Aliens/ancient astronauts : do you believe in them?

[Caveworm]

I?ve recently just finished a book called ?Aliens: Why They Are Here?. It examines the whole UFO culture right from Kenneth Arnold and Roswell, through to the MIB and abduction stories, but from a point of view that asks us to consider it in terms of a modern mythology, something that reflects human psyche. Back in the Middle Ages, we were scared of God, so we'd see devils and fairies. Now, we're uneasy of new technology and The Other (race, gender, sexuality, religion, political agendas), so we see shining silver discs and militant creatures who abduct us. Or so it argues - very good history of ufology too.

I?ve also been watching the History Channel and the first season of Ancient Aliens. Whilst interesting, I do believe that some of the ancient astronaut theories are a bit far fetched and could be viewed as people seeing what they want to see to validate their beliefs (the pyramids having electricity for example). How some of our ancient ancestor?s built their monolithic structures does raise questions, but I personally believe that there isn?t enough concrete evidence to suggest ancient astronauts played a part in our evolution as a species.

So yes, do you fellow Escapist?s believe in ET?S visiting earth, playing a part in our early history, or do you think it is all a load of tosh? Any of you had your own out of this world experience?

(bugger, didn't see we already had topic on the subject-my bad).

 

[Casual Shinji]

I think it's bullcrap.

All these ancient astronaut theories seem to suggest that humanity on a whole lacks any inventiveness; How could we have build the pyramids? How could we have made the Nazca lines?

From the way these ancient alien believers talk you'd think we couldn't even wipe our own ass without the help of E.T.

 

[Esotera]

I've read that book, and felt it didn't really address anything besides from saying that there was a potential that they could have been here, and at the end suddenly started talking about the specifics of where they were from with absolutely no evidence to back it up.

The thing about these sorts of stories are that they're not testable, and don't really make sense. Why would aliens need to continually visit our culture, and if so why don't we see them now? Why would someone who has mastered interstellar travel require primitive beings on the ground to create landing pads for them?

 

[Thaluikhain]

There is no actual evidence whatsoever for them.

Hell, why does nobody seem to claim that aliens visited 70 million years ago, and that dinosaurs still exist in alien zoos somewhere?

 

[Nouw]

I think that it's ridiculous but can make for a great film.

 

[the Dept of Science]

As impressive as the pyramids and Nazca lines are, you would have thought that if there were beings capable of interestellar travel we would have something a bit more impressive than simply large ancient structures. Some technology that isn't made out of rocks, for example.

I think that it's ridiculous but can make for a great film.

Yea, like the most recent Indiana Jones movie...

 

[bluepilot]

Spock exists and he is a half-alien and therefore aliens must be real

As impressive as the pyramids and Nazca lines are, you would have thought that if there were beings capable of interestellar travel we would have something a bit more impressive than simply large ancient structures. Some technology that isn't made out of rocks, for example.

I think that it's ridiculous but can make for a great film.

Yea, like the most recent Indiana Jones movie...

Oh no, you mentioned it, the horror, the horror!!!

On reflection, I don't believe in aliens but I do believe in Star Trek

 

[Imthatguy]

I call bullshit but, it is very odd, that the proponents of this theory have the arrogance to believe that a space faring species has any interest in primitive Man yet have the self defeatism to state that Man's early wonders where only the product of alien intervention.

 

[Da Orky Man]

As impressive as the pyramids and Nazca lines are, you would have thought that if there were beings capable of interestellar travel we would have something a bit more impressive than simply large ancient structures. Some technology that isn't made out of rocks, for example.

I think that it's ridiculous but can make for a great film.

Yea, like the most recent Indiana Jones movie...

That was NOT a good film. Do not mention it agian. There were only ever three Indiana Jones movies. Three, I say!

Anyway, almost like the bloke I quoted said, though the Pyramids and Nazca lines are al impressive and such, any modern skyscaper is considerably harder to build. The whole reason the pyramids are the shape they are is because that was the only way they didn't fall down. And the Nazca lines can be done with easy bronze-age tech.

 

[Starik20X6]

I dunno. I suppose anything's possible, but it's highly unlikely. Like, I'm more likely to be hit by a meteorite the same day I win the lottery and bang Christina Hendricks level of unlikely.

