Are We or Aren't We Alone the Universe?

[United Marxist Nations]

1) Based on the things our ancestors questioned (they sometimes doubted that existence was real, the absolute madmen!), I think they would have had more questions than assumptions (e.g. "Why would God need a vessel? Why would God need clothes? Why would God have need for anything but Himself?"). It should also be said that they understood complex ideas of geometry, engineering, and metallurgy; for them not to recognize such things would have been ridiculous.

After all, even James T. Kirk could figure it out.

My unintentional Star Trek reference quota is finally met.

I AM FREE

[Napkiraly]

After all, even James T. Kirk could figure it out.

(Image)

My unintentional Star Trek reference quota is finally met.

I AM FREE

Not until you have met your unintentional Mass Effect reference quota. We still have to calibrate how far along you are on that.

[Constantinopolis]

My unintentional Star Trek reference quota is finally met.

I AM FREE

Not until you have met your unintentional Mass Effect reference quota. We still have to calibrate how far along you are on that.

But after he's done with that too, he should go.

[United Marxist Nations]

My unintentional Star Trek reference quota is finally met.

I AM FREE

Not until you have met your unintentional Mass Effect reference quota. We still have to calibrate how far along you are on that.

FUCK

[Napkiraly]

Not until you have met your unintentional Mass Effect reference quota. We still have to calibrate how far along you are on that.

But after he's done with that too, he should go.

Maybe.

I'll consort with the unintentional dankage cabal to see if he will also require filling out his X-Files and Battlestar Galactica unintentional reference quotas.

[Talvezout]

If you want to get technical, then unless there's some hidden civilization under the ice of Europa or Enceladus, or if there's other lifeforms in our solar system, we are for all intents and purposes alone in our cozy little nook of the universe.

Broadwise, it's pretty likely there's some form of life out there.

[Meridiani Planum]

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”


― Arthur C. Clarke

I think finding out we are alone is far more terrifying than finding out we are not.

Why? That may be disappointing, but I don't see how that is terrifying.

[The Hobbesian Metaphysician]

They also were able to build bridges more than a mile long, raise armies of tens of thousands, invent the mechanical reaper, come up with an early version of atomic theory, and figure out how to create bronze; so, yeah, I think they would be smart enough to call a bluff. Also, there were lots of philosophical positions on religion.

Oh and wow, they also believed in sky gods. They definitely were smart enough to not believe that mind-blowingly advanced alien life could have been messengers from the gods or even gods themselves.

Not sure if you were being serious here or made it sound like an insult.

[The Hobbesian Metaphysician]

No we are not alone they trawl through the chaos of the vast darkness, and will consume us all in our little corner of this cosmic horror story.

[Hladgos]

It's a statistical improbability that we're the only life in this universe.

[The Foxes Swamp]

not alone

[Esheaun Stroakuss]

Probably not, but it'll take us forever to find out who we share the universe with. Are they even in the same universe? Besides, would they be organisms or something completely different?

[The Huskar Social Union]

We can't be. It's so vast that it's impossible that we're the only life there is.

I second this statement also.

[Tokuopolis]

Extraterrestrial life most certainly exists somewhere else in the universe, and some of it is likely to be intelligent. The vast size of the universe means it's highly improbable only 1 planet would have life.

[Wisconsin9]

We're extremely nearly certainly not the only life in the universe. The only complex life, even.

[Kasterborous Gallifrey]

We're certainly not the only life in the universe, or our galaxy. However, we are quite possibly the only sentient life in our own galaxy. Think about it. Interstellar distance is vast.

[Zakuvia]

We're certainly not the only life in the universe, or our galaxy. However, we are quite possibly the only sentient life in our own galaxy. Think about it. Interstellar distance is vast.

This. I think a GALAXY far far away isn't a bad thing to consider when it comes to intelligent life. Have any anthropogenic transmissions had the ability to reach intergalactic distances?

[Wisconsin9]

We're certainly not the only life in the universe, or our galaxy. However, we are quite possibly the only sentient life in our own galaxy. Think about it. Interstellar distance is vast.

This. I think a GALAXY far far away isn't a bad thing to consider when it comes to intelligent life. Have any anthropogenic transmissions had the ability to reach intergalactic distances?

We haven't even gotten any transmissions beyond the Local Bubble, and even those are probably weak enough and degraded enough that they won't be picked out.

With regards to the supposed improbability of intelligent life other than us in our galaxy, I'd just like to point out that the Milky Way is between 100 and 180 thousand lightyears across, around 2,000 lightyears thick, with between 100 and 400 billion stars, and a low estimate of around a billion potentially-habitable planets.

[Risottia]

I've thought about this question a lot recently. When scientists or people say we are alone in the universe

Scientists saying life exists on Earth only? What?
I am surprised that anyone that can be described as a "scientist" would say something like that.

[Evanescens]

No, and never will. The nearest satellite galaxy is about 25kly from Terra, the nearest external galaxy is about 2mly away. All signals will dissipate long before they reach that far.

We're certainly not the only life in the universe, or our galaxy. However, we are quite possibly the only sentient life in our own galaxy. Think about it. Interstellar distance is vast.

This. I think a GALAXY far far away isn't a bad thing to consider when it comes to intelligent life. Have any anthropogenic transmissions had the ability to reach intergalactic distances?

[Evanescens]

You will be surprised even more if you learn that any one calling himself a scientist has to adhere to scientific method, which requires hard data to say anything serious. No data -- nothing to say on behalf of science. There is enough data to say that life exist on Terra, and zero data to say anything about life elsewhere. No data -- no life, anything else is speculation, figments and nonsense.

I've thought about this question a lot recently. When scientists or people say we are alone in the universe

Scientists saying life exists on Earth only? What?
I am surprised that anyone that can be described as a "scientist" would say something like that.

[Novaya Equestria]

We're not alone in the universe, man. I can tell that aliens do exist.

[Catgirls]

To find aliens we'd need either an infinite telescope, some kind of teleportation (portable, or good luck for coming back), faster-than-light travel, or hope that when dead your ghost is able to travel at imagination speed.
Or smoke something weird while watching Doctor Who.

[Gryphonian Alliance]

I've thought about this question a lot recently. When scientist or people say we are alone in the universe and come up crazy theories as to why it bugs me.

Its beyond arrogant to say this is the only planet in the entire universe that has life and in order to have intelligent life you must have conditions exactly like that of Earth and our solar system. We will never find a planet or star or solar system exactly like ours. All planets adapt to their stars.

We have found life in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth. What's to say life could not develop on other planets in conditions very different from Earth? I accept that liquid water is likely needed but perhaps it might not be.

Some also say if aliens do exist why haven't we had first contact yet or had definitive proof of their existence? Firstly we can only scan a small part of the sky at one time and secondly maybe extraterrestrials don't want to contact us directly?

I think there is absolutely other intelligent life in the universe and ridiculous to think otherwise. I even think its plausible extraterrestrial beings might have visited us in the distant past but i know i will get flack for saying that.

What do you all think? What is your response to a question that has been asked for decades?

Scientist are sure we aren't. Just look at one Jupiter's moons, I can't remember the name but scientist believe there might be living bacteria/organisms under its ice.

Europa.

[The Nihilistic view]

How do you know their aren't other technological civilizations out there? What's to say their couldn't be?

The Fermi Paradox is a very good reason to believe that other technological civilizations do not exist - or at least not in our galaxy.

That seems complete nonsense given it seems to rest on the theory of evolution not existing.