posted 02-22-99 05:21 PM ET            

However, that doesn't mean it isn't worthing discussing or thinking about. I guess just take everything about this with a grain of salt.

Here are some semi-random thoughts.

Is thought a matter of a physical process, or is it a seperate entity all together? Is there a soul which does not exist as a physical entity? If so, then the question becomes can the soul exist without the corporal being?

Next, there is the matter of evolution (assuming you believe in evolution). If you do, then keep in mind that we come from extremely humble beginnings (a bunch of amino acids). Even if you look further up the evolutionary ladder to primitive humans, well it is a pretty big leap to what we are now. My point being, we evolve. Did the amino acids once wonder if they would have a form and thought like we enjoy now? If if they did "think" about it, could they come up with a meaningful answer? Probably not. Mankind will evolve. However, we will not evolve to the point of this kind of transcendence until other matters do not consume us. We have evolved to the form we exist in now to survive. An evolution to the transcendence as presented in SMAC would require human society to be free of survival concerns for a very long time, OR that escaping the corporal body be a matter of survival. It is definitely a long way away, I certainly wouldn't say that it would happen for at least thousands to tens of thousands or more years, barring some kind of technological advance that allows it.

CEO Bernard