Are we the only intelegent beings in the universe?

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Godless, Sep 3, 2001.

  1. Godless Objectivist Mind Registered Senior Member

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    I don't think so, I don't think we've been visited by aliens or anything like that however I don't think we are the only beings with human like consciousness in the universe, what do you think?.
     
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  3. ltcmmdr Registered Senior Member

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    Inteligent beings

    I believe we are not alone in the universe and I don't think we are the only inteligent beings in the entire universe.
     
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  5. KneD Le Penseur Registered Senior Member

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    I don't have any doubt that there must be some creatures with human-like consciousness somewhere in universe, and intelligence must be somewhere too.

    Because threads like this have been around here for a long time, I want to know it more exactly, most people agree with life and intelligence somewhere.

    But is there a life-form in our own milky way???? And what kind of it?
    That's much more difficult, I still have my doubts about that point. What you think?

    (owh, before I forget: I do not believe in UFO's)
     
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  7. Tristan Leave your World Behind Valued Senior Member

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    ALiens? Yes but out of all the Tv shows, all the movies, all the pictures, all the conspiracies, it seems to me that every alien idea that is popularized is based on an earthy animal or form. Out of the Just think about it. There is more than 6 billion people on this planet. What is the possibility that you would meet someone in africa that looks even resembles you. We have five fingers only because they became seperated after we lost the webing and tissue in between them that we used to swim with. (this of course supports evolution.) The chance that we might encounter a being that even resembels a human are astronomically high.
     
  8. Bebelina kospla.com Valued Senior Member

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    We?

    Do you with we, only mean human beings currently living on Earth? Or do you mean all species dwelling in this universe? Because the universe next door has some pretty intelligent lifeforms too you know...and to compare us in this universe to them , oh, that would really be a galactic jeopardy!

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  9. Godless Objectivist Mind Registered Senior Member

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    Bebelina

    What I mean is (human like consciousness) some intlegent being which has the capacity to think!, and perceive reality similar as we do!. Aliens, cause they wouldn't be from earth, intelegent cause they would perceive reality similar as we do!.

    I do believe that there may be beings of *human like consciousness* within in our own galaxy (the Milkyway) cause it has billions of stars, it's 100 million light years across, 30 million light years wide. Now that would be a waist of space, if there isn't any huh!.
     
  10. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    Godless,
    I would take issue with the waste of space.
    Nothing guarantees that space has to be filled. Nor matter has to be occupied by beings of any kind.
    By it's very definition space is not filled. It is space and it is empty other than the rare bits of matter and energy contained within. This is presuming that some of the theories may be incorrect. They are after all just theories.
     
  11. kmguru Staff Member

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    11,757
    Are we the only intelegent beings in the universe?

    Answer: (take your pick)
    YES
    Could be
    NO WAY
    We could be a simulation in a super computer that is playing SIM-UNIVERSE

    Someday we could do the same in a computer too, if we can accurately simulate the origin of the universe.

    Does it matter?
     
  12. Pabu Registered Member

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    11
    how about our solar system is an "atom" in a much larger object beyond our perception and the planets are "electrons" orbiting around the "nucleus" (sun)? Just a thought.
     
  13. Izm Skizm Registered Member

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    1
    Good old 'infinite regression'. Seems very intuitively plausable to me but what do I know?

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  14. Captain Canada Stranger in Town Registered Senior Member

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    Are We the Only...

    Irony, surely.
     
  15. kmguru Staff Member

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    11,757
    Welcome to sciforums, Izm Skizm. Speculations are fun and good until we come close to taking the most probable answer path. So speculate away....
     
  16. 13thMajestic Registered Member

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    2
    My sentiments on the subject exactly, Godless...I firmly believe in life elsewhere in the Universe. However, I do not believe that life in any form can overcome the laws of physics, laws which remain the same throughout the Universe, outside the boundaries of a black hole.

    I am currently hedging my bets for the 'discovery' of life elsewhere in the Universe. I would be willing to wager that confirmation of life elsewhere in the universe to end right here in our own solar system. I am no scientist, just a fan of science. However, the evidence as I see it points to the possibility of life on Europa.

    A little background:

    Europa ("yoo ROH puh") is the sixth of Jupiter's known satellites and the fourth largest; it is the second of the Galilean moons. Europa is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Source: http://www.nineplanets.org/europa.html

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    If image does not display you can see it at Europa

    The evidence collected so far from the Galileo Jupiter Probe indicates that Europa is covered by a relatively thin layer of salty ocean water ice. Surface feature indicate a level of thermodynamic activity beneath the surface of that ocean.

    On earth, black smokers beneath our oceans horbor life life in a incredibly hot, scalding environment. On Europa, it is theorized that similar geologic feature may also exist and that, as on Earth, life may exist in vicinity of Europan black smokers.

    I think Europan exploratiion, including a device which can melt its way through the ice to explore the sea beneath should be the top priority in the search for extraterrestrial life. For if we discover life on Europa similar to the life found associated with black smokers on Earth, it would be the most profound discovery in the history of man, proving once and for all that life can exist anywhere in the Universe

    the13thMajestic
    AweQuest.Net -- the Mind and Beyond....

    The AweQuest JawFest Pop-Science Forums are now open for business!

