Is This The Year?

[chadrog]

Yes. But what I'm saying is there would probably be evidence left behind (eg. Fossils, maybe even living descendants).

Left behind where? Our incarnation of life has only begun to explore what's out there. My generation, your generation, and 1000 generations to come may never see it found, but I like to think that's not true. We have a better chance of finding it any day now than ever before, considering we're literally "looking under rocks" of other worlds.

 

[rocketgeek101]

Left behind where? Our incarnation of life has only begun to explore what's out there. My generation, your generation, and 1000 generations to come may never see it found, but I like to think that's not true. We have a better chance of finding it any day now than ever before, considering we're literally "looking under rocks" of other worlds.

Fair point. What I'm getting at is that If we do find multi cellular extra terrestrial life, it will probably be nothing like what we expect, and therefore we shouldn't rule out any possibility of past visits to earth and any evidence left behind (whether intentional or just brought here on a meteor).

 

[chadrog]

Fair point. What I'm getting at is that If we do find multi cellular extra terrestrial life, it will probably be nothing like what we expect, and therefore we shouldn't rule out any possibility of past visits to earth and any evidence left behind (whether intentional or just brought here on a meteor).

Maybe so, but I feel there should be no expectations - who knows what's out there? I'm skeptical of Ancient Alien Theory, but again, who knows? It's really not any easier to believe than other theories presented to humanity thus far. BTW, Ancient Aliens is on allllllllllll day on H2...

 

[fyrwrxz]

They've already penetrated NASA and several House and Senate sub-sub commitees to make sure we never find them...just sayin'

 

[VonMises]

Considering all the junk we send into space, and all the electronic noise we're making, do you really think the LGMs would want to make contact?

 

[Getmore]

I got abducted once And I divorced her:lol:

 

[boomtube]

Where to begin? First it doesn’t matter how many total stars there are in the Milky Way, forget the rest of the universe for now, it matters how many stars are suitable for having a planet around it that can sustain life and sustain it long enough for it to evolve to intelligence.

Now the total begins to diminish rapidly. Greater than half the stars in our galaxy are crammed into the shell stars at the core. These stars are crammed together so closely, in some cases as little as light hours, from each other that there is little chance a planet could even form around any of them and no chance any planet that did form could ever hope produce life much less advanced life. Once you move into the spiral arms of the galaxy where things are a bit less chaotic you find that Red Dwarf stars comprise roughly half of the visible stars and you won’t find a life bearing planet around a Red Dwarf star because any planet big enough to hold onto its atmosphere while also being close enough to be within the “Life Zone” of a Red Dwarf will also be so close to that Red Dwarf that gravitational tidal forces will, in the fullness of time, drag the planet’s axial rotation down to a halt.

Forget those stars that are not main-sequence and strike from your list any that are MS stars but have the bad fortune to be near one that isn’t.

Take into account also the fact that our observations of stars where we have discovered planets to exist have in the majority of cases shown those systems to contain a “Super planet” orbiting close to the sun which would eliminate any chance of an “Earth” type world to form there.

I could go on and on but what it boils down to is that stars that are able to support a life bearing planet and support it long enough for advanced life to evolve might be far rarer than people want to believe.

As hard as it is to consider, we may be the most advanced/oldest race yet to evolve in the Milky Way.

Forget other galaxies. I can if I try real hard believe that travel between stars in our galaxy could be achieved but travel between galaxies???
That’s not science; it’s not even science fiction, its fantasy.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Just to remind everybody quote from the universe today which summarizes this quite nicely "According to astronomers, there are probably more than 170 billion galaxies in the observable Universe, stretching out into a region of space 13.8 billion light-years away from us in all directions.

And so, if you multiply the number of stars in our galaxy by the number of galaxies in the Universe, you get approximately 1024 stars. That’s a 1 followed by twenty-four zeros.

That’s a septillion stars."

Or to put it another way, that's more stars than there is grains of sand on all of earths beaches and deserts

But you all knew that

For me, I don't need proof the numbers do the talking, there is so likely to be extra terrestrial life out there which is very much like us that if we find out just one place of ET life tomorrow (if they like us sent out their own voyager probe perhaps), they wouldn't even exist right now and would have met their own Armageddon, unless they left their own planet and star system

*10^24

I completely agree with you --- the numbers do the talking --- and it is extremely likely that there is extraterrestrial life. I would bet anything on it. I'm certain that there is simple bacterial life, and probably complex life, and likely even life and civilizations more complex than we are. I would not be surprised to learn there are hundreds or thousands of civilizations in our own galaxy and maybe billions in the universe.

