Aliens

Richard Lynch said:
I think these are very arrogant statements.
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I can certainly see how someone may think that, however it's simply my position on the matter.

Eliminator Jr. gave some very nice numbers, and actually, Eliminator, what you were doing is an incomplete non-formulaic form of the famous (or infamous) Drake Equation.

Once again I'll paraphrase a quote I heard once by Arthur C. Clarke, a famous science fiction writer and scientist (any astronomer or physicist is sure to have heard of the Clarke Orbit). But anyway, here it is (again, I'm paraphrasing, so it may be a little different from the actual quote):

I, personally, believe there must be life out there somewhere. I think it's statistically ignorant to think there couldn't be. Now, I do not believe that aliens have visited us (to me that's just silly), but is there life somewhere out there in the universe (or multiverse, if you believe in M-theory or the subsequent String theory)? I would say, without a doubt.
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The name of the concept escapes me... Flipping heads on a coin once is an isolated incident. life suddenly appearing in one spot doesn't change the odds of it happening again.

I would like to raise this point. What fraction of planets have conditions suitable for life? I'll leave it to you to determine what "suitable for life" means. And what's necessary for life to be planted there? Native abiogenesis or life brought from another planet. What are the odds of either occurring?
 
Åzurε said:
I would like to raise this point. What fraction of planets have conditions suitable for life? I'll leave it to you to determine what "suitable for life" means. And what's necessary for life to be planted there? Native abiogenesis or life brought from another planet. What are the odds of either occurring?
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Well in reality we don't know what conditions are suitable/necessary for life. The amount of planets could be anywhere between 1 and, well, every planet. As for the odds of it occurring, as you said; "life suddenly appearing in one spot doesn't change the odds of it [not] happening again" or whatever. The odds for life spawning on another planet tomorrow are exactly the same as they were when life developed on Earth.
 
Rich Boy Rob said:
Well in reality we don't know what conditions are suitable/necessary for life. The amount of planets could be anywhere between 1 and, well, every planet. As for the odds of it occurring, as you said; "life suddenly appearing in one spot doesn't change the odds of it [not] happening again" or whatever. The odds for life spawning on another planet tomorrow are exactly the same as they were when life developed on Earth.
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Which were astronomically low to begin with (hence why I don't believe it, but I'm trying to ignore that here). And no they're not. Different planets with different conditions are different, you can't expect the chances to be the same.

Yes, yes. NOT happening again.
 
I just think the universe is so vast and old that it's rather egoistic to believe we are unique. I know there must be other life forms out there.
 
I believe in other life in the universe. I mean, the universe is so indescribably vastand filled with so many stars and planets, it seems improbably to me that we'd be the only planet with life on it. As for the abduction thing, UFOs and such... I'm a little skeptical. :'D
 
I suppose I acknowledge the fact they could exist. I mean the universe is so big we can't be the only living creatures out there. It isn't completely implausible to rule out the fact that life outside of Earth exists. Different living things can survive under different conditions so an extraterrestrial being could probably live on a planet that probably could be inhabitable to humans.

To me it's something that can't be proven yet can't be disproven.
 
Well, the universe is huge beyond my ability to comprehend it, but the chances that circumstances occurred perfectly for life to occur anywhere else are as small as the universe is large.

So I don't know. I think it's possible, but unlikely. I think it's even less likely that it's sentient life.
 
Åzurε said:
The name of the concept escapes me... Flipping heads on a coin once is an isolated incident. life suddenly appearing in one spot doesn't change the odds of it happening again.

I would like to raise this point. What fraction of planets have conditions suitable for life? I'll leave it to you to determine what "suitable for life" means. And what's necessary for life to be planted there? Native abiogenesis or life brought from another planet. What are the odds of either occurring?
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Are you thinking of the Bernoulli process maybe? I'm not too sure myself, actually. However, I wouldn't say finding life is like a coin flip. It's not totally random, I'd say it's more in keeping with Bayesian statistics (which, in essence, states that the probability of a circus coming through your house is pretty low; but if you suddenly hear a calliope, the probability increases significantly). With life elsewhere, the probability on life on another planet is, so to say, unknown. However, if we find, say, water or ice there, the probability increases. They often say that where there's water, there could be life.

And like Boy Rob said about the second paragraph: we just don't know. Could be none of them, could be all of them. We don't have enough information. But that doesn't chance the initial likelihood, since we're here, which means life in general is possible under correct conditions. That in itself raises the probability that there's more life out there than not.

