Refuting Fermi: No Evidence for Extraterrestrial Life?

The error is the a priori assumption that UFOs cannot exist therefore no evidence to the contrary will be considered, never mind accepted. Few scientists would allow such faulty logic to prevail in their own field of expertise. Yet, in the emotionally laden field of UFOs, scientists let Condon stand uncorrected and disregarding pertinent facts has become the accepted norm... There are over 3000 cases reported by pilots, some of which include interference with flight controls. On numerous occasions air traffic controllers and other radar operators have noted unexplained objects on their scopes. So too have several astronomers and other competent scientists reported their personal observations. Many military officials from several countries have confirmed multi-sensor observations of UFOs. The most senior air defense officers of Russia, Brazil, Belgium and recently a former Chief of Naval Operations in Chile all have stated that UFOs are real. These cases and comments are a miniscule fraction of the total body of evidence... Of course they do not constitute irrefutable proof. However, to state there is no evidence suggestive of intelligent extraterrestrial life simply belies the facts. Decades in duration and global in nature, there are too many hard sensor data-points and millions of eyewitnesses to ignore. We certainly can debate the significance of specific data and question whether or not it establishes a causal relationship between the observations and extraterrestrial life. However, it is only through ignorance or pomposity that one can say no evidence exists.

One finds this message on the home page of the "National Institute for Discovery Science":

October 15th, 2004
We at the National Institute for Discovery Science have come to a time in which a decision must be made as to the direction of the Institute. We have labored long and hard, coming to the conclusion to place NIDS in an inactive status.
The reasons for this decision are as follows:

We have not had the need to do any major investigative work for well over 2 ½ years.

In view of that fact we decided to reduce our staff.

Our administrator, Colm Kelleher, has taken a position outside of Nevada to do cancer research. Colm’s ambition has always been to do cancer research and was employed in this field prior to his employment with NIDS. We are sorry to see him leave.

It is unfortunate that there isn’t more activity, as there was in the past, that warrants investigation. However, we will still retain our Secretary/Receptionist who will remain at NIDS to answer your calls. Her name is Mary Allman and can be reached at (702) 798-1700. She will be talking daily to Mr. Bigelow’s assistants Janice and Donna.
Should substantial activity occur with a need for investigation then NIDS will be reactivated with new personnel.
Robert T. Bigelow

Looks like the aliens have decided to take a little down time during the early years of the new millenium. So maybe this guy, Alexander, is just trying to gin up a little interest while the aliens are surfing on Titan.

The Fermi paradox is a paradox proposed by physicist Enrico Fermi that questions the possibilities of finding intelligent extraterrestrial life. More specifically, it deals with the attempts to answer one of the most profound questions of all time: "Are we (the earthlings) the only technologically advanced civilization in the Universe?". The Drake equation for estimating the number of extraterrestrial civilizations with which we might come in contact seems to imply that we should not expect such contact to be extremely rare. Fermi's response to this conclusion was that if there were very many advanced extraterrestrial civilizations in our galaxy, then, "Where are they? Why haven't we seen any traces of intelligent extraterrestrial life e.g. probes, spacecraft or transmissions?". Those that adhere to the premise behind the Fermi paradox often refer to that premise as the Fermi principle.

The paradox can be summed up as follows: The commonly held belief that the universe has many technologically advanced civilizations combined with our observations that suggest otherwise, is paradoxical, suggesting that either our understanding or our observations are flawed or incomplete.

results of Google search for +freerepublic +"fermi paradox"

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Case For Massive Black Hole Strengthened
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/849217/posts

Can Intelligent Design (ID) be a Testable, Scientific Theory?
evidence.info ^ | 12/24/2004 | Rich Deem
Posted on 12/24/2004 5:58:44 AM PST by truthfinder9
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The Electric Universe - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Holoscience. com ^ | 4/9/2003 | Walter Thornhill
Posted on 05/03/2003 12:15:24 AM PDT by Swordmaker
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/904988/posts

How likely is human extinction?
Mail & Guardian Online ^ | Tuesday, April 13, 2004 | Kate Ravilious
Posted on 04/14/2004 6:15:04 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1117351/posts

Looking to Lasers, Microwaves and Anti-Matter for Space Travel
Space.com ^ | 11/26/03 | Leonard David
Posted on 11/28/2003 1:49:27 PM PST by LibWhacker
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NASA Unlikely to Build New Space Shuttle
AP Science News / Yahoo ^ | Sat Feb 1, 2003 | MATT CRENSON
Posted on 02/01/2003 8:26:17 PM PST by Magnum44
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Reaching for Interstellar Flight
space.com ^ | 12/17/03 | Leonard David
Posted on 12/18/2003 8:37:33 AM PST by KevinDavis
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The Starship Builders (Speculation on UFO Propulsion methods by Physist)
Stardrive ^ | FR Post 3-15-03 (Article update 1999) | by Kim Burrafato
Posted on 03/14/2003 6:19:01 AM PST by vannrox
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/864652/posts

