Life in the universe....?

Question

Ok, so I've heard the universe is nearly infinite, so Ive been wondering.....If the universe ISN'T infinite, whats stopping it from being so. Also, if the universe is so big, you think that somewhere out there, there is another planet that contains human life? Im sure if the universe was infinite, there would be at least one planet containing life like ours.

Answer 1

There should be an "edge" to an expanding universe according to Big Bang theory - so dictionary definitions aside, we could be living in one of many mulitverses.

One important consideration in the ET debate that few lay people ever stop to consider is the time factor. Humans have only existed on Earth for 2-3 MILLION years, on a planet that is 4-5 BILLION years old in a universe that is 13.7 BILLION years old. It would have been impossible for any life forms to have started evolving any sooner than about 5 billion years after the Big Bang because one full generation of heavy mass stars/supernovae would have to pass for heavier elements like carbon and oxygen to even be in the mix. So, that leaves 8-9 billion years for evolution here and elsewhere. It has taken more than 4 billion years for sentient life to evolve on Earth (after being set back almost to zero several times by mass extinction events), and we have no idea how long it will last. It's just possible that intelligence elsewhere has already come and gone ... or maybe it's just happening now for the first time in this universe.

Answer 2

There is more than likely life out there but not human life. Just as no fingerprint is exactly alike I sincerely doubt life on different planets would be the same. I wonder if we would even recognize alien life if we saw it. What if instead of a carbon based life form some alien life form is Argon based. A creature like this just to remain solid would have to have evolved in the coldest regions of space in a human atmosphere they would simply turn to gas.

I tend to believe that the universe is infinite, if matter is constantly spreading apart it must be spreading into something. I mean is there any such thing as nearly infinite. Think about it by definition an infinite universe would be infinitely larger than one that is nearly infinite. It's like saying "I was nearly right".

P.S. I just read the above post and have to comment. I love the way people who have been on this planet for less than 100 years claim to know the will and desire of some make believe ultimate being. They mention the bible.....as if I'm gonna believe something written by people who thought the world was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth. Please, god is for weak minds. I don't even want to get started.

Answer 3

First of all, for clarification's sake... something can't be "nearly infinite".

Second of all, the only concept that prevents us from understanding the geometry of the universe is the mathematics behind it. Something does not have to be contained by something else to exist, this is a false human notion that arises from everyday experience.

Also, I would be willing to say that it is nearly impossible for any life forms to be even remotely human. The human life form has evolved distinctly on this planet, and to make the assumption that an identical system exists elsewhere is unreasonable.

We also have to take into account the fact that, whether or not life in the universe exists, the small window of time during which it exists is unlikely to allow any contact with ultrastellar forms of life... not to mention the distance constraints that would limit discovery of other life forms.

Answer 4

I think the best bet to find life like us or a planet like ours would be this. It would have to be a similar solar system as ours the sun would have to be about the same size and the distance from the sun would have too be very close to create all the elements the would create oxygen water life. But other lifeforms out there could adapt to a non oxygen atmosphere why not its crazy to think it science fiction

Answer 5

The odds against humans existing elsewhere is probably infinite. The universe is still expanding. Not into empty space that already exists, but into a nothing deeper than death.

Answer 6

The crux of your question hinges on the definition of the universe. It presumes that the number of stars and planets are infinite. It also presumes that life was started spontaneously. These presumptions make for bad science. Science is merely a discipline of methods that serve as a tool to explore what God has created. On the other hand, God may have created many life forms on other planets. It would be interesting to see how we would compare our knowledge of God with their knowledge of God. A person that is intellectually honest and reads of Jesus Christ as he is presented in the Gospels can only conclude that he is truly the son of God. If Aliens came to our planet, I believe they would be divided along the words of Christ just as humans are. The dilemma is that no one can come to Jesus unless God the Father draw him and no one can understand the bible unless it is given to them from God. Yet, to anyone that properly asks God for the truth, it will be given them. Many learned people reject this because it is beyond their experience and understanding. But, consider this: Many of the great men who have advanced scientific knowledge where rejected by the learned peers of their day. Logically, all truth is of God. In him there is no lie.

Answer 7

If you're interested, I would recommend a book that came out a few years ago and has forever changed debate on this topic: Rare Earth by Ward and Brownlee. The authors are a geologist and an astrobiologist. Whether you totally agree with their arguments or not, it is hands down *the* best book on the subject.

Answer 8

may be probable, but how do you defy the law of entropy, it takes energy to make life, no molecules like to make energy, they like to release, good luck, i'd like to see these Astro-Biological life forms, being from Biology major myself, always had a problem with that beginning thing of life, evolution, well may be possible, but random molecules coming together for life, don't want to sound counter, but some gap, to create, well i think you hominids better stick to Mr. Roboto LOL

see youtube.com if don't understand Mr. Roboto LOL

but all for the Convergence of Technology and Biology, my Goal Cyborg

But don't be too White and Nerdy, they'll hold it against you LOL

better stick with Wargames type LOL again i crack myself up, dang dawg
but shall soon Master biology and make what I, I mean we, want of It, like Star Wars lol first the robots (useless) then the clones of the good ones, right start, ever wonder why aliens depicted as looking same, but enough diversity to counteract extinction through random biological microbe infection, well even with aliens survival of the highest is that not the Mantra

Now we Fight who are the "Highest", better get it right, short time for us to prove then wormwood, ask Richard Dreyfuss

but by Hominid standards, highest will not always be defined correctly, need higher influence do you not, without regard to race, need help?, corruption is also a bad influence that must be rooted out, any corrupt, voted for Bush? (grin)

Answer 9

At my college we communicate approximately this each and every of the time. And the answer to the question is, we can by no skill know till we see the different existence. some human beings think of there is, and others do no longer think of so. however the actual question is, the place is the existence, and the place can we come across it despite if this is interior the area we expect of it may be.

Answer 10

life but the chances to be exactly like ours is extremely low, life but different