Discussion: Aliens

[Paradoxium]

I don't buy into the idea that there is "intelligent alien life" elsewhere in the universe, because right now the evidence is either weak or non-existent. For me, that simply exists in the various forms of science fiction, from print to celluloid. If there is alien life, it's probably more on the smaller scale of things (microscopic, simple celled life). If more evidence comes in for more complex alien life, either similar in complexity as what we on our planet or more advanced, then I will change my views accordingly.

I pretty much agree on this.

I don't believe in aliens. At least not existing simultaneously with humans. The often forgotten variable is TIME. Look how old the universe is and where we stand in parallel. Let alone aliens of incredible sentience.

The exception to the case is, somehow time is not linear and is a separate plate.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

There's a conspiracy section?

awesome.

Here comes my "Is America building a real life Metal Gear?" thread.

 

[Marx]

There's a conspiracy section?

awesome.

Here comes my "Is America building a real life Metal Gear?" thread.

Feel free to discuss that here...

Discussion: Conspiracies and Cover Ups
http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=322871&highlight=Conspiracies

 

[souvlaki]

I know, this doesn't seem like a political thread, but it is. It is one of those fun, alternate history type threads. The question is, what if extra-terrestrial life forms landed in a space ship on the front lawn of the White House tomorrow morning? What would the reaction be? Would our political system survive? How would our leaders respond? Discuss this from a political angle ranging from local to national to international.

Depends. Are we talking hostile aliens, or friendly aliens?

 

[GreenKToo]

Not really. Mathematically we are missing an important variable and without said variable it is impossible for us to say one way another. If I drop a million pennies onto the ground, the odds are not in my favor that one of them will turn into a quarter. Quanity does not equal likelihood. There is just as good a chance that we can be entirely unique, the one exception to the rule, where all the stars lined up perfectly for life to form as there is that we are not. Until we know the crucial variable (under what circumstances and conditions life forms and evolves) we cannot say one way or another which is likely.

At any rate, we're getting off topic. This is not a thread on if aliens exisit. It is how they would effect our political spectrum if they landed.

I disagree somewhat. There are literally HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of galaxies, with each containing hundreds of billions of stars. Out of all those galaxies, how many of those have planets capable of supporting life? probably millions, if not hundreds of millions.
Out of those how many contain intelligent life capable of creating the tools necessary to communicate and travel? thousands? hundreds of thousands?
The odds favor that some sort of intelligent life is out there somewhere, but we just wont ever see it because of the great distance involved.

Anywho, if a spacecraft landed unexpectedly on the white house lawn, I think you would see instant panic and a mass mobilization of the military. Religion would probably break down, along with mass riots occuring world wide. Several goverments could fail as well. Wall street? forgetaboutit.

 

[Carcharodon]

I disagree somewhat. There are literally HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of galaxies, with each containing hundreds of billions of stars. Out of all those galaxies, how many of those have planets capable of supporting life? probably millions, if not hundreds of millions.
Out of those how many contain intelligent life capable of creating the tools necessary to communicate and travel? thousands? hundreds of thousands?
The odds favor that some sort of intelligent life is out there somewhere, but we just wont ever see it because of the great distance involved.

This is a logical fallacy.

 

[Nivek]

It is more than possible that not only are we not alone, but this mudball has had visitors from other worlds/ dimensions.

The amount of galaxies with systems similar to ours... it's just silly to me to think otherwise.

 

[GreenKToo]

There is no getting around the numbers. With numbers as great as those, the only question I have is can some support life? The odds are that some can and probably do.

 

[Nivek]

Hubble Deep Probe.

If your talking number odds, we don't even know how many galaxies are even out there.

 

[GreenKToo]

Hubble Deep Probe.

If your talking number odds, we don't even know how many galaxies are even out there.

Oh I know. I've heard astronomers estimate that 400 billion Galaxies are in the known universe, but thats just their best educated guesses.

 

[Matt]

It is more than possible that not only are we not alone, but this mudball has had visitors from other worlds/ dimensions.

The amount of galaxies with systems similar to ours... it's just silly to me to think otherwise.

There is no getting around the numbers. With numbers as great as those, the only question I have is can some support life? The odds are that some can and probably do.

Once again though, quanity is irrelevant if you do not have an important variable. In this case we have numerous variables missing. There are too many questions. What causes life? What conditions are needed? How many planets support these conditions? Under what circumstances does INTELLIGENT life evolve? Until we answer all of these questions, simply saying, "There are lots of planets," really proves nothing. We could be a one in a billion long shot or we can be entirely common but right now, we don't know.

 

[Matt]

Depends. Are we talking hostile aliens, or friendly aliens?

Break down both.

 

[Carcharodon]

There is no getting around the numbers. With numbers as great as those, the only question I have is can some support life? The odds are that some can and probably do.

You can't make the assertion that "the odds are in favor" of life existing outside of our planet based on the number of habitable planets alone. Besides, this is off-topic.

 

[souvlaki]

Break down both.

Hostile aliens would be more or less a moot point. Any alien lifeform that has the ability to travel thousands of lightyears to visit us surely has the ability to wipe us out before we even have a chance to react. If they came here simply to make contact with us I can't even imagine how we, as a country would react. I'm going to have to give this subject a little more thought, but I'd imagine that it would cause us to put aside our differences, at least momentarily, with other countries and come together as a planet. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked in the least if being contacted by aliens would eventually lead to some form of a world government.

 

[GreenKToo]

Its hard to believe that intelligent life could even travel here giving the great distances. BUT, if it did, I think it would be something similar to what we saw in independence day, where the whole civilization has been traveling through space for untold years.
They would prolly think no more of us than we do ants.

 

[Nivek]

We could be a one in a billion long shot or we can be entirely common but right now, we don't know.

And thats the magic! Personally, I like the idea that our universe is full of life, and that our Carbon based life forms are just one type of life, and there are other sentient lifeforms that we cannot really grasp. Life is too funky of a thing to placate with comparing it to just this planet and it's varied but unique organisms.

 

[VampElvis]

First, you're not considering interdimensionality.

Second, if you're serious about this, http://www.exopolitics.org/

 

[bunk]

NASA videos