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Sorry...intentionally didn't leave a maybe or a probably or anything like that. But do feel free to post and elaborate.
Yes, it's time for a new poll Outer space life!
#1
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Posted 2009-April-02, 07:16
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C. It's the nexus of the crisis and the origin of storms.
IV: ace 333: pot should be game, idk
e: "Maybe God remembered how cute you were as a carrot."
Call me Desdinova...Eternal Light
C. It's the nexus of the crisis and the origin of storms.
IV: ace 333: pot should be game, idk
e: "Maybe God remembered how cute you were as a carrot."
#2
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Posted 2009-April-02, 07:44
I think there is.
There are millions of solar systems/planets extremely similar to Earth, and I think that there is an extremely high chance that one of these are inhabited... Maybe not by Intelligent life forms, but we have to give it a few billion years. Even other moons in our solar system have been shown to have ice or water on them. Also, not only are there planets with ice and water on them, but they are at a relatively safe distance from the star in their solar system, and could, if the conditions were right, support life. I don't see any way to really explore this in the near future, but hopefully in my lifetime we'll make some progress on this. After all, what evidence do we have to prove the contrary? and NO I don't believe all the "alien" sightings.
P.S. I am willing to bet that this will turn into a 30 page discussion about evolution AGAIN
There are millions of solar systems/planets extremely similar to Earth, and I think that there is an extremely high chance that one of these are inhabited... Maybe not by Intelligent life forms, but we have to give it a few billion years. Even other moons in our solar system have been shown to have ice or water on them. Also, not only are there planets with ice and water on them, but they are at a relatively safe distance from the star in their solar system, and could, if the conditions were right, support life. I don't see any way to really explore this in the near future, but hopefully in my lifetime we'll make some progress on this. After all, what evidence do we have to prove the contrary? and NO I don't believe all the "alien" sightings.
P.S. I am willing to bet that this will turn into a 30 page discussion about evolution AGAIN
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#3
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Posted 2009-April-02, 07:53
Mos def.
If you lose all hope, you can always find it again -- Richard Ford in The Sportswriter
#4
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Posted 2009-April-02, 08:08
Very likely. The huge distances make contacts difficult though.
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The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
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Posted 2009-April-02, 08:18
If not, that would be a terrible waste of space.
#6
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Posted 2009-April-02, 08:26
It would make for a better poll to ask if there is intelligent life on earth.
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#7
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Posted 2009-April-02, 08:31
jdonn, on Apr 2 2009, 09:26 AM, said:
It would make for a better poll to ask if there is intelligent life on earth.
Obviously not! Well, maybe dolphins, but...
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#8
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Posted 2009-April-02, 09:13
I would have voted "don't know". Since I estimate the probability to be 53.754% I votes "yes".
I doubt that we will ever get in contact with them, though. But it wouldn't surprise me if evidence of atmospheric free oxygen on an exoplanet was found within my lifetime.
I doubt that we will ever get in contact with them, though. But it wouldn't surprise me if evidence of atmospheric free oxygen on an exoplanet was found within my lifetime.
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#9
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Posted 2009-April-02, 09:22
a logical question for the unavoidable next poll : Could "they" better play bridge than us if they would know this game? 
Preempts are Aberlour's best bridge friends
#10
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Posted 2009-April-02, 09:37
Aberlour10, on Apr 2 2009, 04:22 PM, said:
a logical question for the unavoidable next poll : Could "they" better play bridge than us if they would know this game?
Bases on Jeff Rubin's "Bridge on the Moon" I would say no. The bidding systems described in that story are truly lunatic. Maybe their card play is great, I don't know.
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#11
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Posted 2009-April-02, 09:38
Of course there is. Don't you read the Enquirer?
#12
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:03
helene_t, on Apr 2 2009, 10:37 AM, said:
Aberlour10, on Apr 2 2009, 04:22 PM, said:
a logical question for the unavoidable next poll : Could "they" better play bridge than us if they would know this game?
Bases on Jeff Rubin's "Bridge on the Moon" I would say no. The bidding systems described in that story are truly lunatic. Maybe their card play is great, I don't know.
Sure, but we dont know anything about Alpha Centauri Precision and how to defend it in the possible first Galaxy Bowl
Preempts are Aberlour's best bridge friends
#13
- Csaba the Hutt
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:16
You obviously didn't read Helen's last thread.
... and I can prove it with my usual, flawless logic.
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#14
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:20
Strange to see any "no" answers.
A man of science would think, IMO, that the odds are so high that "belief" is probably not too strong a word.
A religious man would have to include their deity as "intelligent," I would hope.
The only person to vote "no" would have to be a strict scientist, who cannot "believe" something without proof.
A man of science would think, IMO, that the odds are so high that "belief" is probably not too strong a word.
