I want to Believe

[Turn2]

I'd heard an argument recently that we've been to Mars several times, but never with humans stepping foot on the red planet. Similarly, it would make sense that we would be visited by unpiloted drones that are collecting data. And without pilots, an autonomous vehicle is not limited by the biology of its creator - g forces, lifespan, life support requirements, etc. It's only limited by the properties of the materials.

There are some credible arguments that Oumuamua is alien technology.

Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He's Not Kidding

In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Cyclonepride]

I tend to agree.

One thing is for sure, and others have said it better. If we find even basic life elsewhere, it means it is probably EVERYWHERE. And if we look and look and look and don't find it anywhere, that mean we (and the Earth) are incomprehensibly rare and special.

Either way, the implications are infinitely important. Other than having God show up and say "hi kids", I'm not sure what else could be more profound to human existence.

We could look and look and look for decades (or centuries) and still not change the odds that we are alone by more than a decimal point. The universe is just that vast, and our capacity to explore it is tiny.

 

[Turn2]

We could look and look and look for decades (or centuries) and still not change the odds that we are alone by more than a decimal point. The universe is just that vast, and our capacity to explore it is tiny.

That's a ridiculous assertion when we can see for 13 billion years plus and will soon have the capability to detect environmental pollution on exoplanets.

NASA Study: To Find an Extraterrestrial Civilization, Pollution Could Be the Solution - NASA

If there’s an advanced extraterrestrial civilization inhabiting a nearby star system, we might be able to detect it using its own atmospheric pollution,

www.nasa.gov

 

[WalkingCY]

They're Made of Meat



We don't have the faintest concept or grasp of what type of intelligent life could be out in the cosmos.

 

[besserheimerphat]

That's a ridiculous assertion when we can see for 13 billion years plus and will soon have the capability to detect environmental pollution on exoplanets.

NASA Study: To Find an Extraterrestrial Civilization, Pollution Could Be the Solution - NASA

If there’s an advanced extraterrestrial civilization inhabiting a nearby star system, we might be able to detect it using its own atmospheric pollution,

www.nasa.gov

This would help us find civilizations that are roughly at our level of development. I'd guess that any civilization that is sufficiently advanced beyond us will have already figured out either how to leave the polluted planet, or how to live practically pollution free.

 

[20eyes]

Not sure if you just missed it, but we have been. Multiple ones, confirmed by the Pentagon, tracked on instruments. Complete with visual evidence through video taken by the Naval pilots.

The 60 Minutes segment on this tonight was great by the way. I recommend everyone check it out. They don’t have an explanation, but they are definitely real. If these crafts were actually made here on Earth... well I actually find that possibility more disconcerting. That would man one of our rivals has developed aerospace technology for superior to the United States military.

It was great...but I couldn't help but think, "so what?". I mean, engagement with extraterrestrial beings would be the most significant thing to ever happen but clearly if they're here (or their vehicles are) they don't seem super interested in us. And we're quite obviously here and we quite obviously have technology. If the Mars rover or helicopter spotted a Model T Ford cruising around Mars I'm pretty sure Nasa, Space X, and every other space agency there is would stop what they're doing and start planning an engagement mission. Who knows, maybe it's coming.

I sure hope that thing they saw in the ocean wasn't testing the water to see if they want to come back and exterminate us and take it for fuel / food... If they've been to Ames, we're doomed.

 

[Cyclonepride]

That's a ridiculous assertion when we can see for 13 billion years plus and will soon have the capability to detect environmental pollution on exoplanets.

NASA Study: To Find an Extraterrestrial Civilization, Pollution Could Be the Solution - NASA

If there’s an advanced extraterrestrial civilization inhabiting a nearby star system, we might be able to detect it using its own atmospheric pollution,

www.nasa.gov

I'm talking about confirmation. We can speculate that the conditions might be right, or that the atmosphere could have been polluted by, but that's speculation until it is confirmed

 

[cyhiphopp]

The poll options are not exactly accurate as to what the point of this thread is.

There could be planets teeming with microscopic life, or even multicellular organisms. That doesn't mean that life is capable of interstellar or intergalactic flight.

UFOs may exists, but that doesn't mean they are automatically extra terrestrials. We just don't know what they are.

The chances that there is life on other planets in all of the galaxies in our universe is probably 100%. The chance that that life is advanced enough to travel through galaxies is much lower.

 

[Turn2]

I'm talking about confirmation. We can speculate that the conditions might be right, or that the atmosphere could have been polluted by, but that's speculation until it is confirmed

How many naturally occuring PCBs or Freon molecules exist in the universe as we know it now? Those are just a couple examples that could give US away.

 

[Cyclonepride]

How many naturally occuring PCBs or Freon molecules exist in the universe as we know it now? Those are just a couple examples that could give US away.

Right, and it is speculative, and could reveal to a degree of certainty whether a planet is likely to be inhabited by living things. If you think that is going to be the world changing "we found life!", good for you.

 

[Turn2]

Right, and it is speculative, and could reveal to a degree of certainty whether a planet is likely to be inhabited by living things. If you think that is going to be the world changing "we found life!", good for you.

