Are Earthlings alone? Half of humans believe in alien life

Reuters ^ | December 8, 2017 | Reuters

[GingisK]

It’d really be nice to retire to a nice little planet somewhere off the beaten path.

I suspect that IS Earth. A cute little prison colony.

[GingisK]

I take it neither of you have seen the "Key To The Extraterrestrial Messages" from the NSA website. It used to be a larger document, but is now just a small extract.

That document indicates that 29 "WOW Signals" were recorded by SETI sites, and the protocol for validating deep space origin. Then it describes how symbol system theory was applied to interpreting them. Only one of the messages was partially deciphered; and, that one appeared to be a Periodic Table of the Elements containing one more constant per element than we have in ours.

That document DOES come directly from the NSA website. Once you download the document, you will be pinged everyday.

[adorno]

That’s 60,000 planets with intelligent life, just in our galaxy. There are about a trillion other galaxies in the visible universe.

Statistics look credible. But then, one has to look at all the other conditions that have to be statistically met for life to have been "created", and then, from that life-form, there would have to be conditions that also need to be met before any kind of life form becomes "intelligent".

Universal numbers and statistics, are not necessarily all that would be needed in order to meet the exact conditions to form life, at least life as we know it here on Earth.

Cosmologists/astronomers/physicists and a lot of other "scientists" like to quote the incredible number of possibilities and probabilities that "must exist" in the "known universe" that make it just about impossible for life to not exist elsewhere out there. The fail to follow up with the statistics for the creation of life itself. Life is not created automatically once the proper "sun" and properly placed planet, and properly sized planet, come into the picture or into existence. There must exist at least quadrillions of other conditions before life as we know it can come into existence elsewhere.

So, it's quite possible that, we are alone. Although I do hope there are other "siblings" out there.

[SamAdams76]

There is a woman I’ve worked with for many years.

[Windflier]

Interesting tale you weave there.

Once you download the document, you will be pinged everyday.

I don't mind being pinged by Freepers every day, but by the NSA? No thanks.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Your point is well taken. We don't know for certain all the various requirements for life, because we only have one example. A large moon may be a key factor, which Earth has but may also be extremely rare in the universe. A fractured crust. A magnetic field. A certain combination of heavy elements. A large but not too large planet in the outer solar system herding asteroids away from the inner solar system. The odds could in fact be enormously against life starting on a planet, let alone evolving for billions of years. It could even be as high as 300 sextillion to 1, all the stars in the visible universe.

Then again, odds could be significantly higher. We just don't have any facts to show it either way.

[GingisK]

Sadly, I lost my download of the full 131 page document. All I have now is the redacted version. Maybe I could put it somewhere so that you could retrieve it.

[GingisK]

The redacted version is only 310KB.

[Windflier]

[the Drake Equation] is as utterly meaningless as when it was first postulated.

Not at all. As we learn more and more about the cosmos, theorists are able to plug better and better values into that equation, which steadily increases the value of the answers it provides.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

With no supporting evidence for space aliens, Biblical literalists are correct, there is no intelligent life other than on Earth.

Well, there's......God.

[adorno]

Then again, odds could be significantly higher.

Or, the odds of life forming on its own, chaotically and accidentally, may be out of all statistical boundaries. Perhaps life is a lot easier than we think, but, there was something that made it possible. What do you suppose that "something" is?

[ROCKLOBSTER]

very advanced cultures would use some other medium besides radio to communicate across deep space.

Probably subspace frequencies.

[TXnMA]

If ya mean are humans “alone in the universe?” the answer is “yes” - with the exception of our Maker, we are indeed “alone”.

~~~~~~~~

No doubt, you have a Scripture reference handy to support that vain, hubristic, anthropocentric remark...

[Windflier]

Maybe I could put it somewhere so that you could retrieve it.

If you're not just pulling my leg, and you actually possess the documents you speak of, it would be far better to contact someone like Steven Greer of the Disclosure Project, to get that info widely distributed.

[Telepathic Intruder]

What do you suppose that "something" is?

There is nothing new under the sun. What about 3x10^23 suns? That is only how many there are in the visible universe. I don't think that something is limited to our limited imagination. That's like saying "because I don't know about it, it doesn't exist".

[Windflier]

Probably subspace frequencies.

Ala Star Trek?

Gene Roddenberry smiles...

[Big Red Badger]

You will find This FReeper post interesting.

Put this in the FReeper search;

“brb”

It gives Biblical evidence
of our “Aloneness”

[Pollster1]

“Thus, at the present time, the equation is completely useless, other than to impress the impressionable and gullible.”

I see the equation as useful in framing the discussion rather than in providing an exact number. The equation tells us what factors matter in estimating/determining how many civilizations there are with intelligent life capable of communicating (if any).

[RegulatorCountry]

Biological life has a beginning and an end. God doesn’t.

[PIF]

Given how difficult it would be for us to get here from there and how advanced beyond our present knowledge they would have to be to do it, I hope they do not find us, ever. And I hope they haven't already, as there is absolutely no assurance they will be even remotely friendly. How friendly were the Spanish to the inhabitants of the new World? But why haven't we heard from them already? Fermi's Paradox. Because there aren't any. Conversely because, like a Dark Forest, where predators roam, every one is hiding ... except us.