How Lonely is Our Planet?

Tech Central Station ^ | 11/12/2003 | Kenneth Silber

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[Prof Engineer]

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[thoughtomator]

Given the best estimation of the age of the universe, the amount of time it took the earliest solar systems to form, the amount of time it took life to develop on Earth, the apparent rarity of even the conditions under which life might develop, and the complete absence of any sign of intelligent life elsewhere, it is plausible to suggest that we might be the first intelligent life in the universe, or in the galaxy. Maybe this is hubris, but it has to be admitted that conscious thought and intelligence is a remarkable development that does not easily occur.

[RonHolzwarth]

re: "it has to be admitted that conscious thought and intelligence is a remarkable development that does not easily occur."

Rather bold statement. What do we REALLY KNOW???

There has been so much learned in the last century, the last decade, and within the last year, that we just can't know such things yet, is my opinion.

[thoughtomator]

We know that there is an absence of signs that are perceptible to us of intelligent life elsewhere. Our "eyes" are decent, and have a substantial range, but no matter how hard we search we can find no sign of intelligent life.

It could be that we have already found signs of intelligent life but failed to comprehend them or realize their significance.

But if intelligent life were reasonably common, given the size of the universe, doesn't the probability indicate that at least one would be persistently sending out signals to contact other civilizations as we do?

Granted, it's all speculation. We "know" very little. But Occam's Razor indicates that the simplest explanation - that we are the only ones - is the best working theory, until there is evidence otherwise. If you're going to discard Occam's Razor, then we can ask, are there fairies in the 5th-7th dimensions that prance about and cause people to fall in love?... and other similarly ridiculous questions, that would be equally plausible under the assumption that what we do not know might be true.

[talleyman]

How Lonely is Our Planet?

Lonely enough to moon over Miami?

[Cobra Scott]

Adding to that, there is no reason to believe that high intellegence is an evolutionary step upwards; more like a sidestep.

Are grasses less evolved than trees?

Are sharks less evolved than primates?

Is complexity a desirable trait and simplicity undesireable, in the grand scheme of things?

[RadioAstronomer]

Our "eyes" are decent, and have a substantial range, but no matter how hard we search we can find no sign of intelligent life.

How hard have we searched?

[Onelifetogive]

Maybe a ruthless galactic exterminator wipes out budding civilizations...

Liberalism???

[WackyKat]

Is complexity a desirable trait and simplicity undesireable, in the grand scheme of things?

Cockroaches are the pinnacle of evolution

[Onelifetogive]

We "know" very little. But Occam's Razor indicates that the simplest explanation - that we are the only ones - is the best working theory, until there is evidence otherwise.

That would effectively "prove" that God created us.....

[KantianBurke]

"One scenario is the "zoo hypothesis," whereby our planet is something like a wildlife preserve set off limits by advanced aliens."

Or it could be because we're one big sitcom...

[RadioAstronomer]

But Occam's Razor indicates that the simplest explanation - that we are the only ones - is the best working theory

Are you sure that is the simplest explanation?

[PhilipFreneau]

>> Or it could be that Earth is the only, or at least the first, planet in our galaxy to harbor life or intelligence.

IMO, that is the most likely scenerio based on my understanding of the Bible. However, since God created all things for his pleasure (Rev 4:11, KJV), he could have created other "earths" in other solar systems, also for his pleasure. Assuming the latter is true, they why no contact? The most likely scenerio in this case is the inability to achieve a speed fast enough to perform inter-galactic travel. For example, at the rate of 25,000 miles per hour it would take over 25,000 years to travel a distance of 1 light year (1 light year = 186,000 miles/sec * 60 sec/min * 60 min/hr* 24 hr/day * 365 days/year = 5,865,696,000,000 miles = over 5.8 trillion miles). To reach the nearest star (other than the sun) it would take over 100 thousand years. Assume there is another "earth" in our galaxy, but it is on the other side of the galaxy. Since our galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across, the nearest "earth" would be about 50,000 light years away, requiring over 1 billion years of travel at 25,000 MPH. Assume there is only one "earth" in each galaxy. One of our neighboring "companion" galaxies, Andromeda, is approximately 2 million light years away. To reach that galaxy it would take 2 million years traveling at the speed of light, and over 50 billion years traveling at 25,000 MPH (you might want to check my math).

The sheer vastness of our universe makes me believe that God wanted us isolated, if indeed there are other "earths" in our universe.

[thoughtomator]

The simplest explanation, I would suppose, is that we are simply ignorant and don't know. But that doesn't help at all in the search for truth, does it? Not being content not to know, theories must be proposed and examined to determine what is and is not truth.

[Physicist]

My hypothesis is that any sufficiently advanced civilization will make discoveries and expand its capabilities at an ever-increasing rate, until it finds it necessary to transfer its mind(s) to ever smaller, ever faster nonliving substrates.

As they bind themselves in a nutshell, and count themselves kings of infinite space, a cosmic irony arises. They master every technology they would need to make a successful interstellar journey, but the scale of the resources required, and the distance and timescale involved become subjectively infinite. And in any case, there are always more interesting and important adventures and discoveries to be found at the next level downward.

[RadioAstronomer]

Not being content not to know, theories must be proposed and examined to determine what is and is not truth.

Actually at this point there are searches underway to determine this very thing.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Perhaps they have never heard of the Prime Directive