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Seth Shostak

Date of Birth: July 20, 1943

Date Submitted: November 15, 2025

What is the meaning of life?

Life is surely the only earthly phenomenon able to question its own meaning. And this may be its most substantive “meaning,” in fact.


But if you were able to ask the more popular (and surely related) question, “What should life’s goals be?” I suspect the kindest answer is that it should show some beneficence towards other life. This is somewhat trite, and might even be dangerous in considering alien life, but it may be the best we can do. And surely the best I can do!

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