What possessed science to do this?

[manu1959]

It's no different from an island race who had never left their little island, but could see hundreds of other islands out there, theorising that perhaps there were different civilisations on some of the other islands. I think that's good induction (yea I got it wrong when I said it was deduction) because it is based on the premise that one island is already known to have a civilisation on.

On the otherhand theorising that perhaps there are ghosts on other islands is not inductive logic as not one example of ghosts on an island is known to base the premise on.

i lived in a haunted house one summer.....therefore there must be haunted houses on other planets

 

[dilloduck]

No, aliens are not considered "supernatural." "Supernatural," means of or relating to existence outside the natural world.

Aliens, if they exist can be explained very easily using our current knowledge of the universe.

No there is no formula for God, just aliens.

They can be

explained very easily using our current knowledge of the universe.

A pretty bold statement considering there is absolutely zero evidence they even exist.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Can be what?

Quote:Mr.Conley
explained very easily using our current knowledge of the universe.


A pretty bold statement considering there is absolutely zero evidence they even exist.

What I really like about your statement is that it fails to include the part where I say, "if they exist."

See:

Aliens, if they exist, can be explained very easily using our current knowledge of the universe.

You'll have to do better than that if you're going to warp my words

 

[dilloduck]

Can be what?



What I really like about your statement is that it fails to include the part where I say, "if they exist."

See:

You'll have to do better than that if you're going to warp my words

Sorry--I was in a hurry and misquoted you. Excuses are lame tho--you have my sincere apology. It honestly wasn't an attempt to warp your words. I will be more careful in the future.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Thank you

 

[PsuedoGhost]

i lived in a haunted house one summer.....therefore there must be haunted houses on other planets

Logical Fallacy, 'nuff said.

 

[bobn]

i lived in a haunted house one summer.....therefore there must be haunted houses on other planets

When it comes to haunted houses - yes if they exist on at least one planet (ie ours) then that alone makes it more likely that they exist on other planets too (not that they must exist - this is about probability)

Based on the existance of things alone, if you find one example then odds are that more will follow. This is because the sum of things that exist in multitude outweights the sum of those that exist uniquely.

We know at least one case of a planet holding life, and we see countless other planets out there that we haven't checked yet. Without knowing the actual probabilities for or against life arising on another planets we only have the observation that at least one planet does hold life. This alone makes it more likely that other planets hold life than if we hadn't observed any planets with life.

If you walk onto a beach, pick up a pebble and find a red mark on the bottom, you now know at least one pebble has a red mark on it. Without knowing how colored marks get onto pebbles you can rightly conclude that based on the evidence you have, it is more likely that another pebble out there will have a red mark on it, than say a green mark which you have never seen on a pebble.

 

[dilloduck]

When it comes to haunted houses - yes if they exist on at least one planet (ie ours) then that alone makes it more likely that they exist on other planets too (not that they must exist - this is about probability)

Based on the existance of things alone, if you find one example then odds are that more will follow. This is because the sum of things that exist in multitude outweights the sum of those that exist uniquely.

We know at least one case of a planet holding life, and we see countless other planets out there that we haven't checked yet. Without knowing the actual probabilities for or against life arising on another planets we only have the observation that at least one planet does hold life. This alone makes it more likely that other planets hold life than if we hadn't observed any planets with life.

If you walk onto a beach, pick up a pebble and find a red mark on the bottom, you now know at least one pebble has a red mark on it. Without knowing how colored marks get onto pebbles you can rightly conclude that based on the evidence you have, it is more likely that another pebble out there will have a red mark on it, than say a green mark which you have never seen on a pebble.

And science accuses religions of grasping at straws :rotflmao:

 

[Mr.Conley]

Not straws, just trying to reach the best answer possible with the data we have.
Fortunately, if NASA goes through with that telescope array they were planning to lauch in 2020, we'll get the actual answer, not the likely one.

 

[dilloduck]

Not straws, just trying to reach the best answer possible with the data we have.
Fortunately, if NASA goes through with that telescope array they were planning to lauch in 2020, we'll get the actual answer, not the likely one.

If aliens didn't exist, man would have to invent them.
By 2020 we will know for sure if aliens exist or not? Cool.

 

[Diuretic]

If aliens didn't exist, man would have to invent them.
By 2020 we will know for sure if aliens exist or not? Cool.

Dunno - but I tell ya we better get those borders sealed. The first thing the bastards will do is go after our jobs. I can see it now, "we do the jobs Earthpeople won't do!" and then they'll want a vote and our pussy politicians will buckle. Who the hell sent that bloody invite out in the first place? Idiot!

 

[CSM]

Dunno - but I tell ya we better get those borders sealed. The first thing the bastards will do is go after our jobs. I can see it now, "we do the jobs Earthpeople won't do!" and then they'll want a vote and our pussy politicians will buckle. Who the hell sent that bloody invite out in the first place? Idiot!

Naw, we'll invade their planet first and spread some democracy around. If we dont nuke em that is.

 

[dilloduck]

Dunno - but I tell ya we better get those borders sealed. The first thing the bastards will do is go after our jobs. I can see it now, "we do the jobs Earthpeople won't do!" and then they'll want a vote and our pussy politicians will buckle. Who the hell sent that bloody invite out in the first place? Idiot!

Some scientists who believe in spacemen--who woulda thunk it??

 

[Mr.Conley]

Some scientists who believe in spacemen--who woulda thunk it??

Belief in the probability of their existence, and the curiosity to find out if they do.

 

[dilloduck]

Belief in the probability of their existence, and the curiosity to find out if they do.

Right--Man would feel so alone if it weren't for the possibility of spacemen.

 

[bobn]

And science accuses religions of grasping at straws :rotflmao:

It's not anything to do with grasping at straws. That there might be life on other planets is a valid hypothesis, made more credible by the fact that we already know of one example of a planet holding life. If life emerged here then why not elsewhere? We don't know how many planets bearing life exist in our universe. It could be 1 (ours only), or 2, or 3, or even thousands. The odds are against it being just 1.

If the hypothesis was that there might be life inside other stars then that would not be credible as we know of no evidence for life living in stars to base such a hypothesis on.

A while back we hadn't observed any planets around other stars. But it was a very credible hypothesis that there would be planets around other stars. The reasoning was as follows: we know our star has planets, we see lots of other stars out there, therefore it is likely that some of those other stars will have planets orbiting them too. Do you call that grasping at straws too?

 

[dilloduck]

It's not anything to do with grasping at straws. That there might be life on other planets is a valid hypothesis, made more credible by the fact that we already know of one example of a planet holding life. If life emerged here then why not elsewhere? We don't know how many planets bearing life exist in our universe. It could be 1 (ours only), or 2, or 3, or even thousands. The odds are against it being just 1.

If the hypothesis was that there might be life inside other stars then that would not be credible as we know of no evidence for life living in stars to base such a hypothesis on.

A while back we hadn't observed any planets around other stars. But it was a very credible hypothesis that there would be planets around other stars. The reasoning was as follows: we know our star has planets, we see lots of other stars out there, therefore it is likely that some of those other stars will have planets orbiting them too. Do you call that grasping at straws too?

There are people on this planet who believe in God. What are the odds that spacemen believe in God too?

 

[Mr.Conley]

Based on the information we have available, and assuming aliens do exist, it is probably that some alien civilizations believe in God.

 

[dilloduck]

Based on the information we have available, and assuming aliens do exist, it is probably that some alien civilizations believe in God.

Gosh--I hope our scientists don't immediately tell them how irrational they are. It would be sort of a shitty way to begin a relationship.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Okay...