Life in the Universe? To me, no question...

[ThatPurpleGuy]

Why do I think it has to exist??

Well based on sheer weight of numbers of stars in the universe and the discovery of planets outside our solar system its very possible that there is life scattered throughout the universe.

To me it is not a question of whether it exists or not but a question of whether there is a universal combination for life as in oxygen, water and a heat source (star) as well as DNA and atoms like here on Earth or can life exist in many forms. Think about a planet where maybe the inhabitants breathe methane or don't breathe at all for that matter. Where there is no surface and life there has evolved to be able to deal with the conditions.These are just hypotheticals of course as it could also be possible that there are just billions of earth duplicates where the combinations have come together like in our solar system.

I may sound arrogant saying "I know for sure" but of course I don't know 100%, noone does. Im only going off the vast weight of evidence pointing to this. I just find it very hard to believe that our planet is the ONLY source of life in the entire universe.

 

[S.R.S.]

So do I. It seems implausible that "Space" as big as it is would be only populated by us. However I'd like to talk to Bowie about life on Mars...

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Well. Look at it this way. We exist. So there must be others.
Why? What are the chances we exist? How many planets out there?
If we can exist against the odds, then there are bound to be others.
May be less advanced or more advanced, but we may never know.
We could suddenly die as a species before any contact with any other races

 

[Davrel]

Its an almost mathematical certainty; the details just vary depending on which scientific explanation of the Universe you subscribe to.

I would be arrogant beyond compare to deny outright the existence of other life somewhere in the Universe; even the damn Vatican (don't get me started on religion) is open to the possibility.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

The universe is far too vast for me to deny the possibility.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Who cares? The odds of extraterrestrial life contacting us or us contacting them in our lifetimes is slimmer than none.

Who knows, maybe the earth is an anomaly in the universe. It's a pretty fucked up place in the cosmic ballet that is the universe.

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

Its an almost mathematical certainty; the details just vary depending on which scientific explanation of the Universe you subscribe to.

I would be arrogant beyond compare to deny outright the existence of other life somewhere in the Universe; even the damn Vatican (don't get me started on religion) is open to the possibility.

Really, The vatican?? Thats why I put that little "disclaimer" at the end. I don't want this getting religious cos its often religious people that rule out this sort of stuff.

Im glad to see people here can see it like I do. I actually wrote this cos I had a friendly argument with a friend and he's argument was that humans were "created" as the intelligent form of life for the universe(lololololol<--well thats what I though of his statement anyway)and yes he is somewhat religious.

 

[Robert632]

The odds of aliens coming to earth are very small, as we are known to slaughter our own people, so whats to stop us slaughtering them, but I do believe life exisits somewhere else in the galaxy.

 

[Davrel]

Its an almost mathematical certainty; the details just vary depending on which scientific explanation of the Universe you subscribe to.

I would be arrogant beyond compare to deny outright the existence of other life somewhere in the Universe; even the damn Vatican (don't get me started on religion) is open to the possibility.

Really, The vatican?? Thats why I put that little "disclaimer" at the end. I don't want this getting religious cos its often religious people that rule out this sort of stuff.

Im glad to see people here can see it like I do. I actually wrote this cos I had a friendly argument with a friend and he's argument was that humans were "created" as the intelligent form of life for the universe(lololololol<--well thats what I though of his statement anyway)and yes he is somewhat religious.

Here we go: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7399661.stm

That's not the only article about it either - I just trust the BBC more.

Might help change your friend's mind, especially if he's Catholic. Then again it might have the complete opposite effect, but c'est la vie!

 

[Xrysthos]

Life in the Universe is almost a certainty in my mind. Even though the chances of life evolving are very small, the sheer amount of planets suitable for life in the Universe make it almost certain that some exists. It may not be intelligent, it may not have flying saucers and Death Star technology, but that there is life somewhere else than here is pretty certain. At least in my opinion. Just look at Mass Effect! You keep exploring these fringe systems, and maybe 1 in 3 galaxies contains a planet suitable for life. Our detailed knowledge of other planets is pretty much limited to our own solar system, so who's to say E.T. isn't closer than we think? It'd be cool to see if aliens at all resembled humans, or what kind of evolutionary path they had taken to become the top species on their planet. I just hope they aren't bugs or lizard-people. I fucking hate bugs and lizard-people.

