In Denis E Taylor’s sci-fi trilogy, which is now known as the Bobiverse, a von Neumann probe, or self-replicating spacecraft, escapes a devastating nuclear war on Earth, carrying a single replica of human sentience aboard, which we will now refer to as Bob. Bob replicates and continues to do so. Each identical ship assumes a new name even though they all are similar — ergo, the Bobiverse. The primary purpose of these machines is to go back and salvage whatever remains of humanity. But then various replicas go out exploring the universe further. And one day, one of the Bobs discovers an alien proto-civilisation and helps it navigate through the stages of evolution without revealing himself. The juxtaposition of the advanced and the primitive is simply breathtaking.

Imagine if one day, humanity stumbles upon a high-res video record of its entire historical experience; how would it clash with the human recorded history and our assumptions about the past? Now, think about the invention of superstition. Perhaps it would help to distinguish between superstitions, established religions, and the recognition of superstition as a phenomenon. Religions combine complex belief systems with moral codes, while superstitions lack both. And then there is the recognition of superstition. While superstitions are as old as humanity itself, humankind did not become aware of them until much later, or self-aware, for that matter.

While we cannot be sure about the date when superstitions started, it isn’t difficult to safely extrapolate why they were born. Dropped in the middle of a strange and punishing world, the human mind must have been in overdrive to make sense of it all, connect the........

© The Express Tribune