If you believe in aliens

[schmiddi]

For5 the technology: I suppose we're somewhere in the middle. Some are more advanced than we are, some are less.
For biology: Is there a way to measure complexity, and if so, does it really matter?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Our first encounter with alien life will be with very simple organisms, maybe even in our own solar system. Probably as we expand our exploration to other systems we'll find more of the same. The chances of advanced intelligent life nearby is slim because we'd know about it already if there was any. As we keep expanding its just a matter of time before we find something thats stronger, faster and smarter than us. Thats when the hoo-haa will hit the fan.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Originally posted by carlosMM
Why do you assume a civilization will last much longer than a few 10,000 years?

I never said that. I said IF we meet them NOW (or in the near future).

 

[Superevie]

Originally posted by stratego
If you believe there are extraterrestrials out there answer these. How advance do you think our technology is compared to the rest? How biologically complex are we compared to them?

Well, I think that there are probably other forms of life out there, but we have the wrong thinking. Many people think that they are little dudes with big ol' head in silver jump suits. What if they lack bilateral symatry or look more like arthropods? Arthropods truly rule our earth because they have conquered the land, sea, and air. They outnumber us by millions! I think that humans are unusually intelligent and different from all other life forms. As far as I'm concerned, we shouldn't worry whether or not we're alone. We are for now and the world's future is in our hands, and so far we are destroying the enviroment and sqaundering resources. We should stop worrying about other life forms coming over and start thinking about us crazy creatures that are hurting our world.

 

[RoddyVR]

i think there's definetly life out there, and i'd bet that some of it is "inteligent" by our standards at least (we might not be "inteligent" by their standards).

meeting scenarios:
1. communication via radio waves and so on. we're about equal.
2. we find them traped on their own rock. we are more advanced.
3. they come here. they are more advanced.
4. they are so advanced that we are like ants to them, and it dont matter to them that we "found" them.

in case 1: we race them to be more advanced. will proly lead to a long war.
in case 2: i'd say we either blow them up or assimilate them into our "empire". proly depends on how similar they are to us.
in case 3: same as 2 only it gets done to us.
in case 4: we keep trying to make them notice us, which eventualy annoys them and they "smite" us.

 

[polymath]

I think you may be being pessimistic Roddy.

It might be true that in order to travel between stars, it requires a commitment on a planet-wide scale. Which suggests that an alien race arriving here may be quite accustomed to working together and settling differences.

Of course, they may be Imperialistic, which would be rather bad news and we would, as you say, get squashed.

Hopefully they will be nice if we meet them.

 

[Wolfe Tone]

The way I see it is the aliens are either to primitive to contact us, or to advanced to care.

 

[RoddyVR]

polymath, you assume that they are VERY similar to us.

just cause they overcame the "travel the stars" thing does NOT mean that they know how to work out problems with others (as we would have to on earth work out the "nation/race/religeon" differences). They could have only had "civilization" in one small part of their world. They could have had a major war on their world and one "nation/race" became the dominant power enough to launch into space and find us.

besides. even judging by HUMANS, the most likely to get to space are the military superpowers, and most likely its their military itself that gets there. so the first ship that they would send here will likely be a war ship. and when we see the guns and so forth on the ship, we'll fire on it "better safe then sorry" and then we're toast.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Their robots will be here long before the actual aliens are. If the aliens come at all, it'll be after their robots have turned Russia into vacationland for lawyers in love.

 

[RoddyVR]

Pothead, now THAT is a good theory. seems to make sense too. gotta remember that one.

 

[Skullbones]

The Aliens are so much more advanced than we are they manipulate us like a Civ game.

:love2: :slay:

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Thanks Roddy. Id love to take credit, but I read it somewhere. Makes sense. We're starting to figure out that exploration is more economical and efficient with robots, stands to reason that an advanced race capable of interstellar travel would send robot scouts out first, followed by robotic warships.

 

[luiz]

If aliens can exist, I think chances are they will be no more developed then some bacterya.

Frankly I don't believe in advanced aliens, or at least I find it not probable. More adavanced then us, I think it's almost impossible.
According to modern theorys, all the world started at a same date, and proccess to development of inteligent life is extremely slow. If anything, it went fast on Earth and we were lucky. We are probably the most inteligent species on the Universe, and this is kind of frightning.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Extra terrestrial aliens are just a ploy to keep our minds off of the French!!!

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Luiz, since we only have one planets history of life (Earth) to use as a reference point, its impossible to know how common or how quickly intelligent life can arise. Not enough data.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Originally posted by Dumb pothead
Luiz, since we only have one planets history of life (Earth) to use as a reference point, its impossible to know how common or how quickly intelligent life can arise. Not enough data.

Of course, and that is why these threads are pointless. Impossible to back up points, outside of the most abstract indirect statistics. Thus we must use these threads as an opportunity to poke fun at our European friends. Especially the DUTCH.

 

[RoddyVR]

luiz, i'm sorry, but i must disagree, your theory is not frightning, its the standard "egotistical" theory of man.
we used to think "god" made the universe and US, but noone else.
now we thing that the universe started at the same time for everyone and for some reason OUR development was fast.
in a little while we'll find out that we ARENT the "first" but then we'll start thinking that we have the best potential.
if not that, then we're still "god's children" and the rest are just accidents.
you see what i'm saying?
we'll always think we're the best even when its proven wrong. its human nature.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Originally posted by RoddyVR
luiz, i'm sorry, but i must disagree, your theory is not frightning, its the standard "egotistical" theory of man.
we used to think "god" made the universe and US, but noone else.
now we thing that the universe started at the same time for everyone and for some reason OUR development was fast.
in a little while we'll find out that we ARENT the "first" but then we'll start thinking that we have the best potential.
if not that, then we're still "god's children" and the rest are just accidents.
you see what i'm saying?
we'll always think we're the best even when its proven wrong. its human nature.

I agree with RussianVCR on this one, the odds of us being the pinnacle of development are very thin.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Its a pretty big universe. There are more star systems out there than there are grains of sand in all the beaches in the world. Saying that we're the most advanced life there is, is almost hilarious.

 

[luiz]

Originally posted by RoddyVR
luiz, i'm sorry, but i must disagree, your theory is not frightning, its the standard "egotistical" theory of man.
we used to think "god" made the universe and US, but noone else.
now we thing that the universe started at the same time for everyone and for some reason OUR development was fast.
in a little while we'll find out that we ARENT the "first" but then we'll start thinking that we have the best potential.
if not that, then we're still "god's children" and the rest are just accidents.
you see what i'm saying?
we'll always think we're the best even when its proven wrong. its human nature.

Well, the fact that we can carry this sort of discussion already makes us more inteligent then all the millions of species that lived in Earth.

@Pothead: Biologist today are in agreeiment that the development of any life form, anywhere, is a slow proccess. let alone inteligent life. Sure, perhaps there is some parallel universe where our laws don't apply, but as far as the scientists know, this is the way it is.