The driving philosophies of mankind, science and religion, offer no explanation for the mysteries of the ancient world that point to strong circumstantial evidence that the "gods" of the ancients were in fact visitors from other planets. Religions deny the cumulative data from the ancient world, calling them coincidences and flights of fantasy. Science, on the other hand, finds it impossible to stretch the consciousness and imagine a different evolution.

From the moment humans started to fly, Earth was seen through different eyes. Lines and ground drawings of an enormous scale that couldn't be seen from the ground before, all of a sudden were now visible from the air. So, how did our ancestors carve the kilometers-long, unbroken lines and symbols (including animals and "el Astronauta") on the vast desert plain of Nazca and other points around the world? Why did they create those lines and symbols? For what purpose? How did the ancients have the knowledge to construct the pyramids of Giza, the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico, the monument of Yonaguni off the coast of Japan, the Kalasasaya temple of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia, and many other mysterious structures scattered across the globe that reveal an interestingly common jigsaw puzzle-type construction technique? Is there an all-connecting link?

From the moment humans started flying, we began to see Earth through different eyes. Lines and drawings on an enormous scale that couldn't be seen on the ground were now visible from the air. So, how did our ancestors carve the kilometers-long, unbroken lines and symbols (including animals and "el Astronauta") on the Nazca desert and other points around the world? Why did they create those lines and symbols? How did the ancients have the knowledge to construct the pyramids of Giza, the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico, the monument of Yonaguni off the coast of Japan, the Kalasasaya temple of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia, and many other mysterious structures scattered across the globe that reveal a common jigsaw puzzle-type construction technique?

The answers to these questions are hidden in the mythologies left behind as traditions, writings or drawings of ancient cultures. One story keeps repeating itself over and over again; flesh and blood beings from the heavens (sky) descended to Earth and brought knowledge, peace and prosperity (for the most part). Because of their technologically more advanced knowledge, these beings were falsely revered as gods. Eventually, they left with no logical explanation.

According to the legends and traditions, these gods did not look that different from the local people; they were bipeds in humanoid form. In the 20th century, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), thought to be piloted by extraterrestrial biological entities (EBEs), became part of our popular culture. These modern EBEs also have common physiological characteristics to the human species: They have a torso, two legs, two arms, a neck and a head. The physical proportions of these vary by species. But, isn't there an interesting similarity between past and present; beings continuously visiting our world and the human species?

Many scientists reject the idea of extraterrestrials visiting Earth because of fear of ridicule by their peers, but also because they cannot see beyond current scientific ideas that make long-distance space travel seemingly impossible. Common arguments from scientists are: "Beings can't travel at or near the speed of light," and "The distances between star systems is too large - extraterrestrials couldn't possibly live long enough to travel here."

Still, critics of those scientists, as well as science-fiction writers, have hypothesized that extraterrestrials CAN possibly travel at the speed of light or through worm holes that would allow them to travel great distances rather quickly. How it is done, heaven knows!

But, there are other, rarely mentioned and technically feasible explanations for how EBEs could be coming to this planet:

One possibility is that these beings have an incredibly long life span (by Earth standards). For example, if these EBEs lived the equivalent of 500,000 Earth years, then spending 10,000 years traveling to and from Earth for exploration would not seem all that unreasonable. Given that we know of species on Earth that live just a few days (some insects) and others that live thousands of years (some trees), the possibility that there are species in the Universe that live hundreds of thousands or millions of Earth years seems to be a reasonable probability.

But there is one other, often neglected explanation of how beings that do not live quite so long or cannot travel at the speed of light, or travel through worm holes, could have visited Earth: with "generational spaceships." The basic premise behind generational spaceships is that large spaceships (city-size or perhaps even as large as a small planet or asteroid) house groups of extraterrestrials that live, work and reproduce on these mostly self-sufficient space vehicles. If such migrating space colonies exist, they would no doubt stop at habitable planets they come across, as well as those that could supply them with minerals, ores and other natural elements they need for survival. Could Earth be one such cosmic stop-over for traveling EBEs? And can humans use this idea as the foundation for future space colonies?

Beyond Earth's Boundaries

Humanity will have to eventually expand beyond the boundaries of the Earth if we are to survive. Human DNA is only about 3 percent different from our closest relatives: chimpanzees. Like most other organisms on the planet, we procreate and colonize to survive. However, that procreation and colonization can only continue for so long within the confines of the planet before the stresses of such "abuse" become apparent. It could be compared to a yeast culture in an open Petri dish that continues to spread out (colonize) and grow beyond the boundaries (the rim) of the dish. If the Petri dish is covered, the yeast will spread out to a certain point and then will ultimately die from the poisons created by the culture. The same fate will await humanity unless we move beyond our limiting boundaries.

We would also have to discover ways to overcome traditional obstacles that come with space travel: UV/IE radiation, dust particles hitting the spacecraft at speeds so great they can act as mini-bullets, solar winds, etc. A radiation shield could, for instance, be a combination of gold-tinted glass or polymer with a layer of water, which would absorb most radiation particles.

