2007-07-15 22:39:42 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The word "civilization" makes this question very hard to respond to.
You presume that life forms on some distant life bearing planet will have humanoid life forms similar or identical to ours, and you presume that they have evolved on an identical time scale to the one that occurred here on Earth.
I do not feel that those assumptions are valid.
In the case of the Earth, we have a planet which is 4 to 5 Billion Years old. In that total amount of time, human life forms have been in, shall we say, a highly intelligent period, for about the last 200 years. Why that is just an eye blink in the 4 to 5 Billion year history of the Earth.
So, what makes you think that when we locate earthlike planets elsewhere in the Universe, that planet, or those planets, will be discovered within the exact moment of the teeny eyeblink that intelligent human life might develop?
In my view, those earthlike planets would more likely have encountered a totally different set of circumstances and influences over their lifetimes, and the path of evolution there might have taken many different routes and branches.
Life forms there might be intelligent worms, intelligent fish, intelligent insects, or highly intelligent birds. The chances of finding "people" with brick and steel cities, iPods, X Boxes, Cable TV, and Subways is extremely remote. Indeed, life forms on the distant planet might have evolved into very intelligent species and then been totally wiped out by some huge event or terrible disease thousands of years ago. I really don't think we will find a distant planet civilization which has Windows XP, EMail, or Channel 9 Television.
2007-07-16 00:40:20 · answer #1 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
At the most optimistic, there is a fairly remote, but non-zero possibility that Alpha Centaury A has an undetected habitable terrestial planet in a stable orbit.
So, at a rather improbable most optimistic, about 4 light years. And it'd likely be a pre-technological civilization, because we haven't heared from them yet.
2007-07-16 02:10:30 · answer #2 · answered by The Arkady 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It seems illogical to think that we're the only ones. I'm a Christian, and there is no evidence of another civilization in the scriptures, but if the cosmos literally has no boundaries, then I feel it is very likely that another civilization exists. How far from us?? Light years. Perhaps hundreds of light years. And there is no evidence that they would be more advanced than us, so it is highly unlikely that we'll ever meet.
2007-07-15 22:48:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
just in our galaxy alone, 10,000 planet like bodies have been discovered. Some are so close to their parent sun that life seems impossible. Others are so far away, that the cold would not allow for life to exist, or maybe in bacterium form. On Earth, life was not supposed to exist on the bottom of the Oceans, not until they sent down that submarine and discovered life teaming around thermal vents. possibly the most extreme case for doubts, but one which has been proven wrong. So out their, in our Galaxy at least 1% of the 10,000 must have a civilisation. Not as we know it, it could be an emerging one, but none the less, a civilisation.
2007-07-15 22:54:23 · answer #4 · answered by Old Man of Coniston!. 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Neither the mountains, the oceans, the deserts or the forests. yet we can't be helpful in the event that they call us or no longer. consistent with threat they call us the devils or something like that. As for the persons living close to rivers and not conversing with different human beings, it could have been basically a happening. no longer a established rule.
2016-11-09 10:50:31 · answer #5 · answered by oppie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello,
(ANS) Your question cannot really be answered, why? because no! nearest civilization has been discovered yet.
**If intelligent life was ever discovered and we were able to make contact with them, it would be the single biggest discovery of ALL TIME!! the biggest discovery of the entire human race.
**The problem remains that even if or when we find life else where in the cosmos the sheer distances involved mean:
a) we would be unable to communicate easily with them assuming they have communications, even if they were only 1 light year away. It would take for ever to talk with them. Space and time would delay any communication.
b) even if they have communication systems there is absolutely no guarantee we would be able to understand or make sense of them.
c) as humans cannot even travel one light year across space and return safely, I think its going to take some time before we can travel to visit our nearest cosmic neighbors even if they did exist.
Ivan
2007-07-16 05:58:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
depends on how advanced the hypothetical civilization is. If they were at the tech stage we were 2000 years ago, they could be within 10-20 light years. If they were at the stage we are, within 100 light years or so.
2007-07-16 00:18:04 · answer #7 · answered by llloki00001 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
many galaxies away, but they might be on a different time altogether example: they may be able to get to us quicker by the way they communicate im not sure these are just flying off the top of my head, it's early here in michigan lol no coffee or diet coke yet, hope this helped but i doubt it did, sorry!
2007-07-16 03:21:17 · answer #8 · answered by Elizabeth (the jewish princess) 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We know that they are dotted all over the universe and in our galaxy.
Anything could block a signal from them
It they are within 100 light years we may one day receive a signal from them but we may never get proof that they exist.
2007-07-16 00:49:08 · answer #9 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We have had no contact "unless you believe in aliens" and there must be planets full of life more advanced than ourselves, Answer "too far to travel to or from,
2007-07-15 23:54:15 · answer #10 · answered by Chris 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