Are we REALLY alone??

[garylkoh]

Steve's last thread posted on Chilean UFO pictures prompted this thought.......

The Fermi Paradox - we can see roughly 2,500 stars on a clear night. That's about 1/100,000,000 of the stars in our own galaxy.





As our galaxy is just one of 100 - 400 billion other galaxies out there, even going by the most conservative estimates, there are about 100 billion billion earth-like planets out there.

Why hasn't an advanced civilization contacted us yet?

http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html

 

[jazdoc]

Why hasn't an advanced civilization contacted us yet?

Because they are an advanced civilization

 

[Whatmore]

And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth.

 

[GaryProtein]

I like the ten possible explanations in the article.

In all likelihood, the return on investment is not great enough for other species to travel to earth and make themselves known to us.

 

[Alrainbow]

I feel we are not alone. I also feel the ability to go the vast distance to seek us out or vice versa does not exist for us or any of them. It could be possible that there is no way for anyone or other beings to travel beyond the speed of light or even at it. If so maybe some day something may show up,here , But considereing the distance and time and none of the others knowing we are here or us knowing where there are probly not . So just with this simple analogy we will never find any of them . I think it's more likely an astoroid may hold clues from other worlds before an object that is made form someone else.
Al

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Maybe were the most advanced...the top of the intergalactic food chain. Bummer.

Tim

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

maybe were the most advanced...the top of the intergalactic food chain. Bummer.

Tim

lol!

 

[edorr]

Because they are an advanced civilization

True, any advanced civilization worthy of the title would avoid associating with Homo Sapiens like the plague. May be they would have some informal discussion with an enlightened Buddhist to inquire how we got off the rails so badly.

 

[GaryProtein]

Maybe were the most advanced...the top of the intergalactic food chain. Bummer.

Tim

That's my kind of cynic!

 

[FrantzM]

Because they are an advanced civilization

 

[Emre Üçöz]

Maybe we are not in their menu

 

[jn229]

QUOTE: As our galaxy is just one of 100 - 400 billion other galaxies out there, even going by the most conservative estimates, there are about 100 billion billion earth-like planets out there.

It is true arrogance to think an alien life/intelligence would need a planet similar to earth to evolve. Now what are the odds?

 

[garylkoh]

It is true arrogance to think an alien life/intelligence would need a planet similar to earth to evolve. Now what are the odds?

That is true too. It might that we don't know what we don't know about lifeforms, or cannot conceive of what it might possibly be.

 

[BlueFox]

It is true arrogance to think an alien life/intelligence would need a planet similar to earth to evolve. Now what are the odds?

Not really arrogance, just more of a reasonable assumption. If life evolved here then why wouldn't it also evolve in other similar environments? Of course, since life could possibly evolve in non similar environments then that would increase the odds of other life in the universe.

 

[Steve Williams]

Not really arrogance, just more of a reasonable assumption. If life evolved here then why wouldn't it also evolve in other similar environments? Of course, since life could possibly evolve in non similar environments then that would increase the odds of other life in the universe.

I think the key phrase is "life as we know it"

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Drake Equation



http://www.nationalgeographic.com/astrobiology/

You start out with the formation rate of sunlike stars in the Milky Way, then multiply that by the fraction of such stars that have planetary systems. Take the resulting number and multiply that by the number of life-friendly planets on average in each such system—planets, that is, that are about the size of Earth and orbit at the right distance from their star to be hospitable to life. Multiply that by the fraction of those planets where life arises, then by the fraction of those where life evolves intelligence, and then by the fraction of those that might develop the technology to emit radio signals we could detect.

The final step: Multiply the number of radio-savvy civilizations by the average time they're likely to keep broadcasting or even to survive. If such advanced societies typically blow themselves up in a nuclear holocaust just a few dec*ades after developing radio technology, for example, there would probably be very few to listen for at any given time.

 

[jn229]

View attachment 16391


The final step: Multiply the number of radio-savvy civilizations by the average time they're likely to keep broadcasting or even to survive. If such advanced societies typically blow themselves up in a nuclear holocaust just a few dec*ades after developing radio technology, for example, there would probably be very few to listen for at any given time.

Imagine a life/intelligence that evolved on a planet foreign in every way to ours then ask: how would it communicate, would it need to communicate, would it have a body, would it need nourishment, societies, weapons, morals, leadership, thought, time, math .................. a soul? When you discuss life on other planets in other galaxies then you have to think outside the norm; or at least outside the gravitational pull of earth eh?

 

[Ronm1]

I suspect the gold lp has scared off the advanced civ planets ;-)
Stay away, very far away

 

[dingus]

I think the key phrase is "life as we know it"

dang, now we have to define what "life" is. for all we know stars are alive. they are self-sustaining, eat and excrete, grow and whither, are "born" and "die", and also spawn new "life". the only thing missing is cognitive ability, but its probably in there trying to burn off all those bugs crawling around on the third rock out.

 

[dingus]

what i mean is, we have already defined what life is, we just dont know if that definition is any more accurate than a loudspeaker.