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- Napoleone, on 11/14/2007, -7/+131Believing alien life exists does not necessarily require seeing, and it certainly doesn't require faith. It's just a matter of deduction, probability, and simple reasoning.
Think for a moment of the things you accept as true without the benefit of having seen them with your own eyes. You very likely accept the fact that not all life on Earth has been discovered. Although you have no tangible proof of that, you have an intuitive understanding of mathematical probability and an idea of what the limitations on exploration are. You probably accept as true that there are more stars in the Universe than there are grains of sand on Earth, but in reality, no one's ever really counted them. We see far off galaxies, most too far for our satellites to define, and we just assume they're composed of hundreds of billions of stars, just like our Milky Way is (never counted those either). It's a sound assumption, for sure. But an assumption nonetheless. What I'm trying to convince you of is that mathematical probability can be just as strong a proof as observation, which is itself limited by perception.
Now, what do we know about life that might help us get a better grasp on the alien question? Well, for starters, we know there's life on Earth. We're not exactly sure how it came about, but most of us are convinced it wasn't by way of magic. We believe it had much, if not everything to do with the composition and solar proximity of our planet. We know that each Earthly life-form adapts to its respective environment, and we suspect they evolve in order to better compete with their rivals. We know our world has at times been uninhabited, inhabited, uninhabited, and inhabited again. We know there are great extinctions and new births. And we know, eventually, our planet will die.
There is not one single aspect of our planet, that makes life as we know it possible -- i.e. vulcanism, atmosphere, water, carbon, etc. -- that we have not yet detected on another planet. I'm talking about the basic ingredients, not the recipe. So we have to ask ourselves two questions: Are these the only ingredients to life?, and, is our particular recipe for life the only one capable of rising in a solar oven? If we presume both to be the case, we must then ask a third question: In a Universe of at least 100 billion galaxies (each with some 200 billion stars), and tens of trillions of planets; what are the likely odds of a recipe similar to ours repeating itself? For that matter, what are the odds of Venus' recipe repeating itself? What are the odds for that of Jupiter, or that of Mars? How about Mercury? Is Neptune a one per galaxy anomaly? Are all planets in the Universe unique?
If you're like me, you're likely to conclude that the odds of our "recipe" type repeating itself are just as good as those of any other planet. But, the matter of whether or not alien life has come upon Earth is still debatable. I'm personally convinced that it has. But I don't believe that that topic can be seriously broached without more people first coming to terms with the all-too-probable existence of life outside our own world. - Singh1, on 11/14/2007, -10/+63Somehow I doubt we are alone in the world and if there are other life forms on other planets, UFO's dont seem that far fetched. Another case of the authorities thinking they know what is best for us and keeping us in the dark
- anachronox0666, on 11/14/2007, -0/+51This always reminds me of an old cartoon I saw.
There were 2 bugs sitting in the grass talking, and one says to the other "Do you think life like ours exists on other lawns?" Its all about perspective, we are just to small to see it all right now. - satanatnmtedu, on 11/14/2007, -8/+56UFO = Unidentified Flying Object
UFO!=ET - heaintheavy, on 11/14/2007, -4/+46Simple explanation, really. "Aliens" are really time-traveling Earthlings from the distant future. That is what we are evolving to look like... eyes getting bigger, brains getting larger, ears getting smaller, no need for muscles, etc.
Oh, and the crack I am smoking is quite good. - jmcorro, on 11/14/2007, -2/+43I don't see how you can infer what an extraterrestrial race is capable of based on what WE'RE capable of.
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -1/+37If you want to see UFOs: go to Mongolia and spend a few nights in the mountains. Northern Quebec is also a good spot.
Also, if you see a UFO, report it to local authorities and keep your mouth shut in social situations. - damnitdaniel, on 11/14/2007, -5/+37Yeah, I doubt we're alone in the world too.
- melophobia07, on 11/14/2007, -4/+32From my friends uncle (an ex-CIA executive): "If you knew what I knew, you would believe in aliens too"
- pseudostatik, on 11/14/2007, -1/+28So somewhere out there Zaphod Beeblebrox is zipping around in the Heart of Gold, driven by the Improbability Drive?
- Crimsoneer, on 11/14/2007, -14/+41Whilst us being alone in the universe is pretty much impossible, the probability of us actually encountering another lifeform anytime is also nigh on impossible statistically. The universe is pretty damn big, and we can't even travel to Mars yet.
- Nightlie, on 11/14/2007, -3/+23Lol existential crisis solved: We are cultured organisms under the watch of these higher beings which entrapped us into this microcosm called earth (via gravity) making us believe that we are the only life on this universe. Our limited resources (telescopes and astronauts) to explore beyond our limits prevent us from understanding our purpose here thus we resort to religion and other various beliefs to fill this void which engulfs us once in a while with fear of uncertainty and uselessness
- Crazymaniacc, on 11/14/2007, -5/+25βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ - seandaly, on 11/14/2007, -8/+27Speak for yourself buddy... I for one believe that all life (and matter) in this universe was elegantly designed by an omnipotent invisible dude.
