Posted on 03/02/2016 9:37:50 AM PST by LibWhacker
Fermi was wrong.
The answer to the Fermi Paradox is fairly simple (although I’ve rarely seen it stated): Circumstances conducive to life only occurred a little while ago on the cosmic time scale. Earth is not particularly special, nor is our galaxy. Hence, a vast number of other civilizations probably exist, but they almost certainly aren’t that much older than ours on that time scale.
Also, the universe is a BIG place, so it will take a few more million or possibly billion years for any signal from such civilizations to reach us.
PS Why would God waste time creating all this space and everything in it but create life on just this tiny little ball of dirt orbiting a totally unexceptional star in an equally unexceptional galaxy? Not presuming to question God, but I believe there are a lot of “rooms” in His house (i.e., the universe).
Yes, indeed. The good old days of voyerism with Meg in the building across the way.
One of the latest fads in physics... is that we are inside that video game. Saw an interesting article recently about ways to “prove” it.
Because He said He did.
The Bible is completely silent on the subject of life on other planets! That said, I see no theological reason to limit God’s power or wisdom
Our national debt is now approximately 100 trillion nickels.
If one star in 100,000 in that galaxy has a planet with conditions suitable for life, there would be 1 billion planets with conditions suitable for life. And still none with chocolate.
Hey, for all we know, there’s a planet in there somewhere with some kind of Superchocolate. A billion habitable-by-life-as-we-know-it planets allows for a pretty large set of possible variations on life and development.
I really hate posts about other galaxies like the OP, because then I go looking for info on the subject, and inevitably end up looking at all the incredible deep-field and distant galactic cluster pics and wishing there was a way to go and explore them. Wife and I both agree that, if given the opportunity, we would (pretty much without hesitation) take any visiting extraterrestrial’s invitation to leave Earth forever, just for the adventure it represents.
I’ve read the Bible several times, but don’t recall where God said this planet was the only one with life on it.
Can you cite a verse or two to that effect? This is not sarcasm. I am seriously interested and would appreciate the edification.
8. Some galaxies only 10 feet away but are very, very tiny.
That sounds awful much like a bit from one of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker" novels...
Can you cite a verse or two to that effect? This is not sarcasm. I am seriously interested and would appreciate the edification.
Before I go through the effort, do you believe in the 7 literal days of creation in Genesis?
The Total Perspective Vortex
Location: Frogstar Prime
Thank you HAL
Fermi was an idiot. We literally have no way to know if there’s life out there. And we are largely undetectable to any life that may be out there. Less than 1/100 of 1% of the Milky Way has had any ability to detect humans (our radio and later TV transmissions). Fermi walked into an unlit room, didn’t turn the light on, and declared the city has no people.
My bet is that God was being generous with that statement, probably to make it comprehensible for His audience at the time.
Our universe is finite. Very VERY big, but finite.
He is infinite.
To scale: The universe is probably smaller than even His palm (if He chooses to have such). That means our galaxy is about the size of a tiny portion of His fingernail (again, if He chooses to have such). This planet? About the size of a piece of lint on that fingernail. Each of us? Maybe an atom in that piece of lint.
But He still cared enough to come down here in a mortal form and die for our sins. Wrap your head around that, people.
PS Yeah, I’m sure this sounds like hyperbole to unbelievers. It’s not.
I’m conflicted on that question.
On the one hand, I think yup.
On the other hand, I think God gets to define his Own “day” however he wants to. For example, His “day” may mean “how long I decided to spend on this task.”
Also, in His realm (which is outside of ours), a day there may be millions or billions of days here.
We reverse this idea in what I'll call the Standard Model of Science Fiction -- the view that humans, were we able, would expand to occupy all habitable planets within reach (unless or until stopped by an alien counterforce). People will always seek new worlds to colonize, or to which to flee. (The big question is whether it is the Muslims who would stay, or go; or liberals vs. conservatives, etc. I think we would separate if we could ....)
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Ps 19:1.
On
the one hand, I think yup. On the other hand, I think God gets to define his Own “day” however he wants to. For example, His “day” may mean “how long I decided to spend on this task.”
Also, in His realm (which is outside of ours), a day there may be millions or billions of days here.
If you can't believe Genesis the way God told it, then there is no reason for me to cite the bible. I DO believe Genesis the way it is written which is why there is no room for life on other planets per the bible for me.
PS. I used to be into astronomy from an atheist perspective and evolution and Carl Sagan materialism were my religion. After getting saved all of that went away.
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