Do you believe in Aliens? Do you believe there are other planets with life on them? Intelligent life? Advanced life? Do you believe they've visited us? Do you believe the government is hiding information from us? Personally, I totally believe in aliens. There is just way too much space out there for life to be wasted on one planet. Yes, it was - in my opinion - all random inevitablities, but why can't that happen somewhere else. I also believe that the other lifeforms could be more advanced than we are. The universe has been around for billions of years. Who's to say we're the first planet with life. Science has only been around for 300 years here on earth. It took 60 years to get a computer from the size of a warehouse down to your desktop, but only a ten to make it fit into a micro chip. We're advancing exponentially. What could we do in another 300 years. What have other planets done in their 300 years? I can't say I believe they've visited us just yet. There's a chance, but I'm not convinced. There's all kind of 'proof' out there of aliens visiting in ancient times; cave drawings, literature, etc. Not to mention, they say that the pyramids in Egytpt are so much like the pyramids in Maya. This is were it gets a little sketchy. Those civilizations were thousands of years apart. Information could easily have been passed through the generations (granted it would have been very skewed) but still.. it doesn't have to be aliens that caem down and gave them advanced tech. And with cave drawings and such.. maybe people were just really good story tellers back then.. they had to be. Anyway, that's my take on them. I kind of went everywhere with that, and my thoughts didn't come out just right, and I'm sure I'm missing some of it, but that's what discussion is for. What are your thoughts?
Sure. If you look at the estimated size of the universe, you'll see it's pretty much statistically impossible for this planet to be the only with life. How far, how different, and how advanced is just speculation at this point.
...i can't believe there aren't, since it's the height of arrogance to think the lowly human is the only sentient life form in the vastness of the universe... ...ditto above... ...ditto the ditto... ...ditto that, too, since it wouldn't take much to be more advanced than a species that uses only 10-15% of their mental capacity... ...again, can't believe no one hasn't ever done so... ...you're kidding, right?!!
Visiting aliens will look at humainty and wonder the same thing as all the humans: "I wonder what they taste like?"
remember the classic twilight zone/outer limits episode titled 'to serve man'? this might interest you: http://saysmom.com/maia/content.asp?Writing=132 it's titled 'top dogs and bottom feeders' with the tag line, "whose pet are you?"
We're spoiled by popular science fiction, particularly on TV and cinema. Fo rtoo long we have been exposed to laterally symmetric bipedal aliens with more or less humanoid shape, simply because of the need for human actors to portray them (for te most part). But look at the wide variety here on this one planet, with one of an uncountable number of biochemical bases. Life adapts to every ecological niche here, and it's reasonable to believe the same will be true elsewhere in the Universe. So as far as I'm concerned, the relevant question is not whether there is intelligent life in the Universe, but will we recognize it when we see it? As for intelligence, our only definition of it is reflexive - life that can reason in ways that we can. We undoubtedly will be humbled when we begin to meet other sentient life forms. Also, will they have any interest in us? Will they even consider us a life form, much less an intelligent one?
If aliens do exist, it begs the question, what do they make of all our television and radio broadcasts. If they ever make contact I feel truly sorry for whoever has to explain things Independence Day and War of the Worlds to them.
I completely agree. There's no reason to suggest that alien life WILL be humaniod, nore is there a remote possibility that they will. The only possible reason for humanoid Aliens would be convergant evolution, which is still one of the longest-long shots there is.
I know, I was just saying it's pretty much going to be impossilbe to find humanoid versions. But, IT'S OUT THERE!
Even if its just mirco organisms, that's amazing. I really wish they could find it in my life time. -sigh-
It's silly to think otherwise, isnt it? While it was chance that brought watersacs like you and I to this earth, space is infinite, and therefore infinite possibilities for similar circumstances. I have no idea how advanced they'd be. It's very likely that there's some similar microbacteria out there, though, at very least. I dont know about the little green men theory, but there's got to be something. I'd love to find it. Space both fascinates and terrifies me.
You know if the universe is infinity with infinite possibilities, then there has to be at least one green men species out there!
I find myself wondering all the time-I wonder if there's an alien who's eating right now like I am-or do they EAT at all?? So yeah I believe aliens exist. What kind of aliens though, I have no idea. There might be alien species way advanced than us, because there are stars older than the Sun-and we don't even know the exact extent of the Universe. Someone else may disagree, but I feel that even if Science is advancing, it'll become more and more dificult to find them, because the Universe IS expanding. We might come across something accidently, but the way humans are going on right now-there are possibilities we never do find those othe "green men". Unless they find us.
hmm... aliens. I personally believe that aliens do exist, I mean as many people have said the universe is so vast how could it be possible that we are the only ones out there? As for the government concealing or hiding information from us I have to agree with mammamaia ARE YOU KIDING?!?!?!? The real question is have they already visited us? Well I think that they have, I would say I have had some 'direct contact' but I don't want to sound crazy so....
