Are We Alone in the Universe?

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Before I start this, this is my personal only opinion of studying this topic for over 35 years now. And though, off record, over 89% of NASA people and affiliated enterprises agree also with what follows, this is strictly my own take and stand at this time on this topic.

First, you must get very familiar with this link and data below, concerning the Drake Equation. It is the most compelling math tool and anyone can use it and it is fabulous for this subject. Here it is:

http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/SETI/drake_equation.htm

Ok, for me and over this 36 years interfacing with NASA and assorted agencies, I have come to the conclusion then, and now, that our universe, or closer in, our Galaxy, is host to lifeforms on a level of Star Trek-The Next Generation. I think it is a swarm of life, intelligent and everything in between.

ST-TNG, the federation, is 8000 Light Years (LYs) in diameter, and look at the life that is entailed in that fictional quadrant of our galaxy. I truly feel that whole world of grand fiction will play out in the near future to not only be true, but more so, conservative by numbers.

Here's why:

1. Our sun is a class C type star and is found to be the most common star type in the cosmos.

2. These star types tend to be the most stable and longest lived.

3. They last upwards of 6 billion years.

4. They have multiple planets, with at least one in the "Goldilocks Zone", where liquid water is present on the surface, thus the right distance from the home star.

5. And on carbon based planets, this is the condition for life, as we know it.

Further, like the movie, "Start Trek: First Contact", we are going to leave our home place. We will do so when we have developed something that is SoL+ or, a WARP drive if you will. From that, we are free.

And if we are free to explore out beyond our local solar neighborhood, we would obviously be able to reach out to other Class C worlds, for no other reason than to see if we are right.

And, aside from the darker psychopaths that post on all these myriad of boards to the contrary, NASA and all other space agencies around the planet is pushing the technology to "see" out there what is there. And it reasons well, if we are not alone, others out there are doing the same, looking back.

If we don't "see" each other at some point, or we get out there and then run into someone else, the treasure chest is open.

So, categorically, WE ARE NOT ALONE!!

In the not so near future, in our lifetimes even, we are going to get a message, anything, that will simply be "Hello. Are you there?"

Behold.

Comments encouraged greatly.

Robert

No. We are not alone. God and His angels pay quite a bit of attention to this world.

God's fallen angels live among us and often reveal themselves.

 

[Montrovant]

Knowing what I know, I can’t see how anyone could think earth is the only planet with intelligent life.

If this has already been brought up, I apologize, I didn't have time to go through the whole thread tonight.

These questions of life, and intelligent life, other than our own in the universe usually center on life as we currently know it. There's also the possibility to consider that life or intelligence might occur in some completely different form than ours. Perhaps the things we think are needed are not; perhaps some kind of life might form without water, or without 'breathable' atmosphere, etc. We have such a limited perspective, having only seen an incredibly small portion of the universe and over such a small amount of time, I wouldn't be surprised if some form of life arose totally outside our expectations.

Also, even if there is intelligent life, and it were within the range of how far radio waves will have traveled from Earth, it's possible that the life forms would not realize they originated from an intelligent source even if they saw them. Perhaps they have adapted entirely different forms of communication and the idea of using radio waves to broadcast signals never occurred to them; by the same token, it may be possible that we've received signals of some sort from another intelligent life form without realizing that is what they were.

I am a sci-fi fan, and would dearly love for humanity to encounter another intelligent life form in my lifetime, but the distances and time periods involved make me very skeptical that we will. I consider it very likely that there is/has been/will be other intelligent life in the universe, just not that we will interact with them.

Oh, and I love the early Star Trek references I feel the need to say that I was not a big fan of First Contact (or any of TNG movies), I thought the better movies based on the original series were far superior. I attribute that to the time between; TNG movies seemed too much like long episodes.

7 years later and nothing has changed. No closer to finding life. I believe it exists but our ability to see that far is limited

Or not. Remember, the Universe is 13 billion years old. We know that for a fact looking at the speed of the expansion of the Universe.

So how long will a civilization last? There could have even been one on Venus. It's the same size as the earth and made out of the same material and millions and millions of years ago, when the sun was younger and cooler, it was probably very much like earth is now.

In cosmic terms, it won't be long before the earth becomes too hot to support life. Then it will turn into another Venus. It's unavoidable.

There could be civilizations all around us that we "just missed" by a million years.

