life out there?
Discussion
Prof Prolapse said:
If an alien species was intelligent enough to communicate with mankind I doubt it would want to.
Can you expand upon this further? I'd love to know why people always whinge about humankind. 20 years ago the Internet was in its infancy, now pretty much everyone in the developed world accesses it via a small phone in their hand that's way more powerful than a standard PC from 20 years ago. That's impressive progress in my opinion.
jmorgan said:
No one knows what ET will do.
He'd phone home.One of the most plausible explanations for the fermi paradox is that it's in the "nature" of life to destroy itself, it certainly seems plausible if you take our species for example, we've been working pretty hard at killing each other for many years. I'd say it's almost certain that any intelligent life form would disappear up it's own a
hole through either the sheer angst of existence or the sheer aggression needed to survive long before they reached a technological nirvana making it possible to communicate through the galaxys.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox#Hypoth...
BrabusMog said:
Prof Prolapse said:
If an alien species was intelligent enough to communicate with mankind I doubt it would want to.
Can you expand upon this further? I'd love to know why people always whinge about humankind. 20 years ago the Internet was in its infancy, now pretty much everyone in the developed world accesses it via a small phone in their hand that's way more powerful than a standard PC from 20 years ago. That's impressive progress in my opinion.
Zod said:
BrabusMog said:
Prof Prolapse said:
If an alien species was intelligent enough to communicate with mankind I doubt it would want to.
Can you expand upon this further? I'd love to know why people always whinge about humankind. 20 years ago the Internet was in its infancy, now pretty much everyone in the developed world accesses it via a small phone in their hand that's way more powerful than a standard PC from 20 years ago. That's impressive progress in my opinion.
Prof Prolapse said:
It's simple probability. You don't even need the numbers.
1) Are the conditions required for life unique? - No.
2) Are the conditions required for the development of intelligent life unique? - Almost certainly no.
3) Is the universe mindboggling fking massive? - Yes.
4) Does this mean intelligent life is likely to exist elsewhere? - Yes.
5) Does this mean we are likely to find other intelligent life? - No, see (3).
More formally it's expressed by the Drake Equation. And unless one of the terms equals zero, ET is out there.1) Are the conditions required for life unique? - No.
2) Are the conditions required for the development of intelligent life unique? - Almost certainly no.
3) Is the universe mindboggling f
king massive? - Yes.4) Does this mean intelligent life is likely to exist elsewhere? - Yes.
5) Does this mean we are likely to find other intelligent life? - No, see (3).
Zod said:
Moonhawk said:
Zoon said:
Is it true that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth.
Yep by around a factor of 10 according to some estimates.Nimby said:
More formally it's expressed by the Drake Equation. And unless one of the terms equals zero, ET is out there.
As I have already said in this thread. No, it isn't. You have misunderstood what the Drake equation is.BrabusMog said:
Prof Prolapse said:
If an alien species was intelligent enough to communicate with mankind I doubt it would want to.
Can you expand upon this further? I'd love to know why people always whinge about humankind. 20 years ago the Internet was in its infancy, now pretty much everyone in the developed world accesses it via a small phone in their hand that's way more powerful than a standard PC from 20 years ago. That's impressive progress in my opinion.
I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
I like to think that somewhere down the line 'something' in some sort of fleet will venture into our Solar System to return Voyager 1. That would be nice, but bloody scary.
It would be even better if we discovered we had neighbours within our own Galaxy. Andromeda is a little far away for travel.
It would be even better if we discovered we had neighbours within our own Galaxy. Andromeda is a little far away for travel.
Prof Prolapse said:
You want to impress an intergalactic being with an iPhone? I would say its relative, not sure your example is great either. Especially in context.
I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
All speculation based on our prejudices. Personally I would be looking to communicate, so that is my outlook. But that is you and me basing our expectations on our experiences, until something happens or we know we are being shunned, we do not know.I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
Edited by jmorgan on Wednesday 22 July 06:42
And clocking a massive outburst, from a black hole. Destruction as well.
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/In...
I suppose these things are small in comparison and we do not need to worry about WR104 anymore. Apparently....
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/In...
I suppose these things are small in comparison and we do not need to worry about WR104 anymore. Apparently....
jmorgan said:
Prof Prolapse said:
You want to impress an intergalactic being with an iPhone? I would say its relative, not sure your example is great either. Especially in context.
I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
All speculation based on our prejudices. Personally I would be looking to communicate, so that is my outlook. But that is you and me basing our expectations on our experiences, until something happens or we know we are being shunned, we do not know.I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
But what else can any of us do?
Prof Prolapse said:
jmorgan said:
Prof Prolapse said:
You want to impress an intergalactic being with an iPhone? I would say its relative, not sure your example is great either. Especially in context.
I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
All speculation based on our prejudices. Personally I would be looking to communicate, so that is my outlook. But that is you and me basing our expectations on our experiences, until something happens or we know we are being shunned, we do not know.I mean rather, I like my dog, and perhaps talking to him sounds a good idea. But the reality would be incredibly tiresome, he's an impulsive selfish borish moron, I think that is most likely how more intelligent species would see us.
But what else can any of us do?
The vastness of the universe pales in comparison to the vastness of time that its existed and will exist, the likeliness that their has been and will be other intelligent life out there is pretty high BUT the likelihood that it exists during the life time of our species is very low, but its still an uncertainty because we don't know how many planets are capable of sustaining life or if life is possible in places we think it not.
Foliage said:
The vastness of the universe pales in comparison to the vastness of time that its existed and will exist, the likeliness that their has been and will be other intelligent life out there is pretty high BUT the likelihood that it exists during the life time of our species is very low, but its still an uncertainty because we don't know how many planets are capable of sustaining life or if life is possible in places we think it not.
Do you think that intelligent life doesn't last very long then ?Don't you think that we will last very long either ?
This is what you appear to be saying.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
On what basis is that? How many advanced species did the theorist study? There is only one as far as I know and it's still going.anonymous said:
[redacted]
All seven billion of them right down to the last breeding pair in a hut on Vanuatu? That's quite a feat IMHO.Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff