Poll: Aliens

[Your Nightmare]

Well the chance of a complex life form is likely. But without evidence, it remains nothing but a figment of our imagination. I see it as, if you can't provide physical evidence then it doesn't exist until proven. But their is no harm in having faith aye?

 

[Samcanuck]

Yeah, why not....the universe is a big place.

 

[LetoTheTyrant]

Yes, someone is simulating our lives after all...

Should probably explain that. Some guys in some university somewhere have done the actual math (this isn't some no one talking nonsense, this was in New Scientist, and a guy from a real Uni; and it makes sense) and shown that it's almost certain that the world we know is a simulation.

Reasoning goes like this.

Sims, very popular game, simulating a city. With time the game's getting better, more realistic (Sims 2, Sims 3). Carry that further (Sims 45,374) and the Simulation will be damned near perfect.

Ok so we have computer that can now run a simulation of a whole planet.

Now, Sims was very popular, one planet, one race, was now simulating millions of little worlds. Extend that with the above, one planet, one race is now simulating millions, maybe billions of planets.

The infinite nature of space means that if there is any probability of there being life outside of earth, above 0, there'll be lots of it.

So we've got lots of life. Most likely they'll develop in intelligence and build civilizations, and computers and games. Why would we be so special to think of those things.

So this lots of life is now doing what we do, playing computer simulations, except some are gonna be more advanced, so are running whole planet simulation.

If there's one planet running billions of planet simulations, simple odds means it's more likely you're in the simulation.

Hope I've explained that well enough, you can probably find it done better elsewhere. But yeah, odds are that our world is a simulation.

 

[Skeleton Jelly]

Yes, someone is simulating our lives after all...

Should probably explain that. Some guys in some university somewhere have done the actual math (this isn't some no one talking nonsense, this was in New Scientist, and a guy from a real Uni; and it makes sense) and shown that it's almost certain that the world we know is a simulation.

Reasoning goes like this.

Sims, very popular game, simulating a city. With time the game's getting better, more realistic (Sims 2, Sims 3). Carry that further (Sims 45,374) and the Simulation will be damned near perfect.

Ok so we have computer that can now run a simulation of a whole planet.

Now, Sims was very popular, one planet, one race, was now simulating millions of little worlds. Extend that with the above, one planet, one race is now simulating millions, maybe billions of planets.

The infinite nature of space means that if there is any probability of there being life outside of earth, above 0, there'll be lots of it.

So we've got lots of life. Most likely they'll develop in intelligence and build civilizations, and computers and games. Why would we be so special to think of those things.

So this lots of life is now doing what we do, playing computer simulations, except some are gonna be more advanced, so are running whole planet simulation.

If there's one planet running billions of planet simulations, simple odds means it's more likely you're in the simulation.

Hope I've explained that well enough, you can probably find it done better elsewhere. But yeah, odds are that our world is a simulation.

Um....I think you've watched the Matrix too much.

It's a possibility, but there's no hard proof.

 

[xHipaboo420x]

You'd have to be either extremely stupid or extremely pessimistic to disbelieve in extraterrestrial life.

Of course, mankind will almost definitely never actually meet any sentient lifeforms (non-sentient remains have been recovered, however) but still.

 

[0_Insomnis_0]

I voted other, and i've a good reason for that. I want to make it clear that the probability of there being some kind of extraterrestrial life somewhere in our infinite universe is actually very good. But they probably aren't going to show up in giant spaceships and eat us. More likely than not they're a small microbe or something like that. If they do exist.

 

[Goth Skunk]

Now, it's important to be clear exactly what kind of alien I am talking about. I am not talking about little men in UFOs that are monitoring Earth. I don't believe aliens have ever visited Earth since their is nothing to suggest that they have.

Then you're not looking hard enough.

Look at the Pyramids. Not just the ones in Egypt, but all over the world. They're quite a marvel to behold, truly.

Now try and comprehend this: Primitive man, with primitive tools, no modern cranes or heavy lifters, somehow managed to lift hundred-tonne blocks of granite over and over again to create some of the tallest free-standing structures up until the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

How? I ask you, how? How can it be done without otherworldly intervention?

You go to a construction company today and ask them to build a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza using the same stones that primitive man used. With their modern equipment, they might be able to do it. It would be costly, but they might be able to do it.

Ask them to do it with the tools primitive man had? They will laugh at you and say 'it can't be done!'

And yet, it was. So then, how?

And that's just considering the Pyramids as solid structures. They actually have interiors to boot. Rooms, passageways, open chambers. I could get REALLY in depth and discuss their Solar significance as well, or how the three most famous Pyramids in Egypt align PERFECTLY with Orion's Belt, but let's just keep it simple: A solid, free-standing duplicate of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was built thousands of years ago, and yet today, modern man would have a hell of a time replicating it.

 

[Keava]

Hmm, although I COMPLETELY agree with you, aliens ARE a belief. Just how no one can prove that a god exists, and no one can prove that he doesn't. You just BELIEVE either one.

Because we can't prove aliens exist and we can't prove that they don't.

Wrong in away. See math provides basis for assumption that other life forms may exists based on the fact that we do exist and the size of universe, while concept of afterlife and thus different dieties or absolute beings has no precedence we could reference.

To make it into overly simplified math form y:x and x>0 is a chance that life can evolve, since it did on our planet y>=1 so we have at least 1:x chance, ergo there is chance for that occuring elsewhere. Since noone provided solid proof of gods or other absolute beings existance it currently stands as 0:x which equals 0

 

[rokkolpo]

most likely.

what are the odds that in a evergrowing universe we are alone.

 

[XJ-0461]

I'm saying "maybe" as the universe is so massive that it's very likely that there are some other forms of life out there. However, there is still a chance that we are alone in the universe, however unlikely that is.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Yes, I believe in aliens. They keep trying to come into this country from Mexico.
But seriously, the chances of life coming into existence are really very small, but given the immensity of the universe, it has to have happened out there somewhere.

 

[xdgt]

Depends on your definition of "Life" really. Do you want a carbon based, humanoid about the same size as human that is intelligent, posses far - space traveling technology and actually meets humans...not likely. In a broader sense however it is statistically impossible that some form of life or other doesn't exist somewhere out there. Some talking rock or viruses or plants.

 

[LetoTheTyrant]

Snip

Um....I think you've watched the Matrix too much.

It's a possibility, but there's no hard proof.

I'm not saying I really solidly believe that, just saying I've seen it suggesting by someone who did the proper math and went "hmm... could be. Interesting idea."

And either way, it's not gonna effect what I do or how I live.

But I do believe in aliens somewhere in the universe. Don't believe in UFO's and abductions mind, not one bit. But aliens being out there somewhere, yes.

 

[Skeleton Jelly]

Hmm, although I COMPLETELY agree with you, aliens ARE a belief. Just how no one can prove that a god exists, and no one can prove that he doesn't. You just BELIEVE either one.

Because we can't prove aliens exist and we can't prove that they don't.

Wrong in away. See math provides basis for assumption that other life forms may exists based on the fact that we do exist and the size of universe, while concept of afterlife and thus different dieties or absolute beings has no precedence we could reference.

To make it into overly simplified math form y:x and x>0 is a chance that life can evolve, since it did on our planet y>=1 so we have at least 1:x chance, ergo there is chance for that occuring elsewhere. Since noone provided solid proof of gods or other absolute beings existance it currently stands as 0:x which equals 0

Yeah I was kinda thinking about that after I posted it lol.

The way I see it though, is that's just probability. It's quite possible there just might be no other planet that can sustain life. It'd be lame and I personally don't believe that, but it's possible. Even if it is improbable. Some people would still like to believe that there's no chance of another planet.

I feel sorry for those type of people.

 

[crudus]

Yes. It is almost completely ignorant to think otherwise. Life has been found on the planet mars which proves that life isn't exactly an isolated event. It wouldn't take much more to start having multi-cellular life. It is however statistically unlikely that there is "intelligent" life near us since Mars is the only other life even remotely close to us.

Hydrocarbons and water... hmm....

sooooooo....the building blocks of life?

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

... Not in the sense of little green men, at least...

 

[Zacharine]

Yes. It is almost completely ignorant to think otherwise. Life has been found on the planet mars which proves that life isn't exactly an isolated event. It wouldn't take much more to start having multi-cellular life. It is however statistically unlikely that there is "intelligent" life near us since Mars is the only other life even remotely close to us.

Hydrocarbons and water... hmm....

sooooooo....the building blocks of life?

Not by themselves, but add suitable enviromental conditions for some interesting chemistry and we 'll begin to see aminoacids.

Yeah, there is a long way between 'hydrocarbon' and ' It's Alive!'. But it does show that the absolute basic requirements for organic chemistry and possibly even abiogenesis are not utterly unique to the surface of the Earth.

If there actually is life out there, is another matter entirely. Let's just simply say that if the ever drill under the ice-sheets of Europa and find extremely simple, self-replicating organic units, I will not be too surprised.