Alien life right here at home...

[LogGrad98]

Well, water in our solar system, and not frozen either. I thought this was interesting:

https://gizmodo.com/wet-dwarf-astro...our-asteroid-belt-1506837506/@andrewtarantola

"This is the first time water vapor has been unequivocally detected on Ceres or any other object in the asteroid belt and provides proof that Ceres has an icy surface and an atmosphere," wrote Michael Küppers, of the European Space Agency and lead author of the study, which was recently published in the journal Nature.

As it is a widely held belief that liquid water is the most likely way life can develop, does that mean there might be life of some sort out there? Do you think that life exists elsewhere? Would bacteria or other microorganisms count as life?

I am a life-long sci-fi fan and as such I love to think about this kind of stuff. I like to think that us being absolutely alone in the universe is the remote possibility and that really the universe is teeming with life. Along those lines, what are your thoughts on the anthropic principle? I tend to side with the strong anthropic principle.

 

[Gameface]

I have a tendency to think that intelligent living beings on the surface of a planet that is 900F would think how remarkably lucky they were to have just the right conditions to support life. I guess that makes me a WAP?

 

[Stoked]

I absolutely believe life exists out there. I'd even go so far as to say billions of planets have likfe on them. How many of them progress to inteligent life is the question.

Also, all this "why haven't they contacted earth" crap. I honestly think they have no need to. What do we posses that they cannot get elsewhere? Also I do not think that they are as Hollywood portrays them. Genocidal murderers or beings that have solved the mystery of life and are trying to enlighten others. They will be conflicted just like us.

 

[franklin]

I personally believe that life is only possible in the "Habitable Zone" similar to earth due to the laws of physics that forms life from elements. After the big bang, several of these planets formed and evolution has been progressing on them at a constant, equal rate on each planet, resulting in identical spheres with populations that could interbreed if contact was made.

 

[Stoked]

I personally believe that life is only possible in the "Habitable Zone" similar to earth due to the laws of physics that forms life from elements. After the big bang, several of these planets formed and evolution has been progressing on them at a constant, equal rate on each planet, resulting in identical spheres with populations that could interbreed if contact was made.

This matches somewhat along the lines of what I think.

 

[Hotdog]

I personally believe that life is only possible in the "Habitable Zone" similar to earth due to the laws of physics that forms life from elements. After the big bang, several of these planets formed and evolution has been progressing on them at a constant, equal rate on each planet, resulting in identical spheres with populations that could interbreed if contact was made.

Lol.

You are hilarious sometimes.

I ****ed an alien once. It was hot. I could barely tell the difference between it and an earthling.


I think its definitely possible that life is out there just because of how big we think the universe is. But it must be acknowledged just how highly improbable it was for our solar system to come together the way it did. Having the earth end up in the goldylock zone is remarkable all by itself. Then you throw in the fact that our moon is extremely important to our existence as well. Without it, our seasons would change rather quickly and dramatically in all regions, making it hard to sustain life. Thats because the moon has a stabilizing effect on earth's axis and rotation. So without the moon, our poles would shift frequently. Meaning places like America would go from conditions like the noth pole to conditions like the desert over a matter of just a few years. I think life would have a hard time dealing with that. Certainly human life.


I suppose its possible for similar conditions to exist somewhere else, or other reasons for life existing. Like maybe you have 2 suns and no moon. And somehow that planet never experiences winters or extreme summers. Maybe it has 70 degrees year around on the whole planet. Just one example I guess and there could be a lot more.

 

[addictionary]

Great thread. Subscribed.

 

[Stoked]

Lol.

You are hilarious sometimes.

I ****ed an alien once. It was hot. I could barely tell the difference between it and an earthling.


I think its definitely possible that life is out there just because of how big we think the universe is. But it must be acknowledged just how highly improbable it was for our solar system to come together the way it did. Having the earth end up in the goldylock zone is remarkable all by itself. Then you throw in the fact that our moon is extremely important to our existence as well. Without it, our seasons would change rather quickly and dramatically in all regions, making it hard to sustain life. Thats because the moon has a stabilizing effect on earth's axis and rotation. So without the moon, our poles would shift frequently. Meaning places like America would go from conditions like the noth pole to conditions like the desert over a matter of just a few years. I think life would have a hard time dealing with that. Certainly human life.


I suppose its possible for similar conditions to exist somewhere else, or other reasons for life existing. Like maybe you have 2 suns and no moon. And somehow that planet never experiences winters or extreme summers. Maybe it has 70 degrees year around on the whole planet. Just one example I guess and there could be a lot more.

