Digging deep in a Martian desert men discovered an enormous brain. It suddenly started to think at them - So they covered it up again...
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Men found a thinking brain on Mars but chose to bury it, suggesting fear of unknown intelligence.
- In plain terms
- People found a smart brain on Mars but covered it up to hide it.
- What can you take from it?
- Discovering alien intelligence might lead to hiding rather than learning.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Would you bury a dangerous discovery?
- Why do we fear the unknown?
Another view
It reduces complex first contact scenarios to a simple choice.
More from Brian Aldiss
I was hardly fit for human society. Thus destiny shaped me to be a science fiction writer.
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