Is man the only intelligent life form in the universe?

[Zadok]

Science has never been able to discover any evidence of any life in the universe other than the life we have found here on earth. One of the theories is that with random possibilities it is inevitable that there would be life and eventually intelligent life. Assuming that life would be more advanced in more mature or more evolved area of our universe – it is most interesting that we have never discovered any electrical magnetic radiation from an intelligent source similar to man or as advanced as man currently on earth.

Even accounting for the vast distances of space there are mature evolved solar systems much like our own that would have reached us with signs of intelligent use of electrical magnetic forces. Recent developments in researching nuclear fusion indicates that controlled nuclear fusion would produce a discernible electrical magnetic beacon pointing us to any intelligent life like our own that exist within the vast dimensions within tolerances of reaching us by now. But there is none.

Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?

Zadok

 

[Father Heathen]

Given that there are countless galaxies with countless solar systems, mathematically the odds are good that there are other earth like planets out there that could support life that potentially evolves into sapient beings.

And to compare such a possibility to god is silly because "alien life" would be tangible and thus observable and testable.

 

[DeitySlayer]

Even accounting for the vast distances of space there are mature evolved solar systems much like our own that would have reached us with signs of intelligent use of electrical magnetic forces.

Care to qualify that statement? No-one seriously proposes that every star system 'houses' intelligent life. Not every star system is capable of 'housing' intelligent life. This also assumes that the alien race will follow the same developmental pattern as us, developing a) technology and b) electrical magnetic technology.

 

[Reptillian]

I recently did a blog post about the probability of contacting intelligent life in our galaxy. My blog link is in my signature, check it out. I also did a post on intelligent design.

 

[Zadok]

Care to qualify that statement? No-one seriously proposes that every star system 'houses' intelligent life. Not every star system is capable of 'housing' intelligent life. This also assumes that the alien race will follow the same developmental pattern as us, developing a) technology and b) electrical magnetic technology.

Our earth is on an arm near the far outreaches of our galaxy. The Milky Way is home for billions of solar systems far more evolved than our own - but only 28 million light years away. Our own galaxy should be home to at least one other intelligent life form that reached a point in their evolution (much more than the meager 28 million years they would be from us) where we would be able to discern their presents. But nothing - no evidence at all.

The next closest galaxy - Andromeda (just a few hundred million light years away) is also home for countless possibilities but no signal.

There is absolutly no evidence - yet we believe -- why? but we do not believe in G-d Why?


Zadok

 

[Jeremiah]

Science has never been able to discover any evidence of any life in the universe other than the life we have found here on earth. One of the theories is that with random possibilities it is inevitable that there would be life and eventually intelligent life. Assuming that life would be more advanced in more mature or more evolved area of our universe – it is most interesting that we have never discovered any electrical magnetic radiation from an intelligent source similar to man or as advanced as man currently on earth.

Even accounting for the vast distances of space there are mature evolved solar systems much like our own that would have reached us with signs of intelligent use of electrical magnetic forces. Recent developments in researching nuclear fusion indicates that controlled nuclear fusion would produce a discernible electrical magnetic beacon pointing us to any intelligent life like our own that exist within the vast dimensions within tolerances of reaching us by now. But there is none.

Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?

Zadok

"Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?"

We have very convincing evidence that intelligent life can manifest in the universe: our own existence. Therefor we known it is a creditable probability.

But there is no such proof in the case of deities.

 

[Zadok]

Given that there are countless galaxies with countless solar systems, mathematically the odds are good that there are other earth like planets out there that could support life that potentially evolves into sapient beings.

And to compare such a possibility to god is silly because "alien life" would be tangible and thus observable and testable.

This is exactly my point - alien life is tangible and observable but there is not any evidence of such evidence.

Zadok

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?

It it no more absurd (I'll leave foolish alone) to believe that there is a dragon living at the center of Earth than to believe there is a God.

 

[Zadok]

"Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?"

We have very convincing evidence that intelligent life can manifest in the universe: our own existence. Therefor we known it is a creditable probability.

But there is no such proof in the case of deities.

Again - my point. We know that anyone intelligent will create an electrical magnatic beacon - just like ours. But since there is none - how can we say such intelligence would exist without evidence? How is this different that accepting the possibility of G-d without actual evidence?

Zadok

 

[Jeremiah]

Again - my point. We know that anyone intelligent will create an electrical magnatic beacon - just like ours. But since there is none - how can we say such intelligence would exist without evidence? How is this different that accepting the possibility of G-d without actual evidence?

Zadok

"How is this different that accepting the possibility of G-d without actual evidence?"

I just told you.

 

[Zadok]

It it no more absurd (I'll leave foolish alone) to believe that there is a dragon living at the center of Earth than to believe there is a God.

I sbumit there is because we know that intelligent life makes itself known - but it has not - yet people like you still believe it possible. I would like an honest answer as to why - if you have one?

Zadok

 

[Wotan]

Again - my point. We know that anyone intelligent will create an electrical magnatic beacon - just like ours. But since there is none - how can we say such intelligence would exist without evidence? How is this different that accepting the possibility of G-d without actual evidence?

Zadok

No, we don't KNOW that. We only know how our technology works. There may be an entire spectrum of technology most of which we know nothing about.

