For decades, the debate was very much focused on UFOs, sightings and abduction stories. Alien visitors turned into a modern myth. In an age when our other beliefs and ideologies were fading away, we could at least believe in UFOs.

Most scientists, annoyed as they were, simply chose to ignore it. Then some bright people, like my colleagues in The Planetary Society, realized that instead of just laughing at the matter, you could try to tap this truly huge interest for life in space, by shifting the focus to a related but more scientific theme: SETI. Since then, there are more articles about SETI than UFOs in our newspapers. They manage to shift the center of the debate, and to a small degree, they shifted our entire perception of the universe.

In a similar fashion, we now need to sow the seeds of a new ?myth? for the space program?in fact a whole new perception among people regarding our inherited place, role, and destiny in the cosmos. I am sure we won’t influence policymakers and budget planners right away. But we can make this seed grow in society at large: why not start already tonight with our kids? bedtime stories? —Hans L.D.G. Starlife
—Needed: a change of focus (The Space Review)

Needed: a better title. The image is beautiful, but the headline is drab.

P.S. Hans L.D.G. Starlife? Really?