all suffer from the Dunning–Kruger effect i.e. an overestimation of our ability, or more specifically, our grasp on how little we know about the world we live in.
At Be Challenged, we don’t profess to hold all of the world’s knowledge, however, we are experts in helping your team navigate the big questions about your future and inspire imaginative ways to ensure its success.
On the topic of life on another planet, one of our most popular team-based, creatively inspiring programs is Atmosphere. The program is based on a mission to create an atmosphere that enables people to live and work on another planet. It’s a great session that requires problems solving and collaboration to unlock a new future before time runs out.
Whatever your business, we’d love to help you explore its possibilities and find your north star.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”― Søren Kierkegaard
Oliver Sheer
Managing Director, Be Challenged