In Asimov's "The Gods Themselves," there is a dialogue:
LaMont said, "Yes. We at least know one crucial thing: they (referring to aliens) are a species smarter than us. First, they can achieve matter exchange across universes, while we just passively cooperate with them. Second, they send us instructions, trying to help us establish the electronic channel on our side. Although we cannot yet understand those symbols, we have received enough hints to create basic charts and build the channel based on that. Third, they can somehow perceive our thoughts. For example, they at least know that we placed tungsten for them. They know where it is and can handle it. In comparison, we can do nothing. Of course, there are other pieces of evidence, but these are already sufficient to prove that parallel humans are smarter beings than us."
"You've only proven that the technology of parallel humans is more advanced than ours. What does this have to do with their intelligence level? Look..." Bronowski stood up, took off his jacket, then half-lay in the chair in a very comfortable posture, as if physical comfort could help him think. He continued, "About two and a half centuries ago, U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry led a fleet to Tokyo Bay. Japan was still in a state of isolation at the time, and they found that their enemy's technological level far surpassed their own. Resisting in such a situation would be foolish. A bellicose nation with a population of millions found itself powerless against a few warships that had crossed the ocean. Does this prove that Americans were wiser than the Japanese, or that Western civilization chose the right path of development? The answer should clearly be the latter, because within half a century, Japan successfully learned Western technology. Another half-century later, despite being devastated in a major war, they still developed into one of the main industrial nations."
in his lecture on
The origin of science can be traced back to ancient Greece. However, despite the fact that the Greek city-states were the cradle of civilization, their national strength was relatively weak. With the rise and disintegration of the Macedonian Kingdom, the development of science was hindered. Later, although the Roman Empire reclaimed these areas, by the late imperial period, people's focus shifted to war, pleasure, and gladiatorial games, and scientific research was put aside. The Romans' indulgence even prevented them from accurately understanding the basic shape of the universe, such as the recognition that the Earth is spherical, which also fell into stagnation.
It wasn't until the Crusades (1096-1291) that Europeans reconnected with Greek scholarship, which had been transmitted back through the Arab world.
In medieval Europe, due to the practice of primogeniture, second sons often inherited no land and were forced to wander. The Crusades thus became a way to accommodate these individuals. Despite being conducted under religious banners, the actual motivation behind the Crusades was more about plundering wealth. During the campaigns, the Crusaders were astonished to find that European civilization lagged far behind the Islamic civilization of the Middle East. Some forward-thinking Crusaders began to recognize the academic value of the Arab world, so they traveled to places like Spain and Baghdad to study. As their learning achievements were brought back to Europe, Greek scholarship returned to the West via the Arab world. At the same time, Europe saw a large-scale translation movement, translating classic Arabic works into Latin. The great translation movement of the 12th century mainly occurred in Spain and Italy, and the Greek classics passed through Arabic translations contributed to the first academic revival in Europe.
" (Bayt al-Hikma) was a symbol of this period, serving as the primary place for translating, preserving, and developing Greek philosophy, Persian science, Indian mathematics, etc. The Caliph promoted Greek science, leading to the flourishing of disciplines such as alchemy, chemistry, astrology, astronomy, algebra, and analytical mathematics in the Islamic world. Under the support of Abbasid Caliph Ma'mun, the Islamic world entered its golden age.
During this time, the hundred-year translation movement of the Abbasid Dynasty translated important classics from Greece and Rome into Arabic, propelling the Islamic world to the peak of global culture. It can be said that when a civilization is on the rise, it is always confident and open, absorbing foreign cultures while producing new civilizational achievements.
There is no completely independent Islamic or European civilization in this world because all civilizations are always interconnected, forming a large civilizational system. We artificially divide them out of nationalist considerations. At different times and under special external conditions, a certain civilization in a certain area may rise, but this is not because some people are wiser. Arab civilization absorbed Persian and Chinese cultures from the east and Greek and Roman academic achievements from the west. The reason why the Eurasian continent has become the engine of the history of civilization is not because the people here are smarter, but because communication here is more frequent.
Indians in America had little contact with the outside world, so they lacked antibodies. When Europeans brought new viruses, many Indians died. The same principle applies to civilizations — without communication, civilizations will gradually perish.
Nowadays, many Muslims believe that the decline of the Islamic world is due to insufficient piety, thus putting them in a state of anxiety. However, the fundamental reason for the decline of Islamic civilization lies in its closure. Both material and spiritual prosperity heavily depend on openness and communication.
This is true for the progress of civilization, and it is equally true for personal growth. Maintaining an open mind allows for faster progress. Open-minded people often have a smaller ego (Ego); compared to being eager to prove themselves right, they are more inclined to explore and be curious about what is correct. Such people do not rigidly adhere to so-called eternal truths but enjoy understanding the world from more angles and pursuing broader knowledge and perspectives.