Why do so relatively few people believe in sentient extraterrestrial life?

Question

Absence of proof, is not proof of absence. Almost every star we see in the sky has multiple planets. Many of those planets have moons. The stars we see are only part of the universe. There are trillions of planets in the universe. Probability theory tells us that there's very likely sentient life on other planets. Why do so many people believe that in all the vastness of space, our little backwater planet is the only one with life? Why do so many scoff at the idea of extraterrestrials? If I led an alien race, I wouldn't WANT to meet our little screwed up species.

That's a good point Mata. To clarify, I'm not referring to the belief that they've been here. Just that it exists at all. Anywhere. Conspiracy theorists not included.

Answer 1

First of all, it wasn't until the last decade or so that we were even certain that there are planets outside our solar system. Before that, some people thought that planetary systems would be unusual. Without planets, life wouldn't be able to evolve.

Now we know that planets are fairly common, but many of those that we have found are way too close to their parent stars. This is almost certainly an artifact of the way that we find them in the first place, but the discovery of a planet that is in the 'habitable zone' around its parent star is very recent.

Next, even the estimate of how common life should be is hampered by two facts: first, that we have never seen any life off the earth and second, that we don't know how life on earth got started. Without either of these, it is essentially impossible to even have an educated guess about how common life should be.

Another consideration is what, exactly, you mean by life. On earth, bacteria appeared very quickly once the planet cooled, but multi-cellular life took another 3 billion years and intelligent life took another 5-700 million years. So even if bacterial life is common in the universe, multi-cellular life may not be, not to mention *intelligent* life.

The next question is how long we would expect intelligent life to survive. There are two thoughts on this: the first is that technological species have a tendency to destroy themselves. If you look at humans, we have only had radio for a century or so. At this time, we certainly have the power to destroy ourselves in various ways (nuclear weapons, environmental destruction, etc). If we suppose that a technological species can only last a thousand years or so, it is incredibly unlikely that there would be any overlap in the times when these species actually exist (remember that 1000 years is an instant compared to the billions of years that is available).

Finally, if we suppose that some species was actually able to avoid destroying itself, the technology should grow to the place that its effects would be obvious: manipulating stars for power, self-reproducing robots doing exploration, etc. Since we see nothing like this, the argument goes, we may actually be the first species to get to our level of technology.

The upshot is that people discount the possibility of *finding* another sentient race in our galaxy. The odds are just against it. But to find such a species in another galaxy is even less likely (because of the distances involved). We may very well be the only sentient form of life in our galaxy at this time.

Answer 2

i became raised Lutheran, and became taught that God created the Earth. despite if, i do no longer think of that inevitably capacity it is ALL He created. He could desire to genuinely have created existence on hundreds of alternative planets in His universe. Why might He purely positioned clever existence in this insignificant 'third rock from the solar'?? i do no longer see how believing in extraterrestrials conflicts with believing in God and the introduction of His Earth. i've got not seen a 'alien deliver' or 'extraterrestrial being', yet i've got self belief sooner or later they are going to arrive right here. genuinely, someplace, there must be existence it is greater clever and progressed than what we've right here on the earth (despite if fragile human egos won't enable maximum persons to even evaluate such a preposterous thought! we expect of we are the best, maximum suitable, maximum progressed ingredient in view that sliced bread!). examine "Alien schedule" by utilising Thomas Mann (i've got self belief it is his call). it is a finished thought on how UFOs, extraterrestrials, distant visitors, and different paranormal activiites all tie mutually. -RKO- 05/25/09

Answer 3

I suspect most people, if they think about it, will acknowledge the possibility. However, we have no evidence of it, and there's a good chance that without massive advances in communications or sensing, we could coexist with millions of other civilizations without being aware of them. What leads to the scoffing is the steady stream of questions here about extraterrestrial visitors, alien abductions, and what Silurians eat for breakfast.

Answer 4

I believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. What I don't believe is that they visit or have visited Earth and that they travel in UFO's, or that the government performs tests on them at Area 51, etc. I think that more people are likely to reject the tin-foil hat conspiracy theories, rather than the idea that they exist at all.

Answer 5

Well here's a break from the norm....I'll answer your question from the Christian point of view. My source is the Bible.
1.) In the beginning there were Adam and Eve....no where is it mentioned in the beginning there were Adam and Even and then on plant Quazar there is Rufus and Lydia.
2.) The flood destroyed the peoples of the earth and it's contents not saved on board the ark....God would have had to destroy all life created on all planets because "sin" entered into his creation so one rule would have applied to all species.
3.) In the Bible we Christians are given a task a lifes mission if you will to go and teach the world....if there were more to this world to teach God would have told us so.

So no there is not intelligent life on other plants. It's fun to make movies about and stretch because it's human kind's ego to believe that no we couldn't be that important that we are the only ones out there. Theories and beliefs such as aliens are part of this worlds tools to give humans a right of choice. You either believe in God and all that he teachs and believe that is whole and complete and good or you believe that the world is million upon millions of years old with aliens ready to suck out your brains on other plants and you decended from monkeys or some sluge out of the ocean. God gave us all freedom to choose our own paths......and yes I'm saying that it's not possible to believe in God and still believe in ALF.

Answer 6

Because people don't wanna believe in something as weird as that. And neither do I! And some people are sceptics and need to see it with their own eyes to believe

Answer 7

to believe in something we need proofs -what proofs do we have?if this proofs exist ...wherte are ithey? who hiding it?why?...i canot believe than in i can see.

Answer 8

ego mostly