(/sarcasm just in case) - Nickbc87, on 11/13/2007, -0/+18I guess you missed out then.
- DiggasWAttitude, on 11/14/2007, -0/+17um.... the human race started evolving at the beginning of the Universe? No, I don't follow so far.
- seandaly, on 11/14/2007, -0/+17Ummm, WE have flying craft... Why is it impossible to fathom the idea that if life sprang up somewhere else in the galaxy, that they couldn't achieve the same or more than we have?
- gerbco, on 11/13/2007, -0/+16Why go the New World? Why go to Alaska? Why climb Mt. Everest. Why make a smaller chip every 18 months? I think he was just emphasizing out lack of knowledge and ability to get to closest planet, never mind the rest of the solar system, galaxy, universe.
- ophello, on 11/14/2007, -1/+17Too dumb, cannot comprehend.
- norman619, on 11/14/2007, -1/+17That's a classic logical mistake people like that guy make. It's similar to the sun revolves around the earth kind of thinking. There is no logic to thinking we are among the highest technologically evolved civs in the galaxy, let alone the universe. It smacks of human ego and arrogance.
- ophello, on 11/14/2007, -2/+17The sad thing about extraordinary proof is that, when we get it, we dont believe it. A few good people try to explain the proof or people with first hand experience come forward. The result? "We don't want your proof, it's not real".
The irony is sickening. - Narrator, on 11/14/2007, -0/+15You know maybe the aliens don't really care that much about us. They are just keeping regular tabs on us. The stop by every once and a while to make sure we don't do anything stupid. They're like rangers driving around in a jeep coming buy to make sure the monkeys are doing ok and aren't about to invade the neighboring villages. Every once in a while they get out of the jeep and come and pet one, tag it, try to talk to it and then get back in the jeep and drive back home.
- norman619, on 11/13/2007, -0/+14I love it. You haven't a clue what they guy knows yet you think you can say he doesn't know anything. Nice.
- moskaudancer, on 11/14/2007, -0/+14Straight from Wiki:
"The basic timeline is a 4.6 billion year old Earth, with (very approximately):
* 4 billion years of simple cells (prokaryotes),
* 3 billion years of photosynthesis,
* 2 billion years of complex cells (eukaryotes),
* 1 billion years of multicellular life,
* 600 million years of simple animals,
* 570 million years of arthropods (ancestors of insects, arachnids and crustaceans)
* 550 million years of complex animals
* 500 million years of fish and proto-amphibians,
* 475 million years of land plants,
* 400 million years of insects and seeds,
* 360 million years of amphibians,
* 300 million years of reptiles,
* 200 million years of mammals,
* 150 million years of birds,
* 130 million years of flowers,
* 65 million years since the non-avian dinosaurs died out and
* 2 million years since humans started looking like they do today."
"The age of the universe, in physics, is the time elapsed between the Big Bang and the present day. Current observations suggest that this is about 13.7 billion years, with an uncertainty of about +/-200 million years."
So, no, human the race did NOT start evolving at the beginning of the universe. In fact, comparing the age of the human species with the history of life on Earth is akin to comparing one second to one twenty-four hour day. We've been around for the blink of an eye compared to the universe we're a part of. - rey1867, on 11/14/2007, -0/+14 We have no proof, But if we extrapolate, based on the best information we have available to us, we have to come to the conclusion that ... other life probably exists out there and perhaps in many places...
Neil Armstrong, Oct 21, 1999. - br0ken1128, on 11/14/2007, -0/+13Your statement is full of assumptions .. all we have about the origins of the universe are theory .. and even with that, humans didn't appear on earth until the earth had already been supporting life for millions of years.. (dinosaurs.. etc) .. You also assume that all living creatures anywhere in the universe evolved the same way we have.. and at the same pace .. who knows what conditions are like elsewhere .. maybe we evolved horribly slow in comparison to other life forms? .. maybe we're the sloths of the universe...
- ophello, on 11/14/2007, -2/+14We're infants. The universe is incredibly old (and probably a lot older than we think).
There isnt enough room in your imagination to extrapolate that they are here? Oh, i know: its because if they're here, they simply HAVE to let us know about it via television! Since they arent doing that, they arent here!
