[rwfromkansas]

lol. Interesting a former astronaut said this. Honestly, who knows. As big as the universe is, it would be hard seeing us as the only planet with life.

[absolootezer0]

and the greatest proof that intelligent life exists.. they’ve been smart enough not to contact us.

[Izzy Dunne]

As big as the universe is, it would be hard seeing us as the only planet with life.

I agree, but it's even harder to imagine that NASA kept a secret for 40+ years.

[tractorman]

If they do exist, they’re demonically derived.

[autumnraine]

I would find it stranger if there weren’t aliens. To think as large as our solar system is, and the universe and so on, and no life except for ours? That just doesn’t even calculate statistically does it?

[Joe 6-pack]

"Interesting a former astronaut said this. Honestly, who knows. As big as the universe is, it would be hard seeing us as the only planet with life."

There was an edpisode of the TV show "Wings," where Joe and Brian were trying to sign on former astronaut "Ace" Calvin (Robert Culp) as a spokesman for Sandpiper Air. Without giving away any spoilers, one really must see the episode to fully appreciate this thread ;-)

[baclava]

He’s not the only one....they know...oh yeah....they know...

Space pioneer Gordon Cooper dies: Cooper believed in UFO coverup

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/gordon.cooper/index.html

In his post-NASA career, Cooper became known as an outspoken believer in UFOs and charged that the government was covering up its knowledge of extraterrestrial activity.

“I believe that these extraterrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets, which obviously are a little more technically advanced than we are here on Earth” he told a United Nations panel in 1985.

“I feel that we need to have a top-level, coordinated program to scientifically collect and analyze data from all over the Earth concerning any type of encounter, and to determine how best to interface with these visitors in a friendly fashion”

He added, “For many years I have lived with a secret, in a secrecy imposed on all specialists and astronauts. I can now reveal that every day, in the USA, our radar instruments capture objects of form and composition unknown to us”

[ChinaThreat]

And for the same reasons, why would anybody just happen to look or come here out of this gigantic universe? I believe in life out there. I don’t believe they have come here to visit us surreptitiously. I think if they made an effort to get here......we would surely know it.

[rbg81]

Given his background, its really hard to dismiss this guy as a kook. He could be partially senile—I’d have to listen to him to make up my mind on that score. Conspiracies do exist and secrets can be kept, as long as they are shared by very trustworthy people who are scared of the consequences of speaking out (e.g., losing their pensions and being prosecuted). If this were not true, security clearances would be useless. Dr. Mitchell may be too old to care anymore.

I have a pilot friend who said he’s seen some strange stuff, but wasn’t willing to elaborate. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

[SampleMan]

The bigger question is, why would the aliens want to contact us, but not want everyone to know they exist? Wouldn’t it be very simple for them to set down Central Park and ask for a news conference?

[MHGinTN]

“Interesting a former astronaut said this. Honestly, who knows.” Are you trying to call Ed Mitchell a liar? He said plainly that he knows this as fact and you choose to negate that he said it is a fact he knows!

[gost2]

Yeah, truth be told this is probably a prison planet. A colony of last resort for twisted beings. We get one final chance to straighten up and fly right or its off to the central black hole of the universe with us.

[dead]

As big as the universe is, it would be hard seeing us as the only planet with life.

The “alien” question isn’t really whether or not intelligent life exists or has existed elsewhere in the universe. It very likely does, given the sheer expanse of space and time.

The question is whether or not some alien intelligence exists, and has upended all known laws of physics to enable them to travel willy nilly between stars and galaxies (and by extension through time) to come visit us and anally probe our midwestern farmers.

I’m very doubtful of the second point, but willing to accept it given some verifiable proof. All I’ve seen so far are heresay and websites on the internet.