It is also possible that right now, as we speak, millions of bits of information are flying all around us. Great debates are being had, decisions of cosmic import are being made, the fate a entire planetary systems are being decided. But we know nothing about it. Because we lack the technology to read the signals.

We might well be like the bushman in world war ll. The entire world was in upheaval and he knew nothing about it.

It might be that way with us - right now. We just DON'T know.

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

This is exactly my point - alien life is tangible and observable but there is not any evidence of such evidence.
...
I sbumit there is because we know that intelligent life makes itself known - but it has not - yet people like you still believe it possible. I would like an honest answer as to why - if you have one?

People like me believe it is possible because a great deal of possible things are possible without evidence of such evidence. Basically, Alien life is possible because it does not violate the physical laws of the universe. Its also plausible because there are many planets where life such as we see on Earth could grow and survive.

Believing that alien life is possible (and plausible) is a considerably different thing to believing that a particular type of alien exists, believing that the alien is interfering with life on this planet and believing that the alien wants us all to live a certain way. You get my point here?

Whether or not alien life is probable and how common it could be is also different to the possibility of it existing. Probability of alien life is based on estimates that have to make some reasonable assumptions. For instance, the universe is an incredibly, incredibly huge place. Even if life was an exceptionally rare occurrence, which it may well be, given that the universe is so large it seems highly unlikely for it not to occur somewhere else. The likelihood of such life being within reachable distance to us is much, much slimmer.

 

[Panda]

You seem to be forgetting about the mice and the dolphins.

 

[Father Heathen]

There is absolutly no evidence - yet we believe -- why? but we do not believe in G-d Why?

There is an obvious difference between claiming something to be fact and claiming something to be possible/probable.

 

[CarlinKnew]

The difference is:

There is evidence that complex life can arise from inanimate matter under the right conditions.
There is evidence that planets similar to Earth exist which might provide the above conditions.
There is evidence that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe.

There is zero evidence that your god exists.

 

[yourhopeboundheart]

You seem to be forgetting about the mice and the dolphins.

and crows. not to mention the OP seemed to forget that women exist too. =) and they are pretty smart too.
but i dont really think that's the point.

Is it any more absurd of foolish to believe that there is intelligent life in the universe other than man any more than it absurd to believe there is a G-d?

i dont believe that it's absurd or foolish to entertain belief in either - yet believing in tangible ways that either one is totally certain would be kinda irresponsible without evidence in proportion to practice. what i mean is that even though both are equally likely (without any evidence in one direction or another), very few skeptics pray, donate money, devote time, adjust moral judgments or raise their children all on the assumption that there is alternative intelligent life (specifically intelligent life that would resemble anything like our version of intelligent or our version of life) somewhere else in the universe. if we had any way of knowing that there is NO intelligent life on any planet besides our own i doubt anyone would lose that much sleep over it. although i guarantee that no amount of evidence to the contrary would be able to convince certain fanatical believers in alien-intelligence - much like another concept i know of that there's evidence against.

 

[jmvizanko]

There is also another somewhat depressing possibility to consider. Maybe once any life acquires high technology, there is some experiment, such as a particle collider, that wipes them out. Or they just kill themselves with nukes. Or something like a meteor takes them out. Life, even on a planetary scale, is fragile. If you add in that intelligent life might only exist for a short time (relative to universe time scales), that makes our lack of contact with, despite the liklihood of other life much less surprising.

And I'd just like to second that you completely lose the comparison to god argument, from the point that has been stated several times: We have evidence that life has arisen because we exist. What reason is there to think there is an invisible man in the sky again?

 

[PolyHedral]

Our earth is on an arm near the far outreaches of our galaxy. The Milky Way is home for billions of solar systems far more evolved than our own - but only 28 million light years away. Our own galaxy should be home to at least one other intelligent life form that reached a point in their evolution (much more than the meager 28 million years they would be from us) where we would be able to discern their presents. But nothing - no evidence at all.

The next closest galaxy - Andromeda (just a few hundred million light years away) is also home for countless possibilities but no signal.

There is absolutly no evidence - yet we believe -- why? but we do not believe in G-d Why?


Zadok

Because you're confusing your units? The Milky Way is only 100,000 lightyears across, and Andromeda is only 2.5m ly away.

 

[CarlinKnew]

and crows. not to mention the OP seemed to forget that women exist too. =) and they are pretty smart too.
but i dont really think that's the point.


i dont believe that it's absurd or foolish to entertain belief in either - yet believing in tangible ways that either one is totally certain would be kinda irresponsible without evidence in proportion to practice. what i mean is that even though both are equally likely (without any evidence in one direction or another), very few skeptics pray, donate money, devote time, adjust moral judgments or raise their children all on the assumption that there is alternative intelligent life (specifically intelligent life that would resemble anything like our version of intelligent or our version of life) somewhere else in the universe. if we had any way of knowing that there is NO intelligent life on any planet besides our own i doubt anyone would lose that much sleep over it. although i guarantee that no amount of evidence to the contrary would be able to convince certain fanatical believers in alien-intelligence - much like another concept i know of that there's evidence against.

Both equally likely? One is a primitive, baseless, wishful idea, and the other is based on facts: intelligent life has already arisen on this planet, similar planets do exist, and there are trillions of planets.