Do I need to explain how bad your reasoning is, or can you see it now? - orxor, on 11/14/2007, -1/+12No dude. We go extinct, asians are the only ones that survive. After the US economy gets destroyed the Chinese take over the world. Nostradamus predicted this when he was talking about Ghengis Khan or his descendants or whatever. So anyway after the nuclear war the Chinese win and the develop the technology to travel back in time in the year 7723, but actual missions back to our time don't start until 8854 that's because real aliens visit us for the first time in 7729 at which point the intergalactic war begins. After defeating the aliens the Chinese (now referred to just as "Humans") go back in time and first kill Kennedy and then again in 2000 they rig the US presidential election which causes the downturn in our economy. Duh!
heaintheavy, here's your pipe back. - br0ken1128, on 11/14/2007, -1/+12I disagree .. our ability to travel over great distances is kind of irrelevant .. there is a good chance that other intelligent civilizations have greater technology than we do .. which means we don't have to find them, they can find us .. and they may have already
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -0/+11heres a video from the conference. this air force official tells about seeing a ufo in paris
http://flix55.com/watch/7upfVPB736l/JeffSayYes
I dont know, I really have a hard time believing this stuff, but when a military official talks about it, rather than some moron from pudunktown, it gives it a bit more legitimacy. - br0ken1128, on 11/14/2007, -0/+10Just because we can't travel faster than light does not mean some other life form can't .. our understanding of science is based on what we can and cannot do in tests we ourselves have created.. while we probably have it right most of the time, there's no way to know what some other alien race knows.
- TheAncient79, on 11/14/2007, -1/+11There are just too many quality eyewitnesses to pretend that nothing is going on.
- norman619, on 11/14/2007, -1/+10Religion has done you a great disservice.
- WayOfWolf, on 11/14/2007, -1/+10I hadn't known that our speed limitations in space travel were the standard across the universe.
- webcrumb, on 11/14/2007, -0/+9Yeah, because he knew it was going to fly off in 45 minutes as he was stood there...
- norman619, on 11/14/2007, -0/+9You haven't a clue what the CIA or other secretive agencies for that matter are actually involved with. You are, as they say. talking out of your ass.
- mb3581, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8I am glad that other nations are starting to get involved with space research and travel. I can't wait to see what the next 30 years will uncover.
- Laxaloot, on 11/14/2007, -2/+10*****, its a bomb! everyone get out, there are terrorists on digg!!!!!!
ok im done. - glasnostic, on 11/13/2007, -0/+8I think about this one a lot. When it comes down to it, though we may be ***** all over this planet, we are hands down, the best and only thing this planetβs life has produced that could save it from a catastrophic collision. Also, we are the best chance for our planetβs life to expand beyond this planet, this solar system, maybe even this galaxy.
We should be sending seed pods of micro organisms and proteins in every direction in space.
Itβs time to move beyond simple growth and onto procreation. - norman619, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9Reason isn't ignoring the obvious. Our understanding of the physical universe is pretty damn lacking. It's not far fetched to think there are others out there who can do what we mistakenly believe is the impossible. Things we do today here on earth were thought to be impossible only a thousand years ago.
- insllvn, on 11/14/2007, -4/+12Actually the CIA knows a lot about aliens, not as much as the Air Force I'll grant you , but enough. For example did you know aliens shot JFK?
- bowens44, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8Kucinich said nothing about believing in aliens or believing that the object that he saw was extraterrestrial.
- REsplin, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8Great post, similar arguments to popular youtube video about Hubble Deep Field
"The Most Important Image Ever Taken"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcBV-cXVWFw - polyGone, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7wait wait...let me answer....because digg is full of "commie liberal hippies"!!
- proliance, on 11/14/2007, -0/+7By his accounts, he took two rolls of 35mm film. The pictures have never been released to the public.
- jj101, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7Maybe they came to say hi, then they were surrounded by guys with guns in a forest and thought " ***** this for a bag of chips, we're off!"
Then again, maybe not. - bowens44, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6You might as well not read anything.
- g30ph, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6Do you think fish are aware of people? Could they prove to each other that we are real? No, but they are constantly being pulled out of their world never to be seen again by their friends and family.
I'm assuming if an alien race is visiting us, they are so far advanced that it's possible we aren't even aware of them. We are like insects to them.
Or maybe we aren't being visited by anyone. Or maybe they are humans from the future. Or another dimension or alternate reality.
Maybe I'm the only one here and you are all figments.
/cue twilight zone theme. - br0ken1128, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7I had to respond - Using your own tone .. how the hell do you know what the CIA is involved with? How do you know what they care about? Have you broken in and read all their case files? have you seen a list of their projects? do you have the top level clearance as well as the "need to know" that goes along with it? .. While it's true his friend's uncle may know jack about Aliens (as far as official cia business is concerned) .. you don't know jack about what he knows.. so shush
- mushoo, on 11/13/2007, -0/+6"I however cannot think of a good reason why if aliens did visit this planet they wouldnt show themselfs."
I can think of one. Just look at the way we treat each other and everything around us. -
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