Religion and extra terrestrial life:

[Polymath257]

There are two questions here: whether there could be life on planets orbiting other stars and what effect it would have on us if such life were discovered.

For the first, the fact that bacteria developed quite rapidly on Earth *suggests* that life itself develops quite easily. But, the fact that *multi-cellular* life didn't develop for another 3 billion years suggest that step to be much more difficult.

Now think about it. The human species has been around 100,000 years (give or take) and has had agriculture for about 1/10 that amount of time. We have had radio technology for about 100 years. How long do you expect us to survive? Another 10,000 years? If we are lucky?

Even considering that there are many planets out there and that there are many in habitable zones, the development of *intelligent, technological* life is likely to be a very rare thing. And, when it does develop, it might not last that long. So the *real* question is what the likelihood of *overlap* is for our species and any others in, say, our galaxy.

Unfortunately, I would bet that likelihood is quite small. We may well be alone in our galaxy during the time we exist. Given the Fermi paradox, this seems to be supported by the evidence, although certainly not conclusively.

How it would affect us if we did manage to find other intelligent species is a good question. It certainly wouldn't affect my atheism.

 

[Thumper]

There are two questions here: whether there could be life on planets orbiting other stars and what effect it would have on us if such life were discovered.

For the first, the fact that bacteria developed quite rapidly on Earth *suggests* that life itself develops quite easily. But, the fact that *multi-cellular* life didn't develop for another 3 billion years suggest that step to be much more difficult.

Now think about it. The human species has been around 100,000 years (give or take) and has had agriculture for about 1/10 that amount of time. We have had radio technology for about 100 years. How long do you expect us to survive? Another 10,000 years? If we are lucky?

Even considering that there are many planets out there and that there are many in habitable zones, the development of *intelligent, technological* life is likely to be a very rare thing. And, when it does develop, it might not last that long. So the *real* question is what the likelihood of *overlap* is for our species and any others in, say, our galaxy.

Unfortunately, I would bet that likelihood is quite small. We may well be alone in our galaxy during the time we exist. Given the Fermi paradox, this seems to be supported by the evidence, although certainly not conclusively.

How it would affect us if we did manage to find other intelligent species is a good question. It certainly wouldn't affect my atheism.

I would expect that eventually we will find life in other niches here in our own solar system, perhaps in places like the bottom of Valles Marineris or Europa or even Titan. At least nematodes or some other extremophiles.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

btw....God is an ET...by definition

So are Angels. If you're a Jew, Christian, Muslim or some other religion that believes in similar beings, you technically already believe in ETs.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

There are two questions here: whether there could be life on planets orbiting other stars and what effect it would have on us if such life were discovered.

For the first, the fact that bacteria developed quite rapidly on Earth *suggests* that life itself develops quite easily. But, the fact that *multi-cellular* life didn't develop for another 3 billion years suggest that step to be much more difficult.

Now think about it. The human species has been around 100,000 years (give or take) and has had agriculture for about 1/10 that amount of time. We have had radio technology for about 100 years. How long do you expect us to survive? Another 10,000 years? If we are lucky?

Even considering that there are many planets out there and that there are many in habitable zones, the development of *intelligent, technological* life is likely to be a very rare thing. And, when it does develop, it might not last that long. So the *real* question is what the likelihood of *overlap* is for our species and any others in, say, our galaxy.

Unfortunately, I would bet that likelihood is quite small. We may well be alone in our galaxy during the time we exist. Given the Fermi paradox, this seems to be supported by the evidence, although certainly not conclusively.

How it would affect us if we did manage to find other intelligent species is a good question. It certainly wouldn't affect my atheism.

You're assuming that life must be like ours. Maybe there are beings of pure energy, extradimensional beings, advanced AIs created by species far older and more advanced than ours. Who knows! The possibilities are nearly endless. If humans are the most advanced species in existence (which I already don't believe), that's sad indeed.

 

[Polymath257]

You're assuming that life must be like ours. Maybe there are beings of pure energy, extradimensional beings, advanced AIs created by species far older and more advanced than ours. Who knows! The possibilities are nearly endless. If humans are the most advanced species in existence (which I already don't believe), that's sad indeed.

Given that we don't know of *anything* that is 'pure energy', I'm inclined to think pure energy beings aren't possible. Extra-dimensional might be possible, depending on the laws of physics as applied to those extra dimensions. Whether advanced AIs qualify is a debatable point, but such are likely at least possible. And, I was assuming a chemical basis for life rather than, say life on a neutron star a la Dragon's Egg.