That's a myth. http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percent.asp If we can ever find a way to communicate with them I wonder if we will find they have the same questions about life we do. What will their philosophy be like? That's my real wonder. For any Star Wars lovers reading this thread pick up The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos. A truly interesting and (for me) enlightening read.
I definately believe in Aliens, but I dont think we'll ever come into contact with another life for a few thousand years yet. I agree, I dont see why we'd be the only life form in space, and if it happened by coincidence, then i dont see why that couldn't have happened somewhere else in space. It's scary to think of it though - imagine the trust issues lmao. I think if there is another life, they wouldnt look much different from us. Atleast i cant think why they would, if they occured the same way and the earth was similar. It'd be amazing to see how their planet grew in comparison to us - did they save their resources, or waste them? Did their technology expand, or stay undiscovered? Do they live in houses with electricity or do they live like natives? Do they have religion on their planet? There'd be alot of questions need answering if we ever discovered another life. Plus, who's to say we'd actually be able to judge? We can only judge their intelligence in relation to our own. Truth is while they could be just like us - it's still just as possible they could be the total opposit of us. They could be jelly-people that walk upside down and live in giant pumpkins in the sea. (Yeah, i joke -but who knows?) -Actually, who says they have a sea, or legs, or walk at all? they might just be a group of sludgey parasites. AAAGH. brain overload I dont see why they'd be 'little green men' though - I think that's purely Sci-fi stuff. Although, growing up watching The X-files and being a massive fan of the show has surely influenced me. Gosh, I do love that show so much
I consider ‘life out’ there to be so complex that it is beyond human understanding, so to me, ‘aliens’ exist on a purely conceptual basis and because of this recognising them would be impossible. Lol. Man, I'm such a killjoy.
I think a humanoid shape is actually pretty likely. Two hands in enough to manipulate an object - one limits your options (you can't hold and do something to an object at the same time) - three or more doesn't really add anything new, but takes extra physical resources to grow. I think there's more scope with locomotion - extra legs do give you the advantage of stability, where this is an issue - but we've adapted a brain with better skills at balancing us instead. Again two eyes is enough to give you 3D vision, why have more? So there's a lot to be said for the humanoid figure, and while I don't think it would be as ubiquitous as it is in the Trek universe, if there's enough life out there I think it could crop up relatively frequently.
I have to disagree with this. Where there is the possibility they would turn out like us, look at the diversity on our planet alone. You can't forget we're not the only living organism on Earth. It ranges from single-cell organisms all the way up to us humans with countless things inbetween. For a self-aware, advanced civilzation, you are probably right. But what if they find something that one would consider a pet. Merely evolved for survival, not for intelligence, such as the animalia that fill out planet. Or even single celled organisms or plankton of a sort. There are infinite possiblities.
^^ Yeah, but i meant assuming that they were humanoid lol sorry. and assuming they have all diversities that we have here. I was just basically saying that it's possible that they were an earth-clone but evolved differently.
The universe is finite, albeit (literally) astronomically vast. So mathematically speaking, there is a possibility that little green men do NOT exist. And given that the range of possible forms is also astronomically vast, it is in fact qiuite possible that there are no little green men per se. iolair: The bipedal, laterally symmetrical form with two arms. two legs, two primary spatial perception organs (eyes), etc, does have advantages in our type of ecosystem, which is why it has survived. However, it isn't the only possibility by any means. Larry Niven;s Pierson'a Puppeteers, which look like a three-legged centaur with two sock puppet heads are very logical (the brain is in a well padded hump in the body, the highly dexterous mouths on the two heads act as hands, the eyes on the movable heads accurately triangulate on a target for a lethal kick from the hind leg, etc.) Aquatic/airborne life forms may have no need of legs, but they may require buoyancy bladders. Eyes may have no value in murky biospheres, echolocation may be developed to compensate, also providing detailed 3-D perception. Tentacles may be much more sensitive and agile than fingers. Mobility may take place on a different timescale than what we are used to, so the outer integument need not be as flexible as that remarkable organ we take for granted, skin, or something far more flexible and self-repairing may be needed instead. Distributed intelligence makes more sense in some ways than independent brains that are incapable of networking directly. There are many, many possibile forms to contain intelligence, and some would have distinct advantages over ours.
I didn't claim that it was the only possibility, just that there's good reason it's successful. Interestingly, one of the most intelligent (self-aware, problem solving) animals beyond primates on our Earth seems to be a species of octopus. (Also note that despite their very different environment, they independently evolved eyes very similar to those that we vertebrates have).