The really big odds are two civilizations both developing close enough, and having technology at the same time.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

I don't know if calling the 13 billion year age of the universe a fact is accurate; for one thing, the estimates are actually closer to 14 billion years old, for another, given the limits of our knowledge and ability to "see" the universe, there could well be data which would change that estimate. Based on what we have observed, 11 billion years is apparently the youngest the universe can be. How Old is the Universe?

I think people often forget just how vast both the time and distance involved in these sorts of discussions is. There is so much universe, and it has been around for so long, that everything humanity has directly observed is a figurative drop in the ocean. There could be numerous examples of intelligent life throughout the universe right now, and we would have no idea. There may have been many intelligent life forms before humanity arose, and we would have no idea. Humanity is the tiniest speck within the area and the history of the universe.

True, IMHO anyway. I also think there is a possibility of more than one universe in existence, but that's a bit off topic.

Right now the prevailing theory is that the universe is expanding and will keep expanding until everything pretty much goes to hell. Figuratively speaking. But I also wonder if eventually there will be some unknown force that stops the expansion and draws the universe back into that single dot that explodes all over again. Not talking God here, although that isn't out of the question either.

As for life elsewhere in this universe, I'd put my money on life all over the place and some of those places could very well evolve into intelligent life. My guess there have been intelligent species that evolved, prospered, and died out before our solar system was born. Might not have been humanoid either.

I think the idea of a Big Bang and Big Crunch has fallen out of favor, but I'm not certain why. I don't keep up with cosmological theories.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Knowing what I know, I can’t see how anyone could think earth is the only planet with intelligent life.

What do "know"?

For all you "know" the universe we inhabit could easily be a video game where God exists outside our universe and its laws.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Knowing what I know, I can’t see how anyone could think earth is the only planet with intelligent life.

If this has already been brought up, I apologize, I didn't have time to go through the whole thread tonight.

These questions of life, and intelligent life, other than our own in the universe usually center on life as we currently know it. There's also the possibility to consider that life or intelligence might occur in some completely different form than ours. Perhaps the things we think are needed are not; perhaps some kind of life might form without water, or without 'breathable' atmosphere, etc. We have such a limited perspective, having only seen an incredibly small portion of the universe and over such a small amount of time, I wouldn't be surprised if some form of life arose totally outside our expectations.

Also, even if there is intelligent life, and it were within the range of how far radio waves will have traveled from Earth, it's possible that the life forms would not realize they originated from an intelligent source even if they saw them. Perhaps they have adapted entirely different forms of communication and the idea of using radio waves to broadcast signals never occurred to them; by the same token, it may be possible that we've received signals of some sort from another intelligent life form without realizing that is what they were.

I am a sci-fi fan, and would dearly love for humanity to encounter another intelligent life form in my lifetime, but the distances and time periods involved make me very skeptical that we will. I consider it very likely that there is/has been/will be other intelligent life in the universe, just not that we will interact with them.

Oh, and I love the early Star Trek references I feel the need to say that I was not a big fan of First Contact (or any of TNG movies), I thought the better movies based on the original series were far superior. I attribute that to the time between; TNG movies seemed too much like long episodes.

7 years later and nothing has changed. No closer to finding life. I believe it exists but our ability to see that far is limited

Or not. Remember, the Universe is 13 billion years old. We know that for a fact looking at the speed of the expansion of the Universe.

So how long will a civilization last? There could have even been one on Venus. It's the same size as the earth and made out of the same material and millions and millions of years ago, when the sun was younger and cooler, it was probably very much like earth is now.

In cosmic terms, it won't be long before the earth becomes too hot to support life. Then it will turn into another Venus. It's unavoidable.

There could be civilizations all around us that we "just missed" by a million years.

The really big odds are two civilizations both developing close enough, and having technology at the same time.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

I don't know if calling the 13 billion year age of the universe a fact is accurate; for one thing, the estimates are actually closer to 14 billion years old, for another, given the limits of our knowledge and ability to "see" the universe, there could well be data which would change that estimate. Based on what we have observed, 11 billion years is apparently the youngest the universe can be. How Old is the Universe?

I think people often forget just how vast both the time and distance involved in these sorts of discussions is. There is so much universe, and it has been around for so long, that everything humanity has directly observed is a figurative drop in the ocean. There could be numerous examples of intelligent life throughout the universe right now, and we would have no idea. There may have been many intelligent life forms before humanity arose, and we would have no idea. Humanity is the tiniest speck within the area and the history of the universe.