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    Last edited: Sep 7, 2001
  17. BLASTOFF Registered Senior Member

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    380
    Intelegent beings

    We can not be that intelegent,as we keep blowing things up and destroying the rain forests,destroying the future of our children,the ozone is going as we keep putting space craft up into it, I have no problems with exploration,but if we class our selfs the intelegent beings in the universe,then surly there must be another way to look after the earth, or are we that thick we have to destroy it just to say that we can, we build missiles that can destroy anthing,(WHY?) there is plenty of things all over the world that needs to be put right, i agree that the earth must be protected from astroids, but we have to protect it from us as well,any one agree or do i not belong on this planet there must be some other life form out there who is more intelegent than us.
     
  18. kmguru Staff Member

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    Then why you want to blast off, blastoff?

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  19. KneD Le Penseur Registered Senior Member

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    Great, this dicussion reminds me of a very nice theory (can't remember whose theory it is).

    Following to the theory we will never find beings with the same intelligence and consciousness, because usely they kill themself before they reach this point.

    Very pessimistic theory, but I think it's great, becuase didn't we almost annihilate ourself during the cold-war?
    Can consciuosness and intelligence exist next to peace and harmony????
     
  20. machaon Registered Senior Member

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    only intel.?

    Mabye we measure intelligence by a biased yardstick. Our bodies, to include our minds, are tools our specific genes use to help them reproduce in a more efficiant manner. Mabye the effectiveness of the biological tool in executing the goals of the genetic code represent the genes intelligence. Mabye the words "intelligence" and "adaptability" are truly interchangeable. This would, I think tend to narrow the possibility that we are the ONLY intelligent life in the omniverse.
     
  21. Tristan Leave your World Behind Valued Senior Member

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    1,358
    Carl Sagan Rules!

    Ya kned, You are right. In carl sagan's book cosmos he explains that we are in the age of technological Adolecence and that if we surivive this, We will probably become a space ferring civilization. That is depending if we don';t blow our selves to little tiny piceces. If you read Cosmos there is like chapter dedicated to that. Also the probability of life somewhere else in the galaxy. Which is explained through a equation that is very good! so even if there is 1% that survives the number of Smart aliens that can visit us is in the millions. So be happy. The Little green men come from our minds. The true little green men won;t look like men at all.
     
  22. Moses Registered Member

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    They might very well look like us....

    It is not a correct leap of "logic" that aliens will not look like us. There were some very fundamental forces of nature that pushed evolution toward our present appearance. For instance:

    We have 5 fingers on each hand and foot becuase that has proven to be the most efficient. There are almost no other animals or creatures with 6 or more fingers or toes. There are only a few with fewer than 5 and all of those are special adaptations to unique environments - like the 3 toed sloth. The fact is that any dexterous creature would likely develop 5 fingers on gimbaled arms very much like we have in order to be able to advance their civilization and technology.

    Upright stance is also an evolutionary end product. With an advanced thinking brain that makes tools, it is useful to free the hands or forelimbs from walking to carry those tools and to do other things. No other creature on earth is as efficient at using tools as humans and that has a lot to do with upright stance. This leads to legs that must support and balance in a bi-pedal form and move in an efficient manner. In fact, we do NOT use the most effiicent form of movement when we walk but it does perform sufficently. We will undoubtedly improve that aspect in the eons ahead.

    two eyes - again binocular (3-D) vision is essential to development. More eyes would not necessarily help unless we also had developed more arms, larger brains, more legs, and larger overall size - all of which would need more food, more weight, etc. Although another planet might have supported such a development, it is not clear that the result would not be the same as here on Earth.

    Similar justifications based on evolution and the unsuccessful trials and errors of other designs can justify the size and placement of ears, or sex organs, noses, mouth, other internal organs and fluids.

    Computer models have been created that mimic evolution at a much accelerated rate and they frequently "evolve" into bi-pedal creatures.

    This is not to say that there can't be marked differences. In fact, it is only by an act of fate that we decended from mammals instead of reptiles. Prior to the next to last great extinction when a comet or astroid hit the Yucatan area and started the end of the dinosaurs, evolution had begun to favor the reptiles as the dominant species on this planet. Had we not had that metor strike, it is very probable that what we call humans would have evolved from reptiles - however, we might still be creatures with 5 fingers, two eyes, two legs, standing upright with large brains, etc. etc. - in other words we might still look like we do today - perhaps with some minor cosmetic differences.

    So, if you believe in the forces of evolution and the ideas of social interaction with the world and with technology and tools, then you might conclude that UFO aliens might very well look like us.

    See my other posts on THEM !
     
  23. Tristan Leave your World Behind Valued Senior Member

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    Whoa, whoa, whoa...

    The chances that aliens look like us are so astrnomially small. I mean come one 5 fingers? Your right but what if they hve telekinetic powers do to a planet wide eletricall field or something. What aabout gravity? We only grow so tall partly because eveouluton has said more that 8 feet and you start stumbling every where. Thats becase of gravity. Aliens might have Much more gravity so grow 4 times taller or much less and 4 times shorter. Eyes? Maybe they have to se a different spetrum of light than just colors. Oh And we are partly the way we are because of random events like extinction and meteors and weather. Also they might be not arbon based. There are so many varibles. To say that there are probably aleins that look human is saying to much. The chances are stronomically high. Oh and earth isn't perfect for life, just merely perfect for the life on earth. Water might be posin to an alien. They might drink mercury like water. Oxygen and water are not essential to life, just life on earth.

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