For now, I'm not worried about it. Gotta focus on the more important things in life. Like trying to win the lottery and bang Christina Hendricks.

 

[Lucyfer86]

I want to believe!
But due to lack of available evidence it's hard to say.
I've personally seen couple phenomenon i can't explain. Aliens? Maybe, maybe not.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

I think the theory is false. It hinges on guesses and assumptions, not much else. its a conspiracy theorists wet dream for civilization to be created by aliens, but there is virtually no evidence to suggest this, and the evidence that does exist is circumstantial and dubious at best.

That being said, it did make a great set up for the Stargate franchise.

 

[Ranorak]

As impressive as the pyramids and Nazca lines are, you would have thought that if there were beings capable of interestellar travel we would have something a bit more impressive than simply large ancient structures. Some technology that isn't made out of rocks, for example.

I think that it's ridiculous but can make for a great film.

Yea, like the most recent Indiana Jones movie...

He said great movie, not pile of garbage.


Anyway, OT.

Of course not.
to quote cracked;

The architects of millennia past actually had some pretty damn spiffy techniques for moving enormous objects from one place to another, and none of them involved just throwing as many Jews at the project as possible.

For one, the Egyptians actually used independent contractors just like the Empire did when they built the Second Death Star. Researchers have found that small teams of professional laborers could have done much more with a little ingenuity than hundreds of thousands of peons, no matter how hard you whipped them. It's very probable that they simply put the rocks on barges and towed them along the Nile to their destination.

But how did they stack them so high, you ask? Well, fortunately, the Pyramids happened to have a pyramidal shape, which was ideally-suited for a system of ramps. That's right, it was an astounding coincidence that the shape of the building happened to also be the easiest possible way to move the stones up that building.

The people of the past are just as smart as we are now (considering they're not exposed to reality tv or Foxnews, perhaps even smarter) it'll be arrogant to think they couldn't have build those things by themselves.

 

[nuba km]

By probability I believe that aliens probably exist but I don't think they have come to earth.

 

[BodomBeachChild]

I believe in aliens, but I doubt any are like us or advanced enough to come here.
I'm going on an Ancient Alien marathon while I put some projects in EVE together and it is mentling my brain =(
My coworkers love it, but the way these people talk are idiots. Everything under the sun was caused by aliens =\

 

[Vuliev]

Just going to post something for everyone here, regardless of your opinions on "alien help":

Humans May be One of the First Advanced Species in the Universe [http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/04/weekend-feature-humans-may-be-one-of-the-first-advanced-species-in-our-universe-dimitar-sasselov-of-.html]

And there's my answer to your question, OP. Humans certainly did have the capability to build things like the Pyramids, and it honestly seems preposterous that an interstellar alien civilization would want to help us at the dawn of ours.

 

[MetalMagpie]

I believe other intelligent life is out there somewhere (the universe is a big place - it seems statistically likely) but I don't believe we've been visited by aliens, or stand much chance of being visited before we disappear as a species.

The distances involved get so huge so fast that (unless faster-than-light travel is a lot easier than we think it is) it's statistically very unlikely that there is intelligent life near enough to visit us.

The historical stuff I find a little eye-rolling. Human beings are smart, and have been smart for a long time. We are a species that makes the seemingly impossible happen. If you can accept that modern-day engineers can design computers that beat human beings at chess, why not accept that ancient engineers could build the pyramids?

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I have a theory that all of these cases and incidents of alien and UFO sightings are all done for misdirecting the public at large.

In the past, stories and legends were told of horrible beasts and phenomenons to others in order to keep them in a state a fear and to be weary of certain actions. In turn, this kept corrupt leaders in power and allowed evil individuals and psychopaths to get away with murdering children and raping women, blaming it on the stories and legends.

Now, as the government has secretly been developing new technologies that are intended to be out of the public's view, individuals tend to speculate that these sightings of advanced technology are the work of aliens from beyond our solar system. Rather than the government attempting to keep the people calm (because they can't admit to their own technology), they "deny" the existence of aliens in an attempt to convince people that "aliens exist."

 

[Kahunaburger]

Are there, somewhere in this giant universe, other complicated self-replicating chemical reactions like us? Probably.

Have they visited this planet, stomped on some grain, mutilated some cattle, probed some butts, built some pyramids, and for some reason not made their presence known? Probably not.