For someone who is religious this is a much easier idea to accept. What is we are all God's children and He uses evolution as his method of creation?

If that is the case and He is perfect wouldn't He use the same pattern everywhere?

 

[JAZZGASM]

This is a topic I am interested in, and I have done some research in the area. Our galaxy contains somewhere between 100-400 billion stars. Scientists believe approximately 20% of the stars in OUR galaxy have planets that are in a habitable zone. That is roughly 20 billion planets (according to the Kepler mission up to 40 billion). So statistically, I have to believe there is other life, and most likely intelligent life.

As to why they have not contacted us, why have we not contacted them? (Assuming we count as intelligent life). Well, the closest potentially habitable planet to us is 12 light years away. Using maximum thrust and gravitational assist, it would take us approximately 38,000 years to get to that planet (using current technology).



Even a radio wave if uninterrupted by space radiation, etc., would take 12 years to reach a planet, and we would have to assume they have technology to interpret and respond (so a minimum of 24 years for a response assuming the message arrives).

 

[LogGrad98]

It is possible that life has occurred elsewhere with far different chemistry than our own. On our own planet we know that organism grow and thrive at and inside the openings of volcanic vents on the ocean floor in environments far closer to that on say Venus than elsewhere on Earth. I think we are underestimating the possibilities if we limit them to just what we would recognize as "life". I also think it is possible that life can exist in forms we cannot comprehend, or at least would not see as a life form.

Another question, how would the discovery that bacteria exists and has evolved completely separate from that on earth (so it wasn't a fluke asteroid striking the planet when there was nothing but bacteria here and some of it ended up by chance on a water covered body) on Europa or Titan or another moon or body in our solar system sway your thoughts about extraterrestrial life?

 

[franklin]

Lol.

You are hilarious sometimes.

I ****ed an alien once. It was hot. I could barely tell the difference between it and an earthling.

Of course I was joking but others think it's very likely since early bio-genesis would be identical and so would the makeup of DNA. If you want the full argument then read it from the Reformed Prison Rapist by clicking here, complete with links to professors from Cambridge University and McMaster University (Toronto).

 

[JAZZGASM]

Lol.

You are hilarious sometimes.

I ****ed an alien once. It was hot. I could barely tell the difference between it and an earthling.


I think its definitely possible that life is out there just because of how big we think the universe is. But it must be acknowledged just how highly improbable it was for our solar system to come together the way it did. Having the earth end up in the goldylock zone is remarkable all by itself. Then you throw in the fact that our moon is extremely important to our existence as well. Without it, our seasons would change rather quickly and dramatically in all regions, making it hard to sustain life. Thats because the moon has a stabilizing effect on earth's axis and rotation. So without the moon, our poles would shift frequently. Meaning places like America would go from conditions like the noth pole to conditions like the desert over a matter of just a few years. I think life would have a hard time dealing with that. Certainly human life.


I suppose its possible for similar conditions to exist somewhere else, or other reasons for life existing. Like maybe you have 2 suns and no moon. And somehow that planet never experiences winters or extreme summers. Maybe it has 70 degrees year around on the whole planet. Just one example I guess and there could be a lot more.

The latest I read states that while a geomagnetic reversal could lower the Earth's magnetic field (slightly increasing radiation), there is not a direct correlation to geomagnetic reversals and weather pattern shifts.

And I don't know that being in the Goldilocks zone is improbable with 20 billion planets in our own galaxy that are also in the habitable zone. I even read recently that there are two Earth sized (actually larger but similar) plants in the same solar system in the habitable zone. And they are close enough that if you are standing on one you can see the other (as we see the Moon). Pretty cool.

 

[LogGrad98]

The latest I read states that while a geomagnetic reversal could lower the Earth's magnetic field (slightly increasing radiation), there is not a direct correlation to geomagnetic reversals and weather pattern shifts.

And I don't know that being in the Goldilocks zone is improbable with 20 billion planets in our own galaxy that are also in the habitable zone. I even read recently that there are two Earth sized (actually larger but similar) plants in the same solar system in the habitable zone. And they are close enough that if you are standing on one you can see the other (as we see the Moon). Pretty cool.

Are they binary?

 

[JAZZGASM]

Are they binary?

Yes, they are binary companions.

 

[LogGrad98]

Yes, they are binary companions.

Great fodder for sci fi stories that.

 

[Hotdog]

Well, water in our solar system, and not frozen either. I thought this was interesting:

https://gizmodo.com/wet-dwarf-astro...our-asteroid-belt-1506837506/@andrewtarantola



As it is a widely held belief that liquid water is the most likely way life can develop, does that mean there might be life of some sort out there? Do you think that life exists elsewhere? Would bacteria or other microorganisms count as life?

