Why is this enough?

Question

How come so many believers in extra terrestrial life, not including microscopic lifeforms, think it's enough evidence to claim the universe is large so ETs must therefor exist? I admit I'm no expert on logic, but I don't see the validation in the reasoning as presented. And why is it arrogant to doubt their contention?

Answer 1

I, personally, believe in the possibility of Extraterrestrial life. However...
The reasoning behind it is much like the reasoning behind 'God': "We can't be the smartest things out there." It is a rather frightening thought when you get down to it, considering what we've done to our own planet, but the fact remains that if we have found microscopic life forms, there's the possibility for larger ones, like humans.
Scientific studies also show that if there is life in space it would probably be insectoid, or arachnoid, given that more than half the life forms currently living on Earth are insects and spiders. The only reason they aren't the ones running the show is because of the gravity on Earth -- it's too high for their Exoskeletons.
Furthermore, we are only one Star System in a Galaxy of Star Systems, one Galaxy in a Universe of Galaxies, one Universe in a Cosmos of Universes. It's almost certain that there has to be life out there some where, even if it's only on one planet, in one Star System, in One Galaxy in one Universe, far, far, far away. And given that, it's also almost certain that we humans, we earthlings, will never get to meet this extraterrestrial race, considering how long it would take to get there, from here. We don't even know how to travel outside our Star System, let alone our Galaxy, or, Gods Forbid, our Universe.
All in all, whether they exist or not, we can't reach them, and unless they live for millions upon billions of years in one lifetime, they can't reach us, and there's no way to be sure of their existence, otherwise.

Answer 2

I do believe there is or has been inteligent life out there besides us but another factor to consider besides the countless stars and systems is the timing. Mankind has only been crawling around on this planet for about 250,000 years . The earth its self is 4 billion years old and the universe is about 13 1/2 billion years old. Its possible that many civilazations have come and gone and just not exsisted in the same time frame or been close enough to communicate. After all the universe is a big place.

Answer 3

I'm not sure if I would refer to some of the arguments for extraterrestrial life as "evidence". Recent discoveries of extremophilic life forms in places like "black smokers" at the bottom of the ocean suggest that life, once it forms, can exist in very unusual environments. Given this, our options for finding lifeforms elsewhere in the universe expand.

Some arguments for extraterrestrial life may also be an attempt at self-fulfilling prophecies. My own take on the subject is that physics allows for three basic numbers for something to occur.
Zero where there is no way that physical conditions exist for the event to occur. One where it takes a vanishingly small combination of conditions to occur before the event happens. And, finally, infinity (or at least a very large number).

For the existence of life, we know zero isn't possible, one is self-evident, a very large number???

Answer 4

It's not arrogant at all to doubt. Doubt is the essence of all good science.

The reason people use the size of the universe as evidence is because of the laws of probability. Using the Drake Equation (admittedly, an act of inspired guesswork) the sheer size of our galaxy alone augers for the existence of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Here's a link to the Drake Equation. You can enter in the numbers. It's quite interesting.

http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/SETI/drake_equation.html

Answer 5

I neither "believe" nor "disbelieve" in extra terrestrial life. If there isn't any, there should be a hypothesis as to why not. If there is some, there should be a hypothesis as to why that is possible. Then you can form an opinion according to how plausible you find each hypothesis. It would be arrogant and stupid for anyone to claim that it "must" exist, or that it "must not", whatever their reasons.

I judge that extra terrestrial life is highly probable, because the hypotheses for "no extra terrestrial life" seem to me to be really far-fetched.

Answer 6

Its like Carl Sagan said. Of all the billions upon billions of stars out there,doesn't it make more sense that there would be some sort of life elsewhere other than on planet Earth?
I don't think it is arrogant to have doubt. Its good to question authority. But I think it is awfully conceded of us to think we are the only living inhabitants of the entire universe. Unless of course you believe in the god theory. Then you are a hopeless cause to begin with.

Answer 7

We will have a better understanding on your question come 2020. There are a couple of launches scheduled that nasa is claiming will uncover 50+ earthlike planets within our very own galaxy. If there is anything out there... we'll have a good idea by then.