What I Think About Aliens

[Kierou]

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.

[Jono2]

^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.

[jnfs2014]

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.

[えっちーせんぱい]

They probably do exist, but until we find them/it, who cares?

[JrDude]

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?

[Captain Justice]

nobody actually thought aliens were green men with giant heads........

[JrDude]

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.

[HTA!]

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.

[Gwen Khan]

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

[HTA!]

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.

[Daft Pink]

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.

[L10]

You guys are so silly.

[Jono2]

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]

[JrDude]

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.

[Mutilator7]

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.