We May Be Alone In The Milky Way After All (says Brian Cox)

[RobDickinson]

Thanks I get lucky from time to time!

A 1920x1080 Milford astro just for PH please dont spread it around.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/robdickinso...

[MartG]

Well it's taken a 'journalist' at the Daily Mail nearly a week to misunderstand & misrepresent what Brian said

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-280...

[RobM77]

Brian Cox has now clarified on Twitter and Facebook that he thinks life is common in the Universe, just rare. It's still a mystery why that statement ended up on the cutting room floor though.

[KareemK]

I took it (and hence the thread title) that Brian was saying that he thought it was very possible that there is no other (multi-cellular) life in our Galaxy but almost certain that there would be elsewhere in the Universe.

[RobM77]

KareemK said:

I took it (and hence the thread title) that Brian was saying that he thought it was very possible that there is no other (multi-cellular) life in our Galaxy but almost certain that there would be elsewhere in the Universe.

To be fair my wife came in 20 minutes before the end, so I may have missed that.

I'm looking forward to tonight's episode I used to find BC hard to bear, but I'm fine with him now - not sure if he's changed his style, he's allowed more creative input or I've just got used to him.

[jmorgan]

I suspect it will be a long "don't know" unless we start to detect life by observation. And even then we are limited to close by. The only proof we have anywhere that life happens, is on Earth.

[Nom de ploom]

I really liked BC's delivery this week, the analagous aliens on easter island, lifespans of civilisations etc and of course the big question.

he manages to temper his obvious intellectual enthusiasm for the subject into a balanced series of questions, and whilst he doesn't actually say the words, you can see by his expressions that he appears to genuinely hope there is alternative life out there.

we could do without the slo motion every 5 minutes but otherwise a fascinating programme. full marks.

[MGJohn]

ash73 said:

KareemK said:

I took it (and hence the thread title) that Brian was saying that he thought it was very possible that there is no other (multi-cellular) life in our Galaxy but almost certain that there would be elsewhere in the Universe.

Cox actually said, "there is only one advanced technological civilisation in this galaxy and there has only ever been one - and that's us". That's not "possibly" or "maybe", his conclusion was we are alone (in this galaxy). Which I think is a stupid and premature conclusion to reach; we simply don't know (yet).

Agreed, he has no way of really knowing given the time scales and vastness of just this one Galaxy ... ours. Other life forms elsewhere in our Galaxy may have come and gone as a natural process of things just as life on Earth will do once our nearest Star goes Red Giant. If any form of life on Earth has not found a way to effectively escape and set up sustained residence elsewhere in our Galaxy, Earth and most things related to it will disappear without trace forever. The exceptions being those various space probes long gone from our Solar System may survive to one time be discovered by other forms of life giving them, not us, proof positive that there is or are other forms of life out there...

Lack of really knowing is the greatest leveler in the grand scheme of things.

So, the perpetual question remains. Why are we here ....


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... and not over there. ..

[Blaster72]

RobDickinson said:

Thanks I get lucky from time to time!

A 1920x1080 Milford astro just for PH please dont spread it around.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/robdickinso...

Stunning photo Rob

[scorp]

ash73 said:

Cox actually said, "there is only one advanced technological civilisation in this galaxy and there has only ever been one - and that's us". That's not "possibly" or "maybe", his conclusion was we are alone (in this galaxy). Which I think is a stupid and premature conclusion to reach; we simply don't know (yet).

Agreed, seems like an arrogant claim to make.

[RobDickinson]

Blaster72 said:

Stunning photo Rob

Thanks!

[jmorgan]

ash73 said:

Slightly O/T but it's spacey... Chang'E 5 currently orbiting the far side of the moon has returned this pic:

Have another gratuitous view from a bit further away during an eclipse.
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/movies/Lun...

Explanation
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/details.php?...

[cologne2792]

So just to clarify and remove the ramblings of the Daily Mail;

Is Brian Cox that to believe in Evolution discounts the possibility of Alien Life but to believe in God doesn't ?

[jmorgan]

The Cox man speaketh.
https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/5269706688...


"FOR LAST TIME: I think life is common in universe. We MAY be only civ. in Milky Way. There WILL be other civilisations in univ. #shutupnow"

[KareemK]

jmorgan said:

The Cox man speaketh.
https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/5269706688...


"FOR LAST TIME: I think life is common in universe. We MAY be only civ. in Milky Way. There WILL be other civilisations in univ. #shutupnow"

Which is what I said he said and hence the title of the thread

[RacerMike]

vescaegg said:

This is an absolutely excellent piece on this. Possibly the most interesting thing I've ever read on the Internet.

http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html

The great filter theory is fantastic

I read this about a month ago and found it fascinating. I'm only just catching up with the Brian Cox programmes as I've been out of the country, but having seen the first episode and the one about Alien life, the 'Great Filter' theory seems to fit quite nicely in my mind. I guess we might genuinely be the only life to have got far enough to develop a self aware intelligence.

I really love all this stuff. It's total speculation, but also totally mind blowing.

[cologne2792]

jmorgan said:

The Cox man speaketh.
https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/5269706688...


"FOR LAST TIME: I think life is common in universe. We MAY be only civ. in Milky Way. There WILL be other civilisations in univ. #shutupnow"

Yes but everyone knows that the only salvation for Mankind is the Daily Mail...

[hornet]

What's not being asked here is..."would anyone like any toast?"

Seriously though, hadn't heard the fateful encounter idea before. Can't wrap my brain around the probability, but I suppose even in an infinite universe where everything has a chance of happening, there will be a first time - first supernova, first escaping photon and so on. The idea we could indeed be that first time is rather head spinning!

With regards actually finding alien life, given the pace of exoplanet discoveries, I think it's only a matter of time before a candidate with the right signature is found.

Great topic to muse on whilst wobbling back from the pub and looking at the stars

[Blaster72]

RacerMike said:

I really love all this stuff. It's total speculation, but also totally mind blowing.

Therein is the crux of it all, even the Big Bang is merely a theory that fits nicely with our current knowledge - it may all be total rubbish debunked in the near future with the discovery of some new matter or energy within our Galaxy.

Brian Cox doesn't know any more than you or I if there are other species in our Galaxy living on other planets similar to ours. Chances are we'll never find out before we are ourselves as a species wiped out. Its all pure speculation.

Its very entertaining speculation though and it is fascinating the theories these people come up with loosely backed by scientific findings.

I found this fascinating, to think that to reach this distant galaxy we'd have to travel at the speed of light for 13.3 billion years!

http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1217/

[Blaster72]

ash73 said:

You'd have to go a lot faster than that to catch up with it; with a redshift of 10.7 its proper recession speed is 2.3 x the speed of light!

Excuse me for being thick but can you explain that in English?