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

Life in the Universe is almost a certainty in my mind. Even though the chances of life evolving are very small, the sheer amount of planets suitable for life in the Universe make it almost certain that some exists. It may not be intelligent, it may not have flying saucers and Death Star technology, but that there is life somewhere else than here is pretty certain. At least in my opinion. Just look at Mass Effect! You keep exploring these fringe systems, and maybe 1 in 3 galaxies contains a planet suitable for life. Our detailed knowledge of other planets is pretty much limited to our own solar system, so who's to say E.T. isn't closer than we think? It'd be cool to see if aliens at all resembled humans, or what kind of evolutionary path they had taken to become the top species on their planet. I just hope they aren't bugs or lizard-people. I fucking hate bugs and lizard-people.

Yeah I think over the years of science fiction we have cooked up our own images of what life could be like but they all base it on the ideas they have from earth. For example whenever you see "Little green men" they are always walking and talking. What if there are other forms of communication and movement that we just haven't thought about? Also Flying Saucers are another thing from man which is flight. What if out there other life-forms can teleport or travel light speed?? Ahhh the possibilities are endless!!

Even if our closest life form was revolving around our nearest star (alpha centauri)that would make it at least 1.5 light years away which with our current technology would probably take hundreds of years to get to.

@Davrel- He's actually a really good guy but when it comes to religion its actually no point arguing with him. He adopts the "Im right, your wrong" mentality which is kind of hard to argue with...I just know he is a smart guy so deep down he must know I'm right

 

[JEBWrench]

*snip*
Im only going off the vast weight of evidence pointing to this. I just find it very hard to believe that our planet is the ONLY source of life in the entire universe.

While I don't disagree with the likelihood of intelligent life somewhere, you might want to reconsider phrasing this.

There is no evidence. None. No hard evidence whatsoever of intelligent life anywhere else on the universe.

Thus the Fermi Paradox.

Various edits: Because it's too early to be morning.

 

[Distorted Stu]

Life out there HAS to exsist!

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

*snip*
Im only going off the vast weight of evidence pointing to this. I just find it very hard to believe that our planet is the ONLY source of life in the entire universe.

While I don't disagree with the likelihood of intelligent life somewhere, you might want to reconsider phrasing this.

There is no evidence. None. No hard evidence whatsoever of intelligent life anywhere else on the universe.

Thus the Fermi Paradox.

Various edits: Because it's too early to be morning.

Yeah I see what you mean but surely people should know what I mean. I just didn't want to seem like a know-all, thats all. In my lifetime this subject will always remain hypothetical.

 

[Vrex360]

Given the scope and scale of the universe and existance I find it almost incontravertible that other world life must exist, it may be impossibly far away but I can assure you, it must exist somewhere.

[sub]I like the way people say 'intelligent life' out there because that falsely implies intelligent life down here, ahhhh silly humans.... THEY MUST BE PURGED!!!!![/sub]

 

[JEBWrench]

Yeah I see what you mean but surely people should know what I mean. I just didn't want to seem like a know-all, thats all. In my lifetime this subject will always remain hypothetical.

Which is a shame, because it's a brilliantly interesting topic. Almost to the point where hard evidence one way or the other would be a bit disappointing.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

If the universe is infinite, as some believe, then life's existence somewhere else is inevitable. No matter how unlikely the occurance, as long as you have an infinite space, the probability is that it will have repeated. If the chance of life on a planet is one in a hundred, and you have two hundred planets, it's happened twice. (I'm simplifyig but you get the gist.)

 

[Zacharine]

I will not go so far as to say life other than us has to exist out there on anything above bacterial scale.

I however, find it extremely likely. But in line with the scientific principle and my own philosophy of

"I say 'I know' only when I can show, 'likely' when I think it so and 'possibly' when either way it could go."

I can't truly say for certain one way or another. I do not know if there is or isn't complex life out there. I find it likely though, and certain on microbial level (we have found micro-organism from the cold of space and meteoroid surfaces.)

 

[teisjm]

The more obvious question, will they open good fast-food joints on earth when we meet?

Yeah, i beliv etheres life somewhere out there, theres so many soalr systems and so many planets, chances are theres conditions that allow life.