Intelligent life elsewhere? Do you agree with this?

Question

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Do you think they are all just laughing they're as.ses off at us?

Smile and have a good day!
: )

Answer 1

I saw this same concept somewhere else recently. It went along the lines of: how do you interact with other life forms that you regard as insignificant given that if they could regard you, you would appear god-like?

It was summarized beautifully like this:

'...When you find a colony of ants, do you bend down real close and say "take me to your leader" or do you just think "ew.. ants!" and walk away...'

Answer 2

Consider that the earth is so small, and the universe is so big.

I am relatively optimistic that we will discover life on another planet within my lifetime. Consider that studies in exo-planets have yielded over 200 planets outside of our own solar system, and some of them are in the prime position to test for atmospheric composition. We've found water vapor in the atmospheres of a few, but a high level of oxygen content would be evidence of photosynthesis, like what we see in plants on Earth. That's one sign that life exists elsewhere, based on the assumption that it will copy earth processes.

So I think we'll eventually find that we are not alone. But considering the Fermi Paradox and that organisms capable of radio astronomy only emerged once in Earth's evolutionary history (us), I don't think it's at all likely that there are a lot of civilizations in our galaxy - we may be alone.

Considering the billions of galaxies out there (stick a grain of sand on the night sky -- there are ten thousand galaxies in that single patch of black), I find it hard to imagine that there is not far more out there that we haven't even tapped into yet. The only hard thing is that we may never be able to see, reach, or to discover any other forms of intelligent life. The universe is just too big, and we are on a mote of dust revolving around a tiny star. There have been no signs of life elsewhere -- we don't even know how to define life elsewhere, because it may be radically different from our own.

Make no mistake, even if life is everywhere in our universe,
there will never be anywhere quite like Earth.


Here's the information on exo-planets and atmospheric studies:

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_life.html

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Absence_Of_Water_In_Distant_Exo_Planet_Atmosphere_Surprises_Astronomers_999.html

http://stars5.netfirms.com/exopla.htm


http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/extrasolar_atmosphere_011127-1.html

Answer 3

If it exists then let them live in peace. May be that they don’t want any contact with hell.

To be serious, I don’t agree or disagree but I have a Point that there is a strong possibility of existence of intelligent life out in distant space.
Number one: - Intelligent life exists on this planet, and we are a fraction of, and are not yet in the know of the whole universe.
Number Two: - It has never tried to contact us is not a conclusive statement. Are we not searching for them in outer space with no success so far? Likewise, it is possible that they might be doing the same with no result so far.

Answer 4

Absolutely. I agree.

PS Dumbstruck at 'Lion Of Judah's' awesome knowledge about abducto- demons preaching evil theism.

"But suffice it to say, that I confirm the findings that those who experience UFO phenomena are very often involved in the occult. This is alarming and a major warning.
My conclusion is that the UFO phenomena is occultic in origin and demonically based."

Hmmm. I'm not getting that leap of faith conclusion. How about those people are superstitious nutbars and get into occult and UFOs in the same way that those type of people also get into Jesus or Islam or Scientology? The y need supersition in their lives, it makes them feel important. It's very simple psychology. Delusion is very tempting if you think you are in touch with a higher intelligence.

Delusion isn't 'demons' and the Earth isn't flat. Snakes don't talk and lizardoids aren't controlling people's brains.

Answer 5

Like the song at the end of Monty Python's 'The Meaning of Life' says:

'Pray that there's some intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'cause there's bugger all down here on earth!'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn5tqvIybTU

Answer 6

It's more a case of how would they contact us. Apart from regular pickups of rednecks for anal probing, it doesn't appear to have happened yet. Which might be because any signals are going to take a long, long time to get here. We've been broadcasting for what, about 150 years, tops? At the speed of light, and assuming a perfect signal, we've achieved coverage of a tiny fraction of the spiral arm of the galaxy we're in.

Answer 7

Yes. Absolutely.

Answer 8

Lol! Have you ever seen that movie Contact with Jodie Foster? About 3 years ago when i was in 11th grade..we were required to watch it..it's about life being out there..and the one quote that i still remember from that movie is:

"Do you think there's life outside of this planet?" "If not, it's an awful big waste of space"
So, i believe there MAY be...but the quote you mentioned was hilarious...lol =]

Answer 9

They are too busy continuing the war of terror against Hindus and Bovine to worry about the rest of us.

Answer 10

it probably has more to do with the vast and impossible to cross distances between galaxies that would make any life outside of our galaxy impossible to reach.

as for inside our galaxy...well, the chances of intelligent life in our very galaxy are INFINITELY less likely than when talking about the entire universe.