The Road to Deep Space

Living in space could be easier than one might think. In fact, technology exists today that could make such a cosmic voyage feasible. Simplicity and efficiency would be keys to the success of such a journey. Life would become very basic - food, water, oxygen, and the bare essentials. It would have to be, even more so for us to contemplate a mission to the nearest star: Alpha Centauri. "Only" 4.3 light years away, the journey itself looks intimidating because of the distance. Traveling at 300 km per second (far faster than today's rocket propulsion systems) it would take us 4,200 years to arrive. Traveling at about 1 percent of the speed of light - 3,000 km per second - it would still take us about 400 years. A journey of this magnitude would require us to be self-sufficient, without relying on any supplies from Earth.

Vast technological knowledge would be required for such an undertaking, including propulsion systems that don't run on fossil fuels. New theories and methods of propulsion have emerged in recent years, including ion propulsion drives under development at Boeing and NASA that have the advantage of continuous acceleration, as well as solar sails, plasma sails, nuclear, and other "exotic" ideas. They all rely on the fact that a small continuous acceleration over a long time can ultimately propel a spacecraft far faster than one enormous initial boost followed by a long period of coasting - the method today's space vehicles use.

Vast technical knowledge would be required for such an undertaking, including propulsion systems that don't run on fossil fuels. New theories and methods of propulsion have emerged in recent years, including ion propulsion drives under development at Boeing and NASA that have the advantage of continuous acceleration, as well as solar sails, plasma sails and more. They all rely on the fact that a small continuous acceleration over a long time can ultimately propel a spacecraft far faster than one enormous initial boost followed by a long period of coasting - the method today’s space vehicles use.

We would also have to discover ways to overcome traditional obstacles that come with space travel: UV/IE radiation, dust particles hitting the spacecraft at speeds so great they can act as mini-bullets, solar winds, etc. A radiation shield could, for instance, be a combination of gold-tinted glass or polymer with a layer of water, which would absorb most radiation particles.

The early versions of a long-distance spacecraft would probably be constructed in a modular design so it would be easy to maintain and expand. Electricity could be generated through solar panels, or even water, though it would most likely be through some type of fission or fusion (which is not yet officially in existence). Energy efficiency could be achieved, for example, through the use of ultra-low-voltage instruments and devices.

Life Onboard the Generational Spaceship

Simple biology and basic chemistry could provide us with the air, food, and water needed for such an extended voyage. Oxygen could be created through the photosynthesis of genetically engineered plants that could tolerate high concentrations of carbon dioxide. A likely candidate is Spirulina, a tiny blue-green algae that could also be used for food.

Food would be a vegetarian's dream. The above-mentioned Spirulina is highly compatible with the human digestive tract because it contains no cellulose. It has all eight essential amino acids which are commonly found in meat, milk and eggs. Changing the bland, rather grassy flavor could easily be achieved through a two-stage alcohol-based process using genetically engineered Escherichia coli.

Water could be chemically created, but would most likely be gathered through occasional robotic expeditions to comets and asteroids. Water would also be recycled again and again to make it last as long as possible. Recycling of almost anything would be fundamental for survival. Nothing that could be re-used would ever be wasted, and everything re-usable would be transformed. Organic waste could be completely broken down by "burning" it under water with the help of a water oxidizer.

The living quarters inside the spaceship would require different thinking too. Cubic meters are more relevant than square meters in space, where use of space needs to be maximized, and therefore the space inside a room would have to be ergonomically designed. Individual privacy could easily be accommodated. Since we won't really walk, our legs would be used mainly for pushing. An artificial gravity rotation area, such as the "wheel" seen in the spaceship of 2001 and Mission to Mars, would be needed to maintain the fitness of the space travelers' muscle and bone density.

Daily onboard activities would include: spacecraft maintenance both outside and in; food preparation; recycling; observing and documenting the astronomical phenomena the ship is passing by, and so on. The crew would need to consist of at the least: an electrician, cleaner, plumber, farmer, computer technician, biologist, miner, medical doctor, astronomer, chemist, physicist, geneticist, and yes, a rocket scientist.

Social interaction, obviously, would be crucial for maintaining psychological balance. Study and creative mental exercises would also need to be incorporated into the astronauts' daily routines. Lessons for the children would come from digital encyclopedic libraries, with science, history, and philosophy texts. Great works of literature and language lessons would also be included. Since life inside a spacecraft could be rather monotonous, creative outlets would be greatly encouraged and an integral part of the routine. The astronauts would create works of digital art or music. There would also be time for games with their fellow travelers.

Who would be the best-suited candidates to become what essentially would amount to being lifelong astronauts? Most people think that the most appropriate candidate to commence such a voyage would be a young adult in perfect physical health, and very well trained and educated. That's what society has been "taught" to look for in one of today's astronauts.

To continue please go to page 2.