A religious man would have to include their deity as "intelligent," I would hope.
The only person to vote "no" would have to be a strict scientist, who cannot "believe" something without proof.
"Gibberish in, gibberish out. A trial judge, three sets of lawyers, and now three appellate judges cannot agree on what this law means. And we ask police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and citizens to enforce or abide by it? The legislature continues to write unreadable statutes. Gibberish should not be enforced as law."
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#15
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:25
Didn't that alien use his "Von Neumann" probe on someone? 
The Grand Design, reflected in the face of Chaos...it's a fluke!
#16
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:26
jdonn, on Apr 2 2009, 03:26 PM, said:
It would make for a better poll to ask if there is intelligent life on earth.
And would we recognize intelligent life, if we see it (elsewhere)?
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Posted 2009-April-02, 10:38
'Intelligent' life on our planet has been around for less than a million years. 1/14000th the length of time the universe has been around. How many countless civlisations could have risen and fallen even in our own star system before we came along and we would have missed them.
And space is so big that you have to think in logarithmic scale to appreciate how far away things are... linear thinking doesn't quite cut it. There could be intelligent life on every second earth like rock around every star and we wouldn't have a clue they are there. We can't even see extra-solar planets the size of earth yet (maybe soon).
Then again, whatever initially started out organic life could have been statistical fluke, unlikely to be replicated no matter how many planets and stars are in the universe, and the only thing we can do in the search for intelligent life as we don't know it is to define what 'life' means and what it means to be 'intelligent'.
And space is so big that you have to think in logarithmic scale to appreciate how far away things are... linear thinking doesn't quite cut it. There could be intelligent life on every second earth like rock around every star and we wouldn't have a clue they are there. We can't even see extra-solar planets the size of earth yet (maybe soon).
Then again, whatever initially started out organic life could have been statistical fluke, unlikely to be replicated no matter how many planets and stars are in the universe, and the only thing we can do in the search for intelligent life as we don't know it is to define what 'life' means and what it means to be 'intelligent'.
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#18
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Posted 2009-April-02, 11:57
I find the results of this thread to be interesting in conjunction with the Noah's Ark thread, with respect to the burden of proof being on the side ascribing to an affirmative belief and the posts focused on holding to beliefs unsupported by evidence.
Is the support for the belief generally, "Well, it's a REALLY big place that's been around a REALLY long time, so it seems like there should be," or something else? If the former, does that constitute evidence?
Is the support for the belief generally, "Well, it's a REALLY big place that's been around a REALLY long time, so it seems like there should be," or something else? If the former, does that constitute evidence?
1. LSAT tutor for rent.
Call me Desdinova...Eternal Light
C. It's the nexus of the crisis and the origin of storms.
IV: ace 333: pot should be game, idk
e: "Maybe God remembered how cute you were as a carrot."
Call me Desdinova...Eternal Light
C. It's the nexus of the crisis and the origin of storms.
IV: ace 333: pot should be game, idk
e: "Maybe God remembered how cute you were as a carrot."
#19
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Posted 2009-April-02, 12:05
Lobowolf, on Apr 2 2009, 12:57 PM, said:
Is the support for the belief generally, "Well, it's a REALLY big place that's been around a REALLY long time, so it seems like there should be," or something else? If the former, does that constitute evidence?
In my case, that is partly what it is. I also recall hearing statistics that there are something like tens of thousands of planets in existence that are capable of supporting life as we know it (with god knows how many more capable of supporting life as we don't know it.)
I think the difference between this and Noah's Ark is that if any good or even fair evidence were found in either direction, it would be VERY easy to change peoples' minds on this issue. I consider my opinion on this matter essentially a guess. I'll be the first to admit I have no good evidence in either direction.
Please let me know about any questions or interest or bug reports about GIB.
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Posted 2009-April-02, 12:16
Lobowolf, on Apr 2 2009, 12:57 PM, said:
I find the results of this thread to be interesting in conjunction with the Noah's Ark thread, with respect to the burden of proof being on the side ascribing to an affirmative belief and the posts focused on holding to beliefs unsupported by evidence.
Is the support for the belief generally, "Well, it's a REALLY big place that's been around a REALLY long time, so it seems like there should be," or something else? If the former, does that constitute evidence?
Is the support for the belief generally, "Well, it's a REALLY big place that's been around a REALLY long time, so it seems like there should be," or something else? If the former, does that constitute evidence?
It's an estimate of the most likely situation based on the information we have. It does not rely upon gods or magic.
The Noah's ark story is most implausible based on the information we have. It does rely upon gods and magic.
For most of us, either opinion would change based upon strong evidence the other way. For some of us, the evidence does not matter.
The growth of wisdom may be gauged exactly by the diminution of ill temper. — Friedrich Nietzsche
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell