Aliens, originally thought of being green men with overgrown heads or something like that. Well I say bull. I say there are few possibilities. Either they are an animal of some kind, incapable of human-like intelligence, maybe cow-like intelligence or something. Or maybe they look exactly like us, human, just called something else, and possibly a different color, and different languages, but they won't have any physical differences, and no special powers of any kind. Either those or they just don't exist, that's how I think of it, my main thought it that they don't exist.
So what are your thoughts on aliens?
I have to say, what with the immense size of the universe, there is a high probability that there is some form of sentient life on a planet other than earth.
Aliens could be anything.
We have diverse lifeforms on this planet, why not elsewhere?
I'm not ruling out any possibility. There's a high chance they're not in our dimension.
Quote from: Zovistograt on June 24, 2009, 07:22:24 AM
I'm not ruling out any possibility. There's a high chance they're not in our dimension.
Eh... not really.
The other 7 spacial dimensions are far too small to contain anything....
Actually, all those dimensions do is shape the structure of the 10+ base particles.
However, there could be any number of sentient species in our universe, or in the multi-verse for that matter. Until we discover the origin of the Big Bang, we won't know.
If they are in this universe, we will find them eventually. If not, then we are alone.
Quote from: Kierou on June 24, 2009, 02:43:00 AM
I have to say, what with the immense size of the universe, there is a high probability that there is some form of sentient life on a planet other than earth.
I pretty much would of said it the same exact way...so um......
"QFT"...
:P
I say aliens are almost identical to humans, and we are advancing in technology at the same rate as them, when we get the power and technology to fly to other planets and systems, so will they and we will encounter each other. Or we are the only people in the universe.
Quote from: Mutilator on June 24, 2009, 01:05:57 PM
I say aliens are almost identical to humans, and we are advancing in technology at the same rate as them, when we get the power and technology to fly to other planets and systems, so will they and we will encounter each other. Or we are the only people in the universe.
The only way the will hapen is if Albert Einstein was wrong about Faster-than light travel. And regardless of whether or not that is possible, do you honestly believe the human body could withstand that much force?
Like others, I'm positively certain there are "alien" lifeforms. We are but one solar system of oodles. If say, 1 of every 25 solar systems bears life, then there is most certainly life besides ours.
Plus, take into consideration we don't know how life started on the planet. Biology has been unable to confirm it - only offer theories, even with the fossil record filling in. One very open possibility is that a meteor struck containing bacteria, protists, etc. and the result was the introduction of life. In which case, that flings the door wide open as to other life.
Quote from: Kierou on June 24, 2009, 05:44:05 PM
The only way the will hapen is if Albert Einstein was wrong about Faster-than light travel. And regardless of whether or not that is possible, do you honestly believe the human body could withstand that much force?
Technically, there is a theory that claims that everything is connected outside of our 3 spacial dimensions and that instantaneous events over infinite distance is possible.
But if we were able to create a ship that moved at a sizable fraction of light speed, we should be able to travel great distances with little effect on the lifespan of the humans we send even though the time it would take to travel would be much greater than any normal person.
Nowhere in the foreseeable future for us... but possible.
Quote from: HTA on June 24, 2009, 08:35:40 PM
Technically, there is a theory that claims that everything is connected outside of our 3 spacial dimensions and that instantaneous events over infinite distance is possible.
But if we were able to create a ship that moved at a sizable fraction of light speed, we should be able to travel great distances with little effect on the lifespan of the humans we send even though the time it would take to travel would be much greater than any normal person.
Nowhere in the foreseeable future for us... but possible.
tbqh, if we ever invent near light speed travel (past light speed is impossible, but you can get very, very close), we'll have invented advanced cryogenics by that time.
mass amounts of humans travelling? Need an extensive crew? No problem. Make the controls simple, get the lower to middle class people to run the ships on the way there. They have families on the ships, their kids eventually inherit the ship to continue to run it.
A grim reality, but one that is likely to be true unless one believes that faster than light travel is possible. Inventing AI to run the ship is:
1. Dangerous (if it gains a personality of its own, what's to stop it from going rogue?)
and
2. Inhumane (you're creating a being that can think independently, and forcing it to do one menial task for it's entire existence. This is incredibly cruel.)
We will never leave this galaxy. Well, we might, but we wouldn't get anywhere else. The next nearest one is so distant, it's not even worth thinking about. Andromeda would be the likeliest destination, but even so, it's a intercourse ing long way off.