[more specific]

Cosmic Conundrum [Brief essay on multiple universes and the Anthropic Principle]
Time ^ | Monday, November 22, 2004 | Michael D. Lemonick; J. Madeleine Nash
Posted on 11/26/2004 1:33:59 AM PST by snarks_when_bored
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1288684/posts

Do aliens really exist?
thebelfasttelegraph ^ | feb-15-2003 | By Adam SagePosted on 04/18/2003 11:44:07 PM PDT by green team 1999
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/896203/posts

Earth Likely Spared From One Form Of Cosmic Doom (Gamma Rays Bursters)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ^ | Jan 23Posted on 01/28/2003 1:17:17 AM PST by ganeshpuri89
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/830905/posts

The Fermi Paradox - Are We Alone in the Universe
Posted on 05/19/2004 12:46:40 PM PDT by Conservomax
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1138670/posts

Fermi's Paradox II: What's Blocking Galactic Civilization? Or Are We Just Blind To It?
Space.com ^ | November 8, 2001 | By Seth Shostak, Astronomer, Project Phoenix, SPACE.com
Posted on 11/08/2001 7:52:53 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/566578/posts

Home Alone In The Universe?
First Things ^ | March 2002 | Fred HeerenPosted on 04/19/2002 6:07:56 AM PDT by Exnihilo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/669014/posts

On the Edge: Is Anybody Out There?
space.com ^ | 10/09/03 | Diane StresingPosted on 10/11/2003 6:18:56 AM PDT by KevinDavis
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/999396/posts

Our Galaxy Should Be Teeming With Civilizations, But Where Are They?
Project Phoenix ^ | 25 Oct 01 | Seth ShostakPosted on 10/25/2001 9:13:53 AM PDT by RightWhale
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/556349/posts

Our Galaxy Should Be Teeming With Civilizations, But Where Are They?
www.space.com ^ | 10/25/01 | Seth ShostakPosted on 02/24/2002 3:53:44 PM PST by LarryLied
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/634469/posts

The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations
http://www.mkaku.org/ ^ | unk | Michio Kaku
Posted on 11/03/2003 12:44:23 PM PST by Michael Barnes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1013849/posts

Radio search for ET draws a blank
BBC News Online ^ | Thursday, March 25, 2004 | By Dr David Whitehouse
Posted on 03/28/2004 8:38:01 AM PST by Momaw Nadon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1106697/posts

Solar Systems Like Ours May Be Common, Study Shows
Business/Economy Extended News News Keywords: SEARCH FOR ORE
Source: space.com
Published: 4 Jan 01 Author: Robert Roy Britt
Posted on 01/04/2001 12:22:59 PST by RightWhale
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a54dba3082c.htm

ET Visitors: Scientists See High Likelihood
by Leonard David
14 January 2005
Deardorff, the lead author of the JBIS article, points out in a press statement: "It would take some humility for the scientific community to suspend its judgment and take at least some of the high quality reports seriously enough to investigate…but I hope we can bring ourselves to do that."

According to Haisch, there is a motivation not just for scientific tolerance of the UFO issue, but a strong scientific prediction that there ought to be some genuine ET signature in the data.

"This potentially changes the relationship of the UFO phenomenon to science in a significant way. It takes away the ‘not invented here’ prejudice, pointing out that a ‘yes’ to ET visitation is exactly what side our current physics and astrophysics theories would come down on as the most likely situation," Haisch concluded.

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The Black Knight from Space
The Excluded Middle Magazine ^ | 2000 | John Carter
Posted on 09/08/2004 10:22:22 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1210200/posts

India May Be First To Tell The World About ET Contact
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/01-06a-05.asp ^ | 1/6/05
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1315810/posts

Triangular UFOs Spotted?
Yahoo News, Space.com ^ | 09/02/2004 | Leonard David
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1208357/posts

UFO Expert: Aliens May Be Preparing Us For Ultimate Encounter
KBCI TV News ^ | November 15, 2004 | Scott Logan
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1283007/posts

UFOs, implants and aliens
The London Free Press ^ | Friday, May 14, 2004 | Ian Gillespie
Posted on 05/15/2004 3:59:05 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1136070/posts

When UFOs Arrive
www.popularmechanics.com ^ | February 2004 | BY JIM WILSON
Posted on 02/11/2004 9:41:52 AM PST by Momaw Nadon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1076037/posts

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