Imagine you are human

'Tunguska' takes an actual event of 1908 as its starting point. Around this historical occurrence the X Files weaves its web of conspiracy. Of course, these days, 'conspiracy' is a pejorative, implying Syndicates and Illuminati and, for good measure, the Knights Templar.
Above all of these, it gave us Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Means of Natural Selection. For its sheer beauty, simplicity and explanatory power, Darwin's theory must come close to being the crowning glory of human achievement.
All theories begin life in the human imagination. If one person is not able to conceptualise the idea and later find the evidence to give that idea substance there would be no science.
All scientific theory begins life in exactly the same amniotic bath as every great work of literature - and every artifact of popular culture and conspiracy theory.
It is likely that the human ability to imagine even gave rise to our ability to use language - for how would such a unique ability to communicate develop if human beings had nothing but the same conception of the world as the other high primates? Postmodernism may quibble over this point, arguing language first, all else a meaningless second, but postmodernists, along with scientific naturalists and believers in Ancient Aliens, diminish the human achievement.
This imagination of ours is both a blessing and a curse - such is the human ordeal. For all the good a Saint Francis can imagine a Pol Pot can imagine as much evil.
As beautiful and simple as Darwin's theory is, there are those who can imagine alternatives. Imagine how creative we could be over an event for which we have no definitive explanation. Such is the Tunguska Event at the heart of this episode. Something definitely exploded over the Podkamennaya Tunguska river area of Siberia in 1908. Because we don't know what exactly happened, we are left to imagine and even scientists can imagine more than one alternative before breakfast.
The imagination is not without its limits. Christopher Booker's 'The Seven Basic Plots' (probably one of the most insightful and meaningful books ever written) demarcates as astutely as any other book the limits of our imagination, as well as its infinite plasticity. Science has its answers and when discussing Tunguska they are as fantastic as anything Tolkien ever wrote.
The difference between science and fiction is one of evidence. Fiction creates worlds, science attempts to explain this one in which we live. Fiction creates its own evidence whereas science must go looking for the proof of what it claims. Both, however, begin life in the same place - the human imagination.
Science either does or does not provide the explanation of an event. Imagination demands more than mere explanation. It demands involvement, meaning, and purpose.
This is why we love story so much. It is why we attend Comic Con and dress as characters from various movies and TV shows. They allow us to live our imaginations and even offer meaning and purpose, even if only imaginary.
But imagination is what makes us human.

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