The next step we will take toward space travel will be a colony on the moon. Then mars, then an exploration of Europa (assuming no alien intervention). By this time, high nanotechnology will likely be invented, and people will be living with machines inside their brains, allowing them to live much, much longer than we currently do.
<3 Alistair Reynolds
Eh...
Light speed travel would allow us to move one light year in one human year.
Not sure how far away other galaxies are, but should you want to travel throughout this solar system you could get from Earth to Mars in days in only a fraction of light speed.
Quote from: HTA on June 24, 2009, 08:53:37 PM
Eh...
Light speed travel would allow us to move one light year in one human year.
Not sure how far away other galaxies are, but should you want to travel throughout this solar system you could get from Earth to Mars in days in only a fraction of light speed.
even if we're accepting that light speed travel is possible, you wouldn't be able to accelerate to that speed in the space between earth and mars. it would simply be impractical and incredibly unsafe. The 4 month travel period would probably be cut down to a week, maybe even a few days, but to travel at even a quarter of light speed would require a TON of slowing down, AND accelerating. The sun's light takes 8 minutes to reach the earth. The space between mars and earth is much smaller than that.
if we could travel at light speed, we could travel beyond light speed. The problem is breaking that threshold.
Also, I wouldn't want to be there to see a ship break the light barrier. You know why there's that huge boom when a plane breaks the sound barrier? waves overlapping. It would be so frickin bright mang.
Quote from: HTA on June 24, 2009, 08:53:37 PM
Eh...
Light speed travel would allow us to move one light year in one human year.
Not sure how far away other galaxies are, but should you want to travel throughout this solar system you could get from Earth to Mars in days in only a fraction of light speed.
space is big, even at light speed it would take about four years just to get to the next closest star, Alpha Centauri, we may never leave our solar system
Quote from: Tom Servo on June 24, 2009, 08:58:58 PM
space is big, even at light speed it would take about four years just to get to the next closest star, Alpha Centauri, we may never leave our solar system
at near light speed, and when frozen, 4 years isn't a big deal.
not that there's anything of interest at AC.
I'm still thinking of how much force would be applied to your body while moving at that speed. And Boris has a point. Even if we COULD develop instantaneous acceleration, the sheer amount of strain that would put on your body would kill you almost instantaneously.
It's amazing how quickly a discussion on the possibility of sentient life existing on another planet turns into a discussion of theoretical physics.
^Alastair Reynolds worked at NASA as an Astrophysicist before he became an author.
He tries to make sure that anything he writes down in his books will one day be within the bounds of science (tries not to bust any laws of physics, make anything TOO fanciful, etc.)
A ship accelerating in space would slowly speed and and slowdown, taking months upon months to do either. This retains safety for the passengers (because space is a nasty place), as well as giving a constant acceleration. Slowing down quickly would require far more resources than slowing down slowly.
SD maybe?
Anyways, I think that, like everyone else, there is a great possibility of aliens. I expect them to look like humans, be more technologically advanced, and have longer life spans.
They probably do exist, but until we find them/it, who cares?
Enough about traveling at light speed and crap, if we want to go light speed, all we have to do is increase the speed of light before we do it, then we won't be going light speed, but at former light speed (Futurama logic, in other words a joke)
Anyway, why do people think they'd be more advance in technology? I mean, if they were, wouldn't they have tried to come here by now?
nobody actually thought aliens were green men with giant heads........
Quote from: Echo on June 25, 2009, 12:29:35 AM
nobody actually thought aliens were green men with giant heads........
That was basically the original thought of them. Green nude things with big heads and black eyes.
Quote from: JrDude ♪ on June 25, 2009, 12:20:19 AM
Enough about traveling at light speed and crap, if we want to go light speed, all we have to do is increase the speed of light before we do it, then we won't be going light speed, but at former light speed (Futurama logic, in other words a joke)
Anyway, why do people think they'd be more advance in technology? I mean, if they were, wouldn't they have tried to come here by now?
Again, technically, even if we can travel light speed (which we can't) light would still be moving faster than us due to relativity.
If there are other sentinent beings, why do you assume we are the first?
Other life forms could be generations ahead of us... but that doesn't mean they have the ability to travel across the universe. Why would they? They would have no proof we exist unless they picked up our Radio and TV signals. And if they did, we would pick up their signals.
