INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 



J. Joseph Lynch, S. J. 



Seismology can contribute nothing to the problem of extraterrestrial life. 

 One naturally wonders then why a seismologist should be called upon to open 

 this symposium. Dr. Nagy must be blamed for that. He and I occupy offices 

 in adjacent buildings and when either of us has a problem in Earth science we 

 mull it over together. When Dr. Nagy first found evidence of organic fossils 

 in the Orgueil meteorite he came to me and discussed the evidence with me. 

 He thought that somehow I had helped him by my encouragement and as an 

 acknowledgment insisted that I give these opening remarks. 



The possibility of life outside of our planet has been a question in man's mind 

 almost as far back as man himself. The divergence of views on the matter is 

 about as broad as it could be. Only a century and a half ago the great English 

 astronomer, Sir William Herschel, first President of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society and discoverer of the planet Uranus said in one of his Presidential ad- 

 dresses that he was convinced that life existed within the Sun. Unfortunately 

 he did not elaborate upon what kind of life he had in mind. The present Secre- 

 tary of the same Royal Astronomical Society, Michael Ovenden, in his recent 

 book, Life in ihe Universe, as his view states that life is probably possible any- 

 where in the universe except within a Sun! It would be hard to imagine two 

 more divergent views on the same subject by members of the same society. It 

 has even been suggested that life is older than Earth itself and came to us from 

 another galaxy. However, confining ourselves to our own solar system, most 

 thinkers on the subject would restrict the possibility of life — for reasons of tem- 

 perature — to that part of our solar system between Venus and Mars. Beyond 

 Venus the temperature would be too hot — beyond Mars and some of the as- 

 teroids, the temperature would be too cold. Where within this region did the 

 fossils on the Orgueil meteorite originate? 



Dr. Nagy and his co-workers in presenting their evidence for organic fossils 

 on the Orgueil meteorite have adequately ruled out the possibility of their 

 origin by contamination since the meteorite fell to Earth. How and where the 

 organisms — if they were organisms — originated, are questions that this sym- 

 posium should throw much light on. Did they originate on Earth and later 

 return to Earth via the moon? Or did they originate on an asteroid or a planet 

 outside of the Earth? The organizing committee deserves great credit for hav- 

 ing brought together such a distinguished group of experts. They cover not 

 only every phase of the subject, but represent the views of almost every coun- 

 try. Because you are gathered to hear their evidence and not any rambling 

 conjectures of mine, I shall cut my remarks short and let the session chairman 

 get the program started. 



The which if you with patient ears attend, 



Whence came these forms, you'll find out at the end. 



{With apologies lo William Shakespeare) 



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