Poll: Where is everyone?

Do you think that life exists elsewhere in the universe?

  • Yes there must be!

    Votes: 561 94.6%

  • Nope, we're all alone.

    Votes: 32 5.4%
  • Total voters
    593
If the human race wasnt obsessed with killing each other over imaginary sky gods or being slaves to corporate greed then we would probably have a good shot at finding life out there in an collective effort.

As it stands? doubt it. Whats sciences budget world wide compared to 'defence'?
 
Grandmaster Fap! said:
If the human race wasnt obsessed with killing each other over imaginary sky gods or being slaves to corporate greed then we would probably have a good shot at finding life out there in an collective effort.

As it stands? doubt it. Whats sciences budget world wide compared to 'defence'?
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I wonder if there is a race out in space which is aiming all of its efforts to finding other life, that'd be quite something.
 
Liquiduk said:
I wonder if there is a race out in space which is aiming all of its efforts to finding other life, that'd be quite something.
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Interesting: biologically speaking, there are organisms that have no clear natural lifespan or at the very least can survive for a very long time. Evolution progressing from such a root to an intelligent species, or an intelligent species using artificial means to enhance itself to the same effect, could traverse space in colony ships for aeons. However, this also limits us to surviving any extinction events long enough to be found.
 
Apsilon said:
Further to the question about life elsewhere though, there's a huge problem. Distance! If life does exist elsewhere and is intelligent, it's unlikely we'll ever know about them, nor they us. The distances are simply too vast. It's one thing sending signals to star systems within our local neighbourhood., i.e., 100ly's or so. It's entirely another receiving a signal back and thinking about getting there. We can't even get to a person to Mars yet so a star is out of the question. The Centauri stars are 4ly's away which in astronomical terms, is paltry and on current tech, would take anywhere from 30,000 - 70,000 years to get there, depending on which estimates you believe. Either way, that's not even in the realms of feasibility and it will remain that way until there is a serious technological breakthrough that can vastly reduce travel times in space to no more than a few decades to the nearest stars.

The sad reality is, whilst the galaxy may be teeming with life, we are to all intents and purposes completely and utterly alone and I seriously doubt we'll ever get out of the solar system, much less get to the stars.
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Yep, that's the crunch really. It's probably heaving with life out there, but we're never likely to make contact.

That said, I do think we'll get out of the solar system within a few generations. If you think about how far technology has come in just the last 100 years, from steam propulsion to where we are now, contemplating a manned mission to Mars.

There's bound to be a faster form of space travel yet to be discovered. Not Star Trek fast, but fast enough to at least get some probes out to the nearest stars and perhaps manned missions within our own solar system.
 
datalol-jack said:
Interesting: biologically speaking, there are organisms that have no clear natural lifespan or at the very least can survive for a very long time. Evolution progressing from such a root to an intelligent species, or an intelligent species using artificial means to enhance itself to the same effect, could traverse space in colony ships for aeons. However, this also limits us to surviving any extinction events long enough to be found.
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Are you talking about a life form that does not die?
 
This may be an immeasurably stupid question, but does an organism NEED to follow the Darwinian model in order to gain significant intelligence? Can something just... I dunno, HAVE intellect?
 
DrToffnar said:
This may be an immeasurably stupid question, but does an organism NEED to follow the Darwinian model in order to gain significant intelligence? Can something just... I dunno, HAVE intellect?
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On our planet that seems to be the way things are. Elsewhere in the universe, who knows, it could be "other evolutionary models are available".
 
DrToffnar said:
This may be an immeasurably stupid question, but does an organism NEED to follow the Darwinian model in order to gain significant intelligence? Can something just... I dunno, HAVE intellect?
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Statistically you're asking for the odds of a biological computer emerging from random conditions and interactions of precursor chemicals. A truly astronomical ask.
 
RaohNS said:
If its the report I think I've already seen that assumes a "earth like" biology.

Imagine the only way of experiencing death is by being killed.

Wonder what makes us die in a philosophical sense that is. Body degradation aside.
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Mental decay; though if you're ageing backwards, I'd imagine you'd just reincarnate/reboot inside an adult's body, having to re-learn skills and experience things anew just as a stroke victim would, for example. If you lose your prior knowledge and personality in the process, that's effectively death.
 
Does anyone else think it's slightly implausible that any creature with equal or increased intelligence in comparison to our own would be hostile? Surely there's some report out there that links empathy and understanding to increased intelligence.

Though saying that, I suppose the inevitable 'Singularity' sort of proves otherwise...

I shouldn't read threads like this. It makes my head hurt...
 
I'm sure someone has said it but....
Our civilisation has only been pumping out radio waVes for about 150 years and only looking for them for half that. Assuming we don't kill ourselves completely in the next 250 years that's only 400 years out of 10billion+ that we, a semi intelligent species, will be on the map to find others that evolved in a similar time frame to a similar level. Or greater to us.

It's incredibly small odds
 
Efour said:
I'm sure someone has said it but....
Our civilisation has only been pumping out radio waVes for about 150 years and only looking for them for half that. Assuming we don't kill ourselves completely in the next 250 years that's only 400 years out of 10billion+ that we, a semi intelligent species, will be on the map to find others that evolved in a similar time frame to a similar level. Or greater to us.

It's incredibly small odds
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It does seem ludicrous when you put it like that...
 
datalol-jack said:
Mental decay; though if you're ageing backwards, I'd imagine you'd just reincarnate/reboot inside an adult's body, having to re-learn skills and experience things anew just as a stroke victim would, for example. If you lose your prior knowledge and personality in the process, that's effectively death.
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You don't believe in the spirit then I take it?
 
DrToffnar said:
Does anyone else think it's slightly implausible that any creature with equal or increased intelligence in comparison to our own would be hostile? Surely there's some report out there that links empathy and understanding to increased intelligence.

Though saying that, I suppose the inevitable 'Singularity' sort of proves otherwise...

I shouldn't read threads like this. It makes my head hurt...
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I don't think xenopsychology exists; correct me if I'm wrong.

RaohNS said:
You don't believe in the spirit then I take it?
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'Spirit' as invariant information preserved indefinitely through a physical process might get some traction with me. Its theological incarnations, nope.
 
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datalol-jack said:
I don't think xenopsychology exists; correct me if I'm wrong.



'Spirit' as invariant information preserved indefinitely through a physical process might get some traction with me. Its theological incarnations, nope.
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I do believe in an essence within us (spirit/soul). Had quite an experience once with a former pet that made the hairs on my neck stand up.

Your memories may stay with your brain and die on departure.
 
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