The universe is huge and it is expanding. It is so large that there has to be intelligent life out there somewhere. Why haven't we had contact from them? Where are they and how advanced are they?
Personally, I think there has to be life out there somewhere. I mean to say that we are the only living organisms in the universe would be completely inconcievable. There has to be something else. Our galaxy started with the big bang, so other galaxies must have started out the same way and must have gone through an evolutionary period similar to the one we went through. There has to be other life out there.
Looks like you're bringing up two different though related things: Is there life out there? and Is there intelligent life out there?
As far as Life goes: I would agree, there has to be something out there. Given how utterly tenacious life is here on Earth, how it thrives in the most God-forsaken environments, my guess is, not only is there life "out there" (meaning, on planets orbiting other stars), but I would not be surprised if we find life/evidence of life (past or present) in several places in our own Solar System. Very likely, most of it will be simple or microbial (nanocrobial?), but life nonetheless.
As for Intelligent life...hell, I'm still wondering if we have that here (aren't we all). Cynicism aside--and as an alternative to the Drake equation--consider the following: it's been estimated that since life began on Earth, there have been some 50 billion different species here (most of which have come and gone). Out of that 50 billion, only 1 -- 1! -- has risen to apparent intelligence and thrived. 1!
If we take this ratio and apply it to the whole Galaxy (just ours, for now) of some 400 billion stars, that means there are only 8 planets where alien intelligence might exist. 8. This would put us at an average 12,000 lightyears from each other.
Regardless, assuming They are out there; Where are they? This is the Fermi paradox, and there have been about a half-dozen proposals as to why we still seem to be alone. One is: they are no where near as advanced as us, meaning no spaceships or even the ability to send out radio signals (which, at 12,000 ly distance, wouldn't be reaching us for a while anyway). Another reason: they are so far ahead of us that we can't even begin to detect them, nor would they wanna bother with us.
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Shinier than a speeding bullet.
Last edited by Mindship on Mar 15th, 2006 at 12:33 PM
How did you get that number? The 8 thing I mean? Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
Anyways about the question.
Yes there is probaby life out there somewhere and probably life more intelligent then us, and life far less intelligent. The universe is pretty much infinite, so the chances of it just being us are very, very slim...
I find it amusing when humans are considered intelligent...we allow the wool to be pulled over our eyes so much it's...I'll have to get back to ya on that one.
In any case, I agree with Mindship's logic: The chance of intelligent life in our galaxy is amazingly small. If there is, I wish they'd hurry up and invade Earth. The "Powers that Be" deserve nothing more. It'd also be interesting to see the reactions of the religiously devout...
__________________ I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species that I realized you aren't actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. And the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we...are the cure.
Ratio of 1 "intelligent" species out of 50 billion species overall.
Apply that ratio to 400 billion stars in our Galaxy and you get 8.
1 is to 50 bil as 8 is to 400 bil.
But again, this is just a guess using as a place to start the only planet we know which has life. It could be wwaaayyyy off base, in either direction.
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
You are saying 1 out of 50 billion species (all of which live or have lived on earth) and then suddenly assume that all 400 billion stars in our galaxy only have 1 living being in their system. If this was true, then you would be right, but there could be several times 50 billion's of species in any number of star systems.
I understand what you're saying; I should make my position more clear.
I am making a huge, very liberal assumption that each of the 400 billion stars in our Galaxy have one planet where life has arisen. Expanding the ratio of Intelligent to Nonintelligent life on Earth to cover the whole Galaxy, then only 1 out of every 50 billion planets has intelligent life on it.
The Drake equation is a much more thorough approach, but even that has been used to estimate that maybe no more than 10 planets in our Galaxy has intelligent life on it (Carl Sagan highlighted this in one of his "Cosmos" episodes).
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
Well yeah I can understand that theory, I just find it unlikely that a planet would really only develop one species... Especially if Earth has created 50 billion, if a planet like this can create that much then it would seem logical that other planets can create an equal amount of beings or more or maybe a bit less....
i mean the universe is pretty much infinite, we don't know how far it goes if there is anything beyond what we know off or not... I mean in a potentially infinite area, we could very well have billions of intelligent species or perhaps you are right and there are only 8 intelligent species out there. Of course I'm not really all that good with science so perhaps I can be proven completely wrong by scientific theory's that I in no way understand, but if thats the case then I don't really want to understand them either...
The big problem with the Drake Equation and it's pessimism is that it tries to explain how infeasible it is for life to have developed and achieved space travel within the set time period of about four to ten billion years (I think. It's been a few years since I went over it). The odds are pretty astronomical. But the idea of simply having intelligent life isn't so far off. Likewise, you can shuffle two decks of cards and draw thirteen of them. The odds of you getting those cards again is well into the billions, but it'd be against common sense to deny that you DO have those particular cards.
I would not be surprised if our Galaxy was teeming with life. Primitive, microbial mostly, but life. And scattered throughout the stars, astronomically rare, would be alien intelligence and technology. Just in a few places, at different stages and under different circumstances.
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
I would say that there is at least ONE civilization out in each galaxy i would say... though as said before it isn't required to be intellectual in any way
__________________ It is impossible to overlook the extent to which civilization is built upon a renunciation of instinct.
-Sigmund Freud
I believe whole heartedly there is a multitude of intelligent life in our universe. The question is, would be realize it's intelligence? Does a dust mite recognize our intelligence?
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