Why Does Mankind Insist In Seeking Life Elsewhere?

[Boss]

I wanted to add some commentary here from a sort of 'devil's advocate' standpoint. You know, we've all heard the Carl Sagan "billions and billions" arguments for the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Now logically it would seem on the surface, the possibility of life is certainly there, and I can't really argue that it isn't a possibility, but the question is probability. Many people see billions and billions of stars and planets, so they assume the probability is fairly high that some other place in the universe could spawn life as we know it.

But... not so fast.

There are literally millions of variables which have to be a certain way or life on Earth does not exist. It's not simply a matter of being 93 million miles from the Sun. There are the essential elements for life as we know it, those have to be present. Then there is the aspect of our moon and how it enables tides in the ocean, instrumental to almost every form of sea life. There is the wobble of the Earth in its rotation which gives us seasons, and what role do seasons play in life? As we can see, the potential candidates are dwindling fast.

When we come to intelligent life... homo sapiens... we wouldn't exist if the dinosaurs hadn't become extinct. That event has to happen to enable mammals to flourish and rise to humans. Now we get into "luck of the dice" things that other planets who have overcome all other obstacles, have to somehow get by. Even with the vast number of planets and stars in the universe, the number of planets with life as we know it, or intelligent life of any kind, is still a small probability.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah...........but a small probability in the face of almost infinite choices means there is still a choice.

1 one billionth, of 1 one billionth, of 1 one billionth of eternity is still forever.

 

[Boss]

Yeah...........but a small probability in the face of almost infinite choices means there is still a choice.

1 one billionth, of 1 one billionth, of 1 one billionth of eternity is still forever.

I don't know what your point is here, I clearly said it's possible. I don't believe it's as probable as some may believe. There are millions of variables that go into "life as we know it" and the likelihood of this specific combination of variables happening to any given planet is simply not probable.

Could life originate without those variables? We don't even know how life originated on Earth WITH those variables. We understand how the variables play a role in the processes of life. Tides, seasons, climate, all the cyclical elements of nature that basically all living things follow. But they all rely on variables that are pretty unique... we have a planet full of water... we have just the right size moon.. we have a geosynchronous orbit with the moon in just the right place that stabilizes our axis rotation... tides and season of which a gigantic huge chunk of life relies upon to exist and couldn't exist without. What's more, if you believe in Darwinian evolution, there is no existence of humans or any higher intelligence without this chunk of life that depends on tides and seasons.

If there were no tides or seasons, the ocean convection doesn't work, oceans become stagnate ponds. It's hard to imagine any life could survive, let alone thrive and evolve. No seasons... flowers don't know when to bloom, bees don't know when to pollinate, plants don't know when to produce fruit or seed, birds don't know when to mate, ice doesn't melt to keep the ocean convection going, and "life as we know it" doesn't exist.

So I would say the prospect of finding anything closely resembling "life as we know" is bleak. Could we find some new form of life that we don't currently know of? Of course! In fact, if we ever do find life elsewhere, I should think it would be a completely new form of life. But this brings to question how we define "life" and what if we discover something intelligent in the realm of dark energy? What if intelligent life does exist elsewhere but it's right here around us in a different dimension happening at the same time? We have to open our minds to the possibilities and avoid confining ourselves to quaint notions of other human-like civilizations and such.

 

[fmdog44]

Our species seeks knowledge. Knowledge and understanding = power.

We wouldn't rule this planet if we didn't. Why not a dozen planets?

If you think hmans rule this planet...you are dumber thn I originally thought. Ever since when has man ruled nature. All it takes is a good hurricane, earthquake, volcano...flood and humans are destroyed. It is pretty arrogant to think that humans rule this planet.

I might be dumb but I can spell "than" better THAN you!!

Apparently, you are a fucking idiot if you don't realize that was a typo.

There are gimps and retards on this forum...you will fit right in, pussy.

I did realize it was a typo so the question remains why didn't you? I am certain there are junior colleges in your little community that offer Typing 101 to boys and girls alike and shorthand to kids like you.

 

[fmdog44]

Since way back when man has always tired to reason that there is or is not life elsewhere. Why? Today science is obsessed with the search for life elsewhere. Why are we not content to accept what is? What could change if man became convinced there is life elsewhere? Nothing, right? With the universe expanding and space travel already immensely difficult what the heck is the reason for this psychotic obsession? It would be lie striking gold somewhere where they know how to make it in a laboratory. Why not just stay in our back yard and mow the lawn and plant trees and flowers every so often to make it a nice place to live? If it is in our genes then our genes are stupid.

If people thought like you, humanity would have died out in the Rift Valley eons ago.

It IS in the DNA of at least some of us, that urge just to get up and move with no particular place to go, just to see something you have never seen.

Much like a new pet travels about their new home when you bring it from the shelter. DNA has nothing to do with it.

 

[Nutz]

Our species seeks knowledge. Knowledge and understanding = power.

We wouldn't rule this planet if we didn't. Why not a dozen planets?

If you think hmans rule this planet...you are dumber thn I originally thought. Ever since when has man ruled nature. All it takes is a good hurricane, earthquake, volcano...flood and humans are destroyed. It is pretty arrogant to think that humans rule this planet.

I might be dumb but I can spell "than" better THAN you!!

Apparently, you are a fucking idiot if you don't realize that was a typo.

There are gimps and retards on this forum...you will fit right in, pussy.

I did realize it was a typo so the question remains why didn't you? I am certain there are junior colleges in your little community that offer Typing 101 to boys and girls alike and shorthand to kids like you.

Look at this, we got a rookie troll looking for alien life...hoping he might finally get laid.

 

[fmdog44]

Our species seeks knowledge. Knowledge and understanding = power.

We wouldn't rule this planet if we didn't. Why not a dozen planets?

If you think hmans rule this planet...you are dumber thn I originally thought. Ever since when has man ruled nature. All it takes is a good hurricane, earthquake, volcano...flood and humans are destroyed. It is pretty arrogant to think that humans rule this planet.

I might be dumb but I can spell "than" better THAN you!!

Apparently, you are a fucking idiot if you don't realize that was a typo.

There are gimps and retards on this forum...you will fit right in, pussy.

I did realize it was a typo so the question remains why didn't you? I am certain there are junior colleges in your little community that offer Typing 101 to boys and girls alike and shorthand to kids like you.

Look at this, we got a rookie troll looking for alien life...hoping he might finally get laid.

A simple coma after "life" is proper and as far as getting laid, ask your momma.

 

[Nutz]

If you think hmans rule this planet...you are dumber thn I originally thought. Ever since when has man ruled nature. All it takes is a good hurricane, earthquake, volcano...flood and humans are destroyed. It is pretty arrogant to think that humans rule this planet.

I might be dumb but I can spell "than" better THAN you!!

Apparently, you are a fucking idiot if you don't realize that was a typo.

There are gimps and retards on this forum...you will fit right in, pussy.

I did realize it was a typo so the question remains why didn't you? I am certain there are junior colleges in your little community that offer Typing 101 to boys and girls alike and shorthand to kids like you.

Look at this, we got a rookie troll looking for alien life...hoping he might finally get laid.

A simple coma after "life" is proper and as far as getting laid, ask your momma.

'coma'?

 

[Dogmaphobe]

I am fascinated by the prospect of intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy because there is so little of it here.