[farmfriend]

For real time political chat - Radio Free Republic chat room

[farmfriend]

ping

[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.

[talleyman]

How Lonely is Our Planet?

Lonely enough to moon over Miami?

[Onelifetogive]

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

Liberalism???

[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...

[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.

[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.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Seems to me any civilization advanced enough to traverse interstellar space would be advanced enough to observe us undetected. Cloaking device on, Captain!

[aardvark1]

I believe it was Bill Watterson of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame who put these words in the mouth of Calvin's feline friend: "The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

[Semper Paratus]

We could be monitored up the ying-yang and not know it with sub-atomic sized probes reporting back our relative primitiveness.

[Consort]

It's the old non-interference-prime-directive thing.

[paulklenk]

[Britton J Wingfield]

I want to believe.

[theDentist]

Maybe they were already on the way, picked up our Television broadcasts, and turned around when yet another Lucy sitcom premiered.

[KevinDavis]

I don't buy this argument that we are alone cause we don't see the aliens yet.. The universe is pretty big. Here are some reason why they may have not visited Earth yet.

1. Advanced civilizations may not want to visit us. They may think we are boring or a waste of time. Heck they may be coming here to conquer us.
2. There are civilizations that is at our level or space technology. Basically no means of FTL (Yes it is possible).
3. There are civilizations that is at the beginning of development.

God created Earth and the Stars. I doubt it he created the planet Earth as the only planet that has life. The universe is big real big.


Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[MikeD]

He holds positions at the Southwest Research Institute

Cool. I don't think I met him during my one and only trip to the Boulder office, but I could be wrong. Most of the people up at SwRI Boulder are pretty cool, even if Boulder is locked in a fight to the death with Ann Arbor for "Ultimate College Town."

MD, from SwRI San Antonio

[P.O.E.]

Maybe a ruthless galactic exterminator wipes out budding civilizations and is right now on the way here

Not if this guy can help it......