Space is just too big.
Quote from: HTA on June 25, 2009, 08:21:15 AM
Again, technically, even if we can travel light speed (which we can't) light would still be moving faster than us due to relativity.
If there are other sentinent beings, why do you assume we are the first?
Other life forms could be generations ahead of us... but that doesn't mean they have the ability to travel across the universe. Why would they? They would have no proof we exist unless they picked up our Radio and TV signals. And if they did, we would pick up their signals.
Space is just too big.
those radio and TV signals fade into static after about a light year, at least thats what SETI says
I think as long as they don't move through anything other than empty space (gravitational fields, space debris etc.) they might travel longer, but I'm no expert on the matter.
Either way, we will never meet an Alien and an Alien will never meet us.
The distances we are dealing with are just too big.
Considering how big the whole universe is, and how much of it we have yet to explore, I do believe there is a high chance that other lifeforms are out there.
You guys are so silly.
Quote from: HTA on June 25, 2009, 08:45:13 AM
I think as long as they don't move through anything other than empty space (gravitational fields, space debris etc.) they might travel longer, but I'm no expert on the matter.
Either way, we will never meet an Alien and an Alien will never meet us.
The distances we are dealing with are just too big.
If you're dealing with travel simply within our galaxy, assuming that we get proper cryogenics, travel throughout the galaxy is a matter of how long it will take us, not if it will happen.
Hell, there's water on Enceladus
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8110000/newsid_8118400/8118491.stm
Europa is very likely to have water as well.
Mars is thought to have water, but not guaranteed. The moon is being inspected for water particles within the next few months.
There's likely to be life within our solar system. Intelligent life? No, but considering the amount of moons that have primitive lifeforms around us here, there might just be something bigger in our Galaxy.
Or... maybe (Mass Effect and Revelation Space spoilers ahead) [spoiler]The universe is ruled by a bunch of sentient robots that have the sole purpose of extinguishing intelligent life, and react to trigger points implanted in artifacts they've placed around the universe.[/spoiler]
HTA, you said "why would we be the first?"
But with that, why would we be the last?
If there are lifeforms on other planets, I doubt there's only 1 other planet with them.
Quote from: JrDude ♪ on June 25, 2009, 12:33:20 AM
That was basically the original thought of them. Green nude things with big heads and black eyes.
if you think about it, creatures have to adapt to their environment. If they lived on an amphibious planet that was dark most of the time, then they would look like that.
Quote from: Mutilator<Seven> on June 26, 2009, 02:48:57 PM
if you think about it, creatures have to adapt to their environment. If they lived on an amphibious planet that was dark most of the time, then they would look like that.
So if someone lived in the dark for 40 years, when they come out, they look green, have big heads, and have black eyes? And they'd be nude for some reason?
Yeah that makes sense.
Quote from: JrDude ♪ on June 26, 2009, 04:11:20 PM
So if someone lived in the dark for 40 years, when they come out, they look green, have big heads, and have black eyes? And they'd be nude for some reason?
Yeah that makes sense.
it takes a long, long, LONG time for that kinda of change to happen
Quote from: JrDude ♪ on June 26, 2009, 04:11:20 PM
So if someone lived in the dark for 40 years, when they come out, they look green, have big heads, and have black eyes? And they'd be nude for some reason?
Yeah that makes sense.
if a species lived in the dark always, then they would have a white complexion, black eyes for good vision, and would be nude for some reason.
Quote from: Jono2 on June 26, 2009, 08:25:44 PM
if a species lived in the dark always, then they would have a white complexion, black eyes for good vision, and would be nude for some reason.
they may not have eyes at all
Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? Almost certainly yes, it'd be arrogant to say otherwise.
Does sentient life exist elsewhere in the universe? Probably, although the chances of our civilizations directly contacting each other are extremely low unless there exists a magical technology like Element Zero in Mass Effect that we haven't considered.
However, remnants of humanity will exist unto the death of the universe--we've sent satellites like Voyager into deep space, and even if those are lost, our radio signals will move relatively unhindered throughout space, as there really isn't anything to block or absorb them. For me, the fact that we've managed even that level of permanence on the universe is very comforting.
dunno if it was said earlier, but radio signals fade to static after about a lightyear. Not that they wouldn't probably be recoverable.
I forget what the math was, but it came down to saying that the probability of sentient life existing outside of earth was something like 28000:1, considering the known size of the universe.