I just think the proof or even partial evidence is going to be very difficult to find (especially in the next year). The most likely way we will find evidence is to detect signatures of biological activity, like an oxygen atmosphere on one of the exoplanets, and that is not going to be easy to do. Another possibility would be to find evidence of past or current life on Mars, which I don't think our current probes or rovers are well equipped to do. Another way would be to find signatures or evidence in some of the ice-covered oceans on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, but again, we don't have the right equipment in place.

And even though I think advanced life and technological civilizations are likely, I think it is very UNLIKELY our proof will come in the form of contact with advanced ETs. Again --- the numbers do the talking --- the sheer vastness of the universe that makes life likely somewhere else also makes is extremely unlikely they will come visiting us here and now. The distances are so huge that travel and communication are almost impossible. In fact as far as we know, they ARE impossible. And as pointed out, with 200 billion stars in the galaxy, what is the likelihood anyone would travel so far just to come HERE? And the universe is also vast in terms of time. With 4.5 billion years of history, what is the likelihood anyone would come here NOW?

 

[Chrisn]

Where to begin? First it doesn’t matter how many total stars there are in the Milky Way, forget the rest of the universe for now, it matters how many stars are suitable for having a planet around it that can sustain life and sustain it long enough for it to evolve to intelligence.

But if one imagines our nearest galaxy, Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away, what planets scientists are looking at might not even exist anymore and what does exist now, we on earth will not know for another 2.5 million years

 

[tmacklin]

I'd settle for signs of intelligent life in Washington, D.C. op:

 

[Chrisn]

I'd settle for signs of intelligent life in Washington, D.C. op:

All capitol cites, for that matter

 

[chadrog]

I'd settle for signs of intelligent life in Washington, D.C. op:

 

[VonMises]

I'd settle for signs of intelligent life in Washington, D.C. op:

And I thought waiting for Little Green Men to show up was a longshot.

 

[scsager]

Is this the year? No- there here already. They've been here for quite a while now. At least since 1956.

[YOUTUBE]JRVfGMjdGh8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[TopRamen]

I'm watching AA tonight, just because it is so hilarious, and so far I've counted at least 6 Instances of "And if so, Ancient Astronaut Theorists Beleive..."


It should be a Drinking Game. Everytime Thophilous or Daniken appear, Drink. Everytime they say, "And if so...." Drink.

 

[TopRamen]

 

[TopRamen]

Super Mario.....

Yup, Aliens.

 

[Nathan]

...For me, I don't need proof the numbers do the talking, there is so likely to be extra terrestrial life out there which is very much like us...

This is true. As we know from Star Trek, most intelligent alien beings look surprisingly like humans wearing green makeup or rubber masks. And they even speak English. Of course there are also silicon-based intelligent life forms that look like a pile of rocks.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I'm watching AA tonight, just because it is so hilarious, and so far I've counted at least 6 Instances of "And if so, Ancient Astronaut Theorists Beleive..."


It should be a Drinking Game. Everytime Thophilous or Daniken appear, Drink. Everytime they say, "And if so...." Drink.

That would be a dangerous amount of drinking. You'd be completely hammered before the first commercial break.

 

[TopRamen]

That would be a dangerous amount of drinking. You'd be completely hammered before the first commercial break.

Yeah, that is one Drinkin' Game I would opt out of. It would Kill me.

 

[JStarStar]

Just to remind everybody quote from the universe today which summarizes this quite nicely "According to astronomers, there are probably more than 170 billion galaxies in the observable Universe, stretching out into a region of space 13.8 billion light-years away from us in all directions.

And so, if you multiply the number of stars in our galaxy by the number of galaxies in the Universe, you get approximately 1024 stars. That’s a 1 followed by twenty-four zeros.

That’s a septillion stars."

I think you mean 1.0 x 10^24, not 1024.


The answers to the main question:

1) Maybe so

2) Maybe not

a) Maybe it has already happened and we simply have not discovered conclusive evidence;
b) Maybe it has not already happened and will in the future;
c) Maybe it will never happen
d) Maybe at some point ET life will be discovered but it will be so far away that contact or even direct communication will never happen;
e) Maybe life has developed somewhere else in the universe (or maybe it will) but its evolutionary timeline will completely miss ours: either the other life form will be extinct before we discover them, or vice versa.

Which leads up to:

3) I don't know :confused2:


No matter how many different numbers you plug into the Drake Equation, there are enough completely unknown variables you can never get a meaningful answer. Whatever answer you come up with you can probably be quite confident it is wildly way off.