True, IMHO anyway. I also think there is a possibility of more than one universe in existence, but that's a bit off topic.

Right now the prevailing theory is that the universe is expanding and will keep expanding until everything pretty much goes to hell. Figuratively speaking. But I also wonder if eventually there will be some unknown force that stops the expansion and draws the universe back into that single dot that explodes all over again. Not talking God here, although that isn't out of the question either.

As for life elsewhere in this universe, I'd put my money on life all over the place and some of those places could very well evolve into intelligent life. My guess there have been intelligent species that evolved, prospered, and died out before our solar system was born. Might not have been humanoid either.

I think the idea of a Big Bang and Big Crunch has fallen out of favor, but I'm not certain why. .

Cretins With Credentials

The situation just before the Big Bang is an impossible concentration of matter. Physicists are goofy fad-following nerds; their theories shouldn't be taken so seriously.

 

[tycho1572]

Knowing what I know, I can’t see how anyone could think earth is the only planet with intelligent life.

What do "know"?

For all you "know" the universe we inhabit could easily be a video game where God exists outside our universe and its laws.

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

 

[sealybobo]

Knowing what I know, I can’t see how anyone could think earth is the only planet with intelligent life.

7 years later and nothing has changed. No closer to finding life. I believe it exists but our ability to see that far is limited

Or not. Remember, the Universe is 13 billion years old. We know that for a fact looking at the speed of the expansion of the Universe.

So how long will a civilization last? There could have even been one on Venus. It's the same size as the earth and made out of the same material and millions and millions of years ago, when the sun was younger and cooler, it was probably very much like earth is now.

In cosmic terms, it won't be long before the earth becomes too hot to support life. Then it will turn into another Venus. It's unavoidable.

There could be civilizations all around us that we "just missed" by a million years.

The really big odds are two civilizations both developing close enough, and having technology at the same time.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

I don't know if calling the 13 billion year age of the universe a fact is accurate; for one thing, the estimates are actually closer to 14 billion years old, for another, given the limits of our knowledge and ability to "see" the universe, there could well be data which would change that estimate. Based on what we have observed, 11 billion years is apparently the youngest the universe can be. How Old is the Universe?

I think people often forget just how vast both the time and distance involved in these sorts of discussions is. There is so much universe, and it has been around for so long, that everything humanity has directly observed is a figurative drop in the ocean. There could be numerous examples of intelligent life throughout the universe right now, and we would have no idea. There may have been many intelligent life forms before humanity arose, and we would have no idea. Humanity is the tiniest speck within the area and the history of the universe.

True, IMHO anyway. I also think there is a possibility of more than one universe in existence, but that's a bit off topic.

Right now the prevailing theory is that the universe is expanding and will keep expanding until everything pretty much goes to hell. Figuratively speaking. But I also wonder if eventually there will be some unknown force that stops the expansion and draws the universe back into that single dot that explodes all over again. Not talking God here, although that isn't out of the question either.

As for life elsewhere in this universe, I'd put my money on life all over the place and some of those places could very well evolve into intelligent life. My guess there have been intelligent species that evolved, prospered, and died out before our solar system was born. Might not have been humanoid either.

I think the idea of a Big Bang and Big Crunch has fallen out of favor, but I'm not certain why. .

Cretins With Credentials

The situation just before the Big Bang is an impossible concentration of matter. Physicists are goofy fad-following nerds; their theories shouldn't be taken so seriously.

Impossible? I thought through god all things are possible? Do you know what black holes are? Why would you say something you have no idea about is impossible? Is that what you believe or what you hope?

I watch the science shows all the time. Science is not married to the big bang. Right now we aren't sure if the expansion will go on forever or if it will eventually start to contract.

What we do know is there was a big bang and that is where and when our current universe was started. The expansion is also picking up speed currently.

There may have been a universe here before ours was born. It was born, lived and died long before ours was born.

And eventually every star in our universe will die out. When it's all said and done, what was the purpose?

 

[sealybobo]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

What if yours is?

We are ok with our "entire foundation" being flawed. It's just science for gosh sakes. We think we know but if tomorrow we find out we were wrong, we won't hide that from the masses.

We won't do what you did. We won't insist the big bang is real even though we know it's not which is what you guys did when you realized the earth was not the center of the universe. The earth was not stationary with everything else flying around us. Did you theists freak out when your entire foundation was flawed?

God made the earth in 6 days? More like 6 million years. What did you do when you found out your 6 day theory was flawed?

