Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSquealer
My point was simple. "Life on somewhere else in the universe" when it comes to a simple issue of mathematical probability is almost certain.
"Life that's highly advanced and capable of intergalactic travel and that has visited this planet" is an entirely different equation.
Our existence on this earth has been for approx 10-20 million years. As one example, there have been quite a few cosmic events that have nearly destroyed this planet and destroyed most life on it (not to mention the radical climate and atmospheric changes and so on). As one simple example, that is something that a form of life would have to survive to evolve and advance and that adds to the odds against that happening.
What I was saying is that in addition to the simple assumption that life must exist out there somewhere, there is a whole other set of conditions that must be met for that life in whatever form it is, to advance and evolve to the point where its mastered space travel over such vast distances. 1:X planets similar to earth has little to do with the actual probability of life not just existing somewhere but evolving to the point where its capable of traveling to earth from another corner of the universe and telling a bunch of baby killers how to move rocks.
Relying on the statement that "Statistically, there has to be intelligent life out there" is ignoring the sheer enormity of the odds against.
One could argue that what we know about quantum physics tells us that you also have a 100% chance of walking straight through your bathroom door. Relying on that fact to rationalize trying to do so, ignores the fact that the odds of doing it successfully are so remote, that it will never happen.
|
I disagree based on the enormity of the universe and how little we know of it. Intelligent life is only against the odds if you look at it through the eyes of human beings and what we
think we know about the universe and life. We can't even cure cancer. How can we possibly know what is needed for life to exist a billion light years away?
It is possible that there is a planet just like ours out there, maybe millions of planets just like ours, with people just like us, who may not be any more technologically advanced than we are. We assume that beings from space will be superior and more intelligent, able to travel long distances at fast speeds. But that's all just a guess. They may be just like us. Maybe less advanced. Maybe 1000+ years more advanced. But they still can't make the long journey to our planet. Maybe, just maybe, no one can travel such distances regardless of how advanced they may be.
And what we think must take place in order for life to happen may be wrong too. Maybe that only applies in our galaxy. Maybe in another galaxy everything is different and life can exist within a different set of rules. We just don't know. And because of this, I can only believe that the chances are great that there are many other planets existing with intelligent life on them.
Our galaxy alone has something like over 200
billion stars. One thing I read said there may be over 500
billion different galaxies. Those are figures none of us can fathom. To think there may not be intelligent life out there is just silly. Like I said before, our rules for life may not apply throughout the entire universe. Or they may have it all wrong. Just 2000 or so years ago everyone thought the world was flat. 2000 years is a blink of the eye in the grand scheme of things. Imagine what they will think in 2000 more years. One thing is for sure and that is they will think TOTALLY different than they do today, about everything.
To paraphrase the dad from the movie Contact, the universe would be a big waste of space if we were the only ones in it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSquealer
Odd that someone who is so resistant to the notion of God, is so open to the blind faith of intergalactic space traveling aliens. I don't personally see a difference, as both require a great deal of faith to believe in. It's simply a question of what one chooses to believe.
|
I'm actually not resistant to the idea of god at all. I just don't believe in religion. It's the definition of "god" that is open for debate, but I would not be surprised at all if
something created us, as our bodily functions are too perfect to have been an accident. Whatever that something is, would be your god. But I'm smart enough to know that I can not comprehend such a being or whatever it may be, so it's easier to just accept the fact that there may be a god and leave it at that. Just not a god in the biblical sense. I think all of that is total horse shit meant to control the masses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Markham
That's the only part we're debating. Now what's considered intelligent life?
A mouse able to find food, detect a danger?
A monkey that can swing from tree to tree?
A caveman who can fashion a stone into a knife?
A man who figures out when to plants his crops?
Or someone who's so advanced they can travel 1,000s of light years, which could mean bending space, withstand the journey, arrive in one piece, not be killed the moment he/she/it opened the door of his/her/it's space craft. Able to do all this numerous times. Afford the huge, gigantic cost of such a project. So he can teach Egyptians to put one block on top of another? That level of intelligent life is something I doubt.
More believable and proven is Man himself figured it all out by himself. 
Seriously some here need a lesson in logical thinking. |
Well, it is debatable if humans are intelligent beings. Yea, we're the smartest living creatures we know of but in the grand scale of things that doesn't make us intelligent. And considering how all we do is destroy, I'd wouldn't nominate us to be put on the intergalactic list of intelligent life forms, should there be a list.