I am a life-long sci-fi fan and as such I love to think about this kind of stuff. I like to think that us being absolutely alone in the universe is the remote possibility and that really the universe is teeming with life. Along those lines, what are your thoughts on the anthropic principle? I tend to side with the strong anthropic principle.

I dont think its a huge surprise to find water on that asteroid/planet. Its relatively close to us. So the elements should be the same. I believe their is water everywhere in the universe though. It still hasnt been ruled out that Mars has some water on it under the surcace. That wouldn't surprise me either.

I think we all instinctively know that water is the key to life.

So the probability is pretty high that life is out there condidering that the Universe is probably infinite. In fact, intelligent life might just be light years ahead of us in terms of technology and intelligence. Maybe we are out in the boonies in terms of the Universe. We may not have life anywhere near us, but maybe its abundant in some far off place. And real life Star Wars happen all the time. And our message that we sent out years ago is going to reach some space thugs and they are coming to kill us.

 

[franklin]

It is possible that life has occurred elsewhere with far different chemistry than our own. On our own planet we know that organism grow and thrive at and inside the openings of volcanic vents on the ocean floor in environments far closer to that on say Venus than elsewhere on Earth. I think we are underestimating the possibilities if we limit them to just what we would recognize as "life". I also think it is possible that life can exist in forms we cannot comprehend, or at least would not see as a life form.

Another question, how would the discovery that bacteria exists and has evolved completely separate from that on earth (so it wasn't a fluke asteroid striking the planet when there was nothing but bacteria here and some of it ended up by chance on a water covered body) on Europa or Titan or another moon or body in our solar system sway your thoughts about extraterrestrial life?

I think we comprehend life just fine. Laws of physics pretty much guarantee that alternative life forms do not exist in non-carbon or hypothetically silicone based forms. If this weren't true then we'd have The Thing jumping out of caves to scare little children.

As far as bacteria goes, that's about as lively as prions or viruses IMO. There's more to "life" than chemistry reacting like a well orchestrated symphony to external stimuli. Science needs to catch up to this.

 

[Hotdog]

I think we comprehend life just fine. Laws of physics pretty much guarantee that alternative life forms do not exist in non-carbon or hypothetically silicone based forms. If this weren't true then we'd have The Thing jumping out of caves to scare little children.

As far as bacteria goes, that's about as lively as prions or viruses IMO. There's more to "life" than chemistry reacting like a well orchestrated symphony to external stimuli. Science needs to catch up to this.

Eh..

How do we know what we dont know?

We dont have a complete understanding of the physics and chemistry around us. How can we be sure that we know whats going on trillions of light years away from?

I think his point stands. There is not telling just how weird it can get the further you get away. It might not just be replicas of what we see around us? This could just be one layer made out of totally different stuff than the next layer.
I think there is a correlation between the the term infinite and what it means to possibilities. If the universe is infinite then so may be the possibilities.

 

[franklin]

Eh..

How do we know what we dont know?

We dont have a complete understanding of the physics and chemistry around us. How can we be sure that we know whats going on trillions of light years away from?

I think his point stands. There is not telling just how weird it can get the further you get away. It might not just be replicas of what we see around us? This could just be one layer made out of totally different stuff than the next layer.
I think there is a correlation between the the term infinite and what it means to possibilities. If the universe is infinite then so may be the possibilities.

I suppose it's possible that well established physics are altered in ways we cannot comprehend when you get far out in space. You're talking about altering the structural makeup of elements and their electron clouds, which I find more than highly unlikely.

The fact that our very smartest have consistently been able to come up with calculations to explain away the previously unfathomed by using our science (as opposed to your unknown variables) wipes away all this mystery doubt to me.

 

[Hotdog]

I suppose it's possible that well established physics are altered in ways we cannot comprehend when you get far out in space. You're talking about altering the structural makeup of elements and their electron clouds, which I find more than highly unlikely.

The fact that our very smartest have consistently been able to come up with calculations to explain away the previously unfathomed by using our science (as opposed to your unknown variables) wipes away all this mystery doubt to me.

Ya. I see what you are saying.

Mathmatics is the language of the universe. Its hard to comprehend math being any different any where else. 1 object is 1 object, 2 is 2, and so on , and so on.

But I dont think we are done finding out more about math. I dont know if we ever will be. It might just be like peeling back the layers of an onion that never ends. Which brings us back to the term infinite and what it really means.

It appears to be the same thing when we study the small and just how small can you go. String theory, then what? On and on.