Think of it like living in a huge house with lots and lots of nooks and crannies. If you never see a bug there in a couple billion years, it's unlikely you will. However, if you see one cockroach, it suddenly becomes a lot more likely that you'll find another one somewhere. Does that make sense?
 
has anyone seen that series on the history channel called ancient aliens. they're talking about the possibility of aliens that came to earth hundreds of years ago to teach humans advance knowledge or give them technology. and how early humans might have mistaken an alien from another world as God
 
WriteThemWrong said:
has anyone seen that series on the history channel called ancient aliens. they're talking about the possibility of aliens that came to earth hundreds of years ago to teach humans advance knowledge or give them technology. and how early humans might have mistaken an alien from another world as God
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Ah, the ancient astronaut theory, I always found that intriguing.
 
I Saw a UFO. BUT I Don't really expect anybody to believe me. I Heard this really eerie, high pitched 'buzzing' sound [not really buzzing, but i have no other way to explain it.], the sound made my heart drop, it was REALLY creepy. i look out my window, and there's lights, in the shape of a triangle, in a dead-stop, in the sky. a few minutes of me standing and staring out my window, too scared to move, it literally vanished. ugh.
 
I'm 200% sure there is life on an other planet than Earth. I mean, they discovered planets that might be able to have life on it, similar to Earth.
Universe is infinite, so how can't they be life somewhere else ?

And I've never seen a UFO and don't want to >^>
 
Yes, I believe there's aliens out there. Our galaxy is only a small, microscopic dot on your dinner table, it is naive or stubborn to think we're the only ones. Also about "habitable zones", what if some lifeforms can survive on carbon and die from oxygen? We breathe oxygen and release carbon at the same time carbon is poisonious to us, but not to the aliens. I wouldn't be surprised if we discovered lifeforms that does not breathe oxygen.
 
Again, after looking at the drake equation, it would be foolish to assume that ET-life is impossible. Remember, we dont really have a way to go look for other life forms quickly, our probes and Rovers take years and years to beam us back information from space. and space is really, really, really big. :)

Im also surprised nobody has mentioned the finding of those fossilized, protozoan-like bacteria they found on a frozen meteorite from Mars in 2006.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science...from-Mars-found-inside-ancient-meteorite.html

Also, those people that study History will know that there have been several hints from ancient cultures that imply ET influence/contact. Examples, the Baghdad Battery, the Antikathera Mechanism, Stonehenge, Easter island, the great egyptian pyramids, even references from the old testament of the Bible. etc

go Google "ancient astronaut theory" and the examples of ET influence(s) in ancient Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek,and Mayan art and architecture, etc. or go read Chariot of the Gods.
 
Let me answer this wit another question, why not? is there something that wouldnt let any other kind of life live? why do we have to be the only ones? thats jsut something stupid to think, who said they need lounges to live and all that? becaues we are like that it doesnt mean we own the universe
 
i think u people that say no are just scared there is some big-bad force out there plotting to destroy the world.. are you wrong?.. maybe.. but maybe not.. and when i saw the "ancient astronaut theory" that is what really put me up there with the believings of other life forms out in the universe.. i mean really.. have u seen the move.. i think it's called. Cacoons or something.. about aliens visiting the earth and leaving some of their people behind.... there are movies about aliens changing their apperance to fit our faces and such.. hell.. that was in Cacoons aswell.. for all you know.. your best friend could be a little glow in the dark fingered alien
 
The Last One said:
i think u people that say no are just scared there is some big-bad force out there plotting to destroy the world.. are you wrong?.. maybe.. but maybe not.. and when i saw the "ancient astronaut theory" that is what really put me up there with the believings of other life forms out in the universe.. i mean really.. have u seen the move.. i think it's called. Cacoons or something.. about aliens visiting the earth and leaving some of their people behind.... there are movies about aliens changing their apperance to fit our faces and such.. hell.. that was in Cacoons aswell.. for all you know.. your best friend could be a little glow in the dark fingered alien
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i saw a special on the theory, then i googled some more stuff. Being a history major in college i already knew stuff about the civillizations involved, but seeing that really ties up loose ends if you know what i mean. its very persuasive and the evidence is right there.
 
i just saw it on the discovery/history channel
 
ya i know.. that's what really made me think
 
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