PS, my own belief/hunch is that 2d) is probably the most likely scenario.

 

[Coop]

Will we find it this year? Hrrm.... well, one can always hope.


Later!

--Coop

 

[Chrisn]

I think you mean 1.0 x 10^24, not 1024.

Obviously. It was a formatting error from copy pasting the quote from another website, as noted in my post and in someone elses reply to my post.

 

[TopRamen]

In my Dreams last night, I was with fellow Humans hiding in underground Tunnels from invading Aliens. They resembled the ones from the newer War Of The Worlds.
We were in a Bunker like Structure, and everyone I was with had their Civilian Guns, so there was some Conflict to get my Hands on the most Capable Weapons.
It must have been in the Future, because even underground, it was not a Sewer. All of the Hatches and Doors had Panels that needed Codes and Stuff to Open the Doors.
We had about 10-15 of us, but when we started to fight over the Guns, it ended up about 5 of us. I did'nt start it. I was happy with my Gear.
The Aliens finally came into our sub-terranian Chamber, and everyone was massacred or made it to the Exit Door. Somehow, I was at the Exit Door, but the People I wanted to bring with me in the Dream had been destroyed or captured byt the Aliens, and so before I could bring myself to turn my Back on them, I woke up.
The Aliens looked like enlarged versions of the War Of The Worlds New Version Aliens. They were Huge, and they were fast with only Three Legs.
They Wiped us out, but we fought to my Death, which woke me up.
They used a Heat Weapon, likely a MASER, it simply Cooked you really quick. It was mounted on their Head, as part of their Helmet, and our Bullets could not even touch them.

 

[TopRamen]

I just donated $20 to the USO and another $20 to the ASPCA.
I feel a lot better about myself now!

I got $20 left for St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, but apparently they keep regular Business hours, because nobody answered when I called them.
I do what little I can, when I can. I was going to get my Heater fixed, but the Heater Guy said he'd have to "Red Tag" my Heater, as apparently it is broken beyond repair, so I had a couple of dollars to spread around, and would feel better about helping others than I would about helping myself.
I need to buy a whole new Heater, so that can't happen until next Month. That gives me Money that I did'nt expect to have, so giving $80 to Charities is totally worth it, and makes me feel good.
I especially feel good when I give to St. Judes Childrens Hospital, because Children are innocent, and deserve a chance.
I'm very lucky to have a Son, 12, going on 13 in February, that is perfectly Healthy.
When I see the St. Judes Commercials, and think about how I would feel if those were my Kids, my Heart can't help but want to help them.

 

[TopRamen]

My New Years Resolution was to be nice to People.

 

[boomtube]

170 Billion observable galaxies. 10^24 stars and everybody thinks that those numbers pretty well assures there is other life in the universe.

Maybe so, maybe even other intelligent life; but let’s look at those numbers another way. For instance, if there were just ONE intelligent species in each galaxy that would mean there are 170 billion intelligent races in the observable universe.

That’s a hell of a lot of intelligent races and that’s if there is just one in each galaxy. Try and imagine 170,000,000,000 different evolutionary lines each giving rise to sentience and intelligence and they would each and every one be totally different form the others. That’s actually harder to imagine than a universe totally devoid of other intelligent life. And again, those numbers are for JUST ONE IN EACH GALAXY.

Something else we need to consider is; how long does any technological civilization last? Another is; just how far can technology take us?
We have become pretty arrogant with that last question; we think that just because we can imagine something it will eventually “Become” but that is perhaps wishful thinking.
Travel between the stars may simply be impossible indeed fully exploiting our own solar system might be, and not just with the tech. we currently have or what we can conceive of as possible within the framework of current physics. Travel between the stars might very well be impossible utilizing any sciences and technologies that the universe will even allow.

We like to throw around buzz-words such as “Warp-drive” and “Hyperspace” and “Wormholes”; words that have meaning only within the context of fantasy and science fiction.

 

[Aero B]

I think that over the multitudes of millennia, humans have gone through many revisions and variations. Upgrades and downgrades and re-boots. I think there is a high possibility the WE did it all. We have been here in out present form for a hugely loooong time.

 

[VonMises]

I got $20 left for St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, but apparently they keep regular Business hours, because nobody answered when I called them.

Thanks TR
St. Jude is one of my family’s bi-annual charities. They do good work and they don’t waste the donations.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Rook takes Queen's Bishop. 47 moves left. I dreamt I was a Pawn Star. This is one of the most bizarre threads ever-just wanted to add to the confusion!