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[QUOTE=VCDrivesAPorscheToWork]well actually jaydacris may have a point, even though he probably is not aware of it.
in most likelihood, any other form of life that develops may have vastly different biochemical pathways/structures/etc... because all life on Earth came from the same ancestral precedessor which developed out of early Earth enviroments. if life developed elsewhere, if is possible that other lifeforms are vastly different from us and have different methods of metabolism. therefore, they could view Earth as we view Venus... a toxic wasteland.[/QUOTE]
Let's say that's possible for millions and billions and trillions of life forms. That still leaves an [I]infinite [/I]number left. I would just think that with that many opportunities going on at all times, [I]something [/I]would have drifted this way.
Again, that's not to say that there is no possibility of intelligent life, because I think there is, I'm just not sure about this whole "infinite possibilities" idea.
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[QUOTE]Let's say that's possible for millions and billions and trillions of life forms. That still leaves an infinite number left. I would just think that with that many opportunities going on at all times, something would have drifted this way.
Again, that's not to say that there is no possibility of intelligent life, because I think there is, I'm just not sure about this whole "infinite possibilities" idea.[/QUOTE]
That looks like Enrico Fermi's paradox, if I'm not mistaken.
The thing in this though is that there's an infinite number of "infinities" themselves. To give an example, there are infinite numbers between 100,000 and 100,001. But if you're asked to find any specific number between 1 and 1,000,000, you only have a 1/1,000,000 chance to name any of the infinite numbers between 100,000 and 100,001. I hope you see what I mean.
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[QUOTE=Knoe Itawl]Let's say that's possible for millions and billions and trillions of life forms. That still leaves an [I]infinite [/I]number left. I would just think that with that many opportunities going on at all times, [I]something [/I]would have drifted this way.
Again, that's not to say that there is no possibility of intelligent life, because I think there is, I'm just not sure about this whole "infinite possibilities" idea.[/QUOTE]
fair argument.
but keep in mind that this thread is merely speculation with some circumstancial evidence. since no one here can truly claim to be an expert, all we have are good ideas.
you can believe whatever you want.
of course there are always those with their own viewpoints on things and force it onto others under the guise of "effective argument." (GOBB)
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[QUOTE=VCDrivesAPorscheToWork]fair argument.
but keep in mind that this thread is merely speculation with some circumstancial evidence. since no one here can truly claim to be an expert, all we have are good ideas.
you can believe whatever you want.
of course there are always those with their own viewpoints on things and force it onto others under the guise of "effective argument." (GOBB)[/QUOTE]
Hey, there's nothing I'd like more than for there to be trillions upon trillions of life bearing planets, with intelligent life on a good percentage of them. However, if we're going with infinite possibilities, I have to analyze it from all perspectives, even if I'm not fond of the fact that the possibility I would like is compromised.
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[QUOTE=Knoe Itawl]Hey, there's nothing I'd like more than for there to be trillions upon trillions of life bearing planets, with intelligent life on a good percentage of them. However, if we're going with infinite possibilities, I have to analyze it from all perspectives, even if I'm not fond of the fact that the possibility I would like is compromised.[/QUOTE]
oh yeah yeah I know I wasn't meaning to insult you subtly in that thread.
i didnt mean to sound so hostile.
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Wow, the star Antares makes our planet look like a spec of dust. Yikes.
Hey, look...I can see Uranus....lolol...lmao...get it? uranus? lol lol lol....
well SOMEBODY had to say the obvious Uranus joke...sheesh....
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[QUOTE=ShannonElements]I think a few people actually beat you to the punch, actually.[/QUOTE]
I know...too lazy to read the whole thread
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Seems to me like too many people want to assume that "intelligent life" means "[I]highly[/I] intelligent life in a form we could recognize." I guess it's the science fiction fan in all of us.
It's just as likely that intelligent life would be less intelligent than humans as it is that it would be more so. If "intelligence" is the ability to both percieve and manipulate one's environment - the variety of intelligences that could conceivably exist is as infinite as all these other possibilities. An organism that has evolved to exploit an environment much different than this one would be intelligent in an entirely different sense than we understand the term - and there's no guarantee we'd recognize it/them as intelligent.
Was it the MIB movie where there was a whole, highly advanced society that existed on a microscopic scale, and people were walking around crushing entire civilizations underfoot?
As much as I'm intrigued by the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe (which I do believe probably exists) I think it's probably best, for them and for us, if we keep our distance.
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Great thread. Science is cool.
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[QUOTE=ShannonElements]I agree completely. People always assume that intelligent alien life's going to be much more advanced than we are, when that simply won't be the case probably 50% of the time. For all we know the closest intelligent alien life to us is still in the infacny of their evolution, and someday WE are going to be the scary invaders dropping in on them and abducting THEM to study them or whatever...:D[/QUOTE]
i think you should equate intelligent life form to sentient life form for now.
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To think that there is intelligent life on other planets is basically all up to what you believe. Is there INTELLIGENT life on other planets? Not likely. If there is any "life" on other planets it's probably some Amoeba's and other small single celled organisms. I've been reading in a few places and astronomers are finding massive planets of just ice and rock that are hundreds of times larger than Jupiter. But looking through these pictures really does put the entire universe into perspective at how large and vast it truly is. The size of these stars is incredible. It really makes you think but it's really hard to grasp the whole concept of how the universe is and how the stars and everything work and became what they are.
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[QUOTE=ShannonElements]Not likely? It's actually a mathematic probability. T.[/QUOTE]
I've actually read that the odds are against life to form unaided/sponatenously. Sir Fred Hoyle, an atheist calculated the odds of the most simple form of life forming on our planet, and it's actually mathematically impossible.
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[QUOTE=Unregistered]I've actually read that the odds are against life to form unaided/sponatenously. Sir Fred Hoyle, an atheist calculated the odds of the most simple form of life forming on our planet, and it's actually mathematically impossible.[/QUOTE]
That is true, the Star has to be the perfect size and the planet has to be at the perfect distance and the planet must have an atmosphere. plus a number of other smaller factors
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just imagine
this thread is amazing, i love it.
just think of this now, M-theory states that we are just one of the many universe out there.
even more ridiculous is the fact that atoms, are the smallest whole unit we know. these govern everything, so even if we feel that we are insignificant in this universe, just look to the idea, that just because we are small it does not mean we have no impact.
Man kind is just waiting for that one scientific breakthrough. when it comes, this is going to become a moral debate as to whether space travel is meant for humans.
once again, great thread, and sorry for bad spelling and grammar, did this in a rush
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This is a weird thread. There are things being discussed here that I would never imagine people would talk about. There is relativity, aliens, and religion in one thread. I can't believe I missed it for 16 pages.
The relativity theory is strange because Time is an invention. But the effects of time are not. They are related to speed. There is no known way to become fast enough for the theory to matter on the human scale (It has an effect on the atomic level, of course)
[QUOTE=GOBB]How long does it take from Earth to pluto? Can a human physically be placed in a spaceship to that destination? And if they cant why create a planet out of reach to man? Man is making great advancements when it deals with outter space.[/QUOTE]
The rocket that was just launched to Pluto last year will take 9 years to get there. I wonder if it would be possible to create a rocket large enough to support people for 9 years. I would guess that it would have to be very large with an entire colony of life. There is no way something that large could be launched. But using my sci-fi brain, I would say that it would have to be launched in parts and built in space like a space station.
