On why ID is already mainstream

 Intelligent Design in Action: Mars Archaeology

David coppedge

Occasionally in conversations with atheists I ask if a space alien landing on Mars and finding one of our rovers would be justified in inferring intelligent design. Reactions vary from dodging the question to changing the subject. But think about it: any space aliens capable of building an interstellar craft would have to be knowledgeable of the laws of physics and the laws of logic. Such beings would possess superlative engineering expertise including, most likely, electronic communications and programming. They would be intimately familiar with the differences between natural causes and intelligent causes. 

To reinforce the point, reverse the roles and think of what human astronauts would conclude if in some future day they land on an alien planet and find metal machinery operating for a function, such as moving about on wheels, scraping away dirt on a rock, and moving a camera into position on the rock for a closer look. No one would ascribe such an artifact to natural causes. No one would report back to the base that the device emerged out of the soil and rocks on the planet. The whole SETI enterprise relies on the ability to distinguish intelligent causes from the forces of nature.

Uncluttered by Biology

I like this question because it is not only easy to visualize, but it arrives at the design inference without any knowledge of the designer. It also puts the context on a world (Mars) uncluttered by Earth’s complex biology. It focuses on the distinguishing marks of an intelligent cause against the background of natural forces like wind, erosion, temperature, static electricity, or meteorites. On Earth, atheists will argue that natural selection allowed humans to evolve sociality and technology to improve their chances of survival. Those distractions are removed when considering machinery on a distant planet. It would be a stretch for any intelligent observer — human or otherwise — to conclude that the designers of Curiosity or Perseverance were trying to survive by natural selection by making such devices.

That human artifacts are profoundly “other” than natural phenomena was emphasized in a comment by Justin A. Holcomb and four colleagues in Nature Astronomy last month. Their title, “The emerging archaeological record of Mars,” points out the novelty of this research field. Since 1971, dozens of artifacts containing complex specified information have been distinguishing themselves from natural phenomena on Mars.

Humans first reached Mars in 1971, initiating the record of human activity on the Red Planet. As planetary scientists plan for future planetary protection procedures for Mars, they should also consider the developing archaeological record on one of our nearest planets

In 2012, I addressed archaeology as an instance of Intelligent Design in Action. Prior to the space age, archaeology was restricted to our home planet, except in science fiction (e.g., the mysterious monolith in Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey). Mars archaeology is recent enough for us to know the designers well — many of whom are still living — and to be in possession of documents detailing the designs and purposes of the artifacts. In the distant future this may not be the case.

Mars is not the only “new” archaeological site. Evidence of human-designed machinery can also be found on the Moon, Venus, and Titan. Numerous additional craft are orbiting some planets, and some are escaping the solar system. Mars archaeology is thus a subdomain of space archaeology.

Artifacts and Features

Holcomb’s article distinguishes “artefacts” from “features” as marks of human impact. The latter, though indirect, indicate the tell-tale activity of human minds

From an archaeological perspective, this process is recorded by cultural resources (artefacts) deposited across our Solar System as material objects in orbit, interstellar space and on the surfaces of celestial bodies, including satellites, human-controlled probes, landers, rovers and helicopters. This also includes the non-portableartefacts or ichnological (trace fossil) record of human and rover movement in the form of sampling locations, footprints and trackways, or what archaeologists refer to as features.

Indeed, “features” can provide Earthbound archaeologists with suggestions about the purposes of the human designers, as explained in the 2012 article. Future archaeologists without access to NASA documentation could infer some facts about the intentions built into a Mars rover without even seeing the hardware, just by the evidence of sampling locations and trackways. Even crash sites could provide clues. I’ve wondered if remote sensing at Saturn might someday be able to detect the melted remains of the Cassini spacecraft by finding unexpected elements in the atmosphere. That’s unlikely, given the vast size of Saturn. But if not, it would illustrate that it is far easier to destroy complex specified information than to create it. This is a concern of the authors of this article.

Holcomb and colleagues focus on the need to preserve artifacts documenting important “firsts” in space, such as the Apollo 11 landing site at Tranquility Base. If future missions were careless, some of the sites could be permanently damaged or lost. Space weathering and random impacts will also degrade or obliterate them.

These examples are extraordinary firsts for humankind. As we move forward during the next era of human exploration, we hope that planetary scientists, archaeologists and geologists can work together to ensure sustainable and ethical human colonization, that protects cultural resources in tandem with future space exploration. One way to achieve this goal is to initiate discussions now about the cultural material left behind during humanity’s initial phases of migration into our Solar System. Those discussions could begin by considering and acknowledging the emerging archaeological record on Mars.

Evidence of Human Exceptionalism

Why is the preservation of “cultural material” important to us? Because it is an indicator of human exceptionalism. Some animals are alleged to have evolved sociality and culture for the good of the group. These include whale songs, ape grooming, tool use by crows, honeybee dances, mammal play, and the like. All these, however, can be directly tied to physical needs for food, reproduction, and survival. Elon Musk believes humanity must expand to other locations to survive as a species, but that view was not foremost on the minds of engineers who designed Mars rovers. Humans do not need to write symphonies, create paintings and sculptures, or engineer spacecraft to explore distant planets. Our curiosity drives us to learn. We want to know what another planet is like. No other primate or animal appears to have the desire or power to embark on such fantastic adventures of exploration. And only humans ponder their own origin and destiny.

As of 2022, researchers have estimated that around 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg) of human-discarded objects are on the Martian surface….

Some scientists have referred to this cultural material as ‘space trash’ or ‘galactic litter’, implying that it may have limited scientific value and could cause environmental problems and put future missions at risk. They have raised concerns about the potential effects of chemical and material pollution that these objects may have on celestial bodies and ecosystems. We agree that these concerns warrant further investigation, but we argue that the objects need to be evaluated as important cultural heritage in need of protection because they record the legacy of space exploration by our species

The same sense of value drives archaeologists to carefully sift through artifacts in remote places on Earth. We want to know, understand, and protect the record of explorations and accomplishments by our species. Our hands, big brains, and gift of language set us apart from all other life on our home planet. Many of us would add to that list of exceptional traits an immaterial soul that cares about truth and values. Archaeology, whether here or out in space, is a product of human uniqueness that exemplifies intelligent design: the ability to design methods to detect design and to distinguish intelligent causes from natural causes. Mind matters; that’s why Mars archaeology is something new under the sun in one sense, but as old as Adam in another