The earth is only 5000 years old? What did you do when you found out everything you believed was wrong?

 

[sealybobo]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

Do you see how small we are?



So when we look off to another solar system, what do we see? We see their star and we see their Jupiter. Maybe we see their Saturn? But we certainly don't see their earth, if they have one.

We are all alone because anything else out there is so far away we can't see. So as far as you are concerned, we are alone. But any thinking person would say there were probably worlds like ours before ours and there will be others after. Because new stars are being born every day.

 

[task0778]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

And what if it isn't? Geez, we've only looked that closely at our moon and Mars, everywhere else is to be determined. We do know that most if not all of the exoplanets identified thus far cannot support life as we know it, but do you realize how many other planets are out there? And moons, hell we don't even know yet whether there is life elsewhere in our own solar system. Maybe not intelligent life but it's pretty unlikely that evolution only takes place in one place. As old as the universe is purported to be, IMHO there have been intelligent species that evolved, lived, and died out long before our own solar system was formed. Ye, at this point it's speculation, but speculation with a high probability.

 

[Montrovant]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

What have we actually looked and looked at? We have very little direct knowledge of other planets.

 

[sealybobo]

I ‘know’ it’s silly to think our star is the only one, of trillions, that could have a planet with intelligent life.

And yet we looked and looked and NOTHING. You assume evolution is true. Because you believe that process took place here, it must be taking place elsewhere.

What if your entire foundation is flawed?

And what if it isn't? Geez, we've only looked that closely at our moon and Mars, everywhere else is to be determined. We do know that most if not all of the exoplanets identified thus far cannot support life as we know it, but do you realize how many other planets are out there? And moons, hell we don't even know yet whether there is life elsewhere in our own solar system. Maybe not intelligent life but it's pretty unlikely that evolution only takes place in one place. As old as the universe is purported to be, IMHO there have been intelligent species that evolved, lived, and died out long before our own solar system was formed. Ye, at this point it's speculation, but speculation with a high probability.

I saw a science show that suggested our solar system once had a Super planet close to the sun just like most other solar systems. It was suggested our sun ate our super planet otherwise we wouldn’t be here.

And of course life may have lived and died on other planets in our own solar system before it was possible on earth. None of them were earth like. Unique to mars or Venus. We don’t know.

There might be life in Europa now. We don’t know.

So we certainly don’t know about life on other stars

 

[ThisIsMe]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

 

[sealybobo]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

 

[ThisIsMe]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

 

[task0778]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

Lots of these accounts around and by reputable people too.

 

[sealybobo]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

Those are crap. No ufos.

But if there were it would make sense they hide. Like Star Trek their prime directive is to not interfere

And we would experiment on them.

What if they are so small you can’t see them. Have you ever seen tardigrades? Like that small. They could be here how would you know?

 

[sealybobo]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

Lots of these accounts around and by reputable people too.

I know reputable people who claim to have seen ghosts demons and angels that doesn’t mean they exist

 

[ThisIsMe]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

Lots of these accounts around and by reputable people too.

Im not calling into question the integrity of people who claim to have seen ufos, I'm just saying, if they are out there, why are they trying to remain undetected?

 

[ThisIsMe]

If there is life out there, then why are they so elusive and secretive?

We have many people saying they have seen "things", but never anything substantiated. If they are out there, why don't they just land and make themselves known?

It is fascinating though. If we are alone, in a never ending universe, it truly is mind boggling to think of it.

I come at it from a religious perspective though. That is, if there are other life forms out there, why are they not talked about in the Bible? Why does the Bible not make mention of any other planets inhabited with people, or aliens.

I speculate that one reason is, maybe God did create other life forms, but kept us from each other and maybe it is the intent thatbwe are supposed to find each other. Maybe they have their own version of the Bible.

Again, just an interesting question. Why are there no concrete bits of evidence showing other life.

Why are we so elusive and secretive? Perhaps they’re just like us. They haven’t figured out how to travel light years

Well, I was referring to those accounts of ufo sightings and such

Those are crap. No ufos.

But if there were it would make sense they hide. Like Star Trek their prime directive is to not interfere

And we would experiment on them.

What if they are so small you can’t see them. Have you ever seen tardigrades? Like that small. They could be here how would you know?

I wouldn't think they'd be worried about us experimenting on them. Any civilization advanced enough to have inter planetary travel surely is advanced enough to protect themselves from us.