I was with you right up to this teleology stuff, and it being more comforting, er, "beyond" sitting around and chugging beer and watching football. I just couldn't wrap around that time bending backwards part, nor how all that culminated in the conclusion that we should go reproduce ourselves (is that actually some kind of coded insult?).
But seriously, something that maybe isn't true but is sure comforting to believe is about as convincing as any argument Shirley MacClain ever invented. But I could see how an alien lifeform, if it were sapient, might not be as comforted by the authors conclusion, nor by the apparently non-syllogistic thought structure of these invading carbon-based insects from Earth.
I just couldn't wrap around that time bending backwards part, nor how all that culminated in the conclusion that we should go reproduce ourselves (is that actually some kind of coded insult?).Perhaps, but I can't imagine why you would think so.
But seriously, something that maybe isn't true but is sure comforting to believe is about as convincing as any argument Shirley MacClain ever invented.
How can anyone, ultimately, know what's "true"?
But I could see how an alien lifeform, if it were sapient, might not be as comforted by the authors conclusion, nor by the apparently non-syllogistic thought structure of these invading carbon-based insects from Earth.
The author was obviously referring to alien lifeforms that weren't even capable of being "comforted," since they were non-intelligent and (even more importantly) non-conscious.