Science is mundane, until it isn't.

 

[BryceC]

Yep. We are one for one. It seems kinda ridiculous to believe that none of the other billions (maybe more) of planets or moons in this situation developed life.

Where are all the aliens?

The universe is incredibly old, astoundingly vast and populated by trillions of planets -- so where are all the aliens? Astronomer Stephen Webb has an explanation: we're alone in the universe. In a mind-expanding talk, he spells out the remarkable barriers a planet would need to clear in order...

www.ted.com

I believe it’s possible there is other intelligent life out there, I just think it’s very unlikely. I think the chance that they have come here in spacecraft to be functionally zero.

 

[CYCLNST8]

Despite the abundance of stars, the existence of habitable planets is still rare, and the possibility of intelligent life developing on said planets even rarer.

That being said I'm sure they're out there and capable of taking "shortcuts" when traveling between the stars. We humans have only just begun regulating our negative impact on other species. I'd bet other advanced civilizations have of course noticed our development and for the most part honor a "hands-off" policy of strictly observation but no intervention until we grow up a little. At this point we're probably not worth the effort.

 

[agrabes]

Something that was said on the CW Podcast is interesting to me. A lot of the "true believers" in UFOs and other supernatural stuff think that either you are in with UFOs or you're a jerk who thinks that everyone who believes is either lying or crazy. CW himself was saying that. I don't really think that's true though.

In reality, yes there are a lot of people who have lied about this stuff or could be diagnosed with some kind of mental illness. I think even most UFO enthusiasts would agree with that. But not everyone is lying or crazy. There are a lot of people out there who have had legitimate experiences with things they don't understand or can't explain. However, the key gap that is missing from the "true believer" mindset is that just because you've seen something that you can't explain does not mean that it is a sign of Aliens, or Ghosts, or anything else really existing. It just means you've seen something that you can't explain. The human mind plays tricks on us. People tend to see want to see things that make sense to them. There's a phenomenon called Pariedolia that explains this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia. So if you think ghosts are real, if you hear a weird noise in your house you're going to think it's a ghost. Even if a better explanation is out there, you sincerely believe that a ghost is the best explanation. You're not lying and you're not crazy, you're just mistaken.

This accounts (imo) for 99% of all UFO and supernatural encounters. But there are a small percentage of things out there which are truly unexplained. I think the most likely explanation is just that we don't know enough about science to explain certain naturally occurring events. But there's that extremely small chance that it really could be aliens.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I don't see how there couldn't be other life out there. But for it to line up perfectly in our timeline?

I mean, modern humans have only been around for a few thousand years, and the Earth is 4.5 billion years old? The universe is 14 billion years old? If you laid out the age of the universe on a city block, the "human" piece wouldn't be able to be seen with the naked eye.

So their historical timeline would have to line up with ours? Seems unlikely. Maybe there's some Alien dinosaurs or bacteria or something out there.

 

[demoncore1031]

I won’t believe anything until I see an Alien with my own eyes. I don’t trust any of these grainy videos. Same thing with ghosts. I used to watch those dumb ghost hunting shows until they always “just missed it with the camera” or trying to say a piece of dust is an orb. Won’t believe any of it until an ET looking creature slaps me in the face. Yes its possible, but until I see it with my own eyes I don’t believe any of these videos. They are too easily staged or faked.

Are you an Athiest? Just curious.

I am almost obsessed with aliens/UFOs. Such an interesting subject. I spend probably way too much time studying the subject.

 

[CloneIce]

I don't see how there couldn't be other life out there. But for it to line up perfectly in our timeline?

I mean, modern humans have only been around for a few thousand years, and the Earth is 4.5 billion years old? The universe is 14 billion years old? If you laid out the age of the universe on a city block, the "human" piece wouldn't be able to be seen with the naked eye.

So their historical timeline would have to line up with ours? Seems unlikely. Maybe there's some Alien dinosaurs or bacteria or something out there.

Bingo, aligning the timelines, and the technology for interstellar travel is the hard part.

I also gotta add, when people are questioning if aliens are “out there” based on us detecting them so far... they are limiting themselves to just very advanced civilizations on the right timeline with us with recognizable and detectable technology.. and limiting the criteria to just a small part of our own galaxy. That is a far, far cry from the question of whether there is other life out there.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

12 Billion + years of universe. No possible way we are the only thing out there.

 

[NorthCyd]

I won’t believe anything until I see an Alien with my own eyes. I don’t trust any of these grainy videos. Same thing with ghosts. I used to watch those dumb ghost hunting shows until they always “just missed it with the camera” or trying to say a piece of dust is an orb. Won’t believe any of it until an ET looking creature slaps me in the face. Yes its possible, but until I see it with my own eyes I don’t believe any of these videos. They are too easily staged or faked.

I agree for the most part, but when you have very credible sources like decorated military pilots and now a former president of the United States saying we have documented evidence of UFOs out there its kind of hard to ignore. There are totally unexplained phenomena flying around out there. That is not in question anymore.

 

[NWICY]

They're Made of Meat



We don't have the faintest concept or grasp of what type of intelligent life could be out in the cosmos.

I never knew Gronk did movies.