Aliens?

[amoda]

Hi
Me and my friends have been talking about the possiblity of intelligent life on a diffrent planet than earth. I'm just wondering where ppl stand on this topic.

Thanks

[jordan]

Depends on how you are defining intelligent? From option #2 I guess your implying they have to be at least as advanced as humans. And #3 shouldn't really be an option on a place called scienceforums (emphasis on the "science").

[Lance]

Also there may be life out there but Its still improbable that we could ever know.

[YT2095]

Extra Terestrials would be a better word than Aliens really :)

but yes, there is no reason to supose that life couldn`t have occured many times all over the universe, in fact the maths strongly support it :)
Drake Equasion.

[admiral_ju00]

Extra Terestrials would be a better word than Aliens really :)

but yes, there is no reason to supose that life couldn`t have occured many times all over the universe, in fact the maths strongly support it :)
Drake Equasion.

considering how vast the cosmos are and how little can we know or see about it, statistically speaking, yeah what he said. ^ ^ ^
even if there's only 1 other world with life somewhere out there amongs the unknown amount of worlds -err, should have said - celestial bodies, it's still 1 other world ;)

[Tesseract]

Theres a possibility,but even if they existed it wouldnt nessecerily be as advanced as us.They might not exist anymore, maybe destroyed themselves.Comparing the incredibally small time humans have lived in history of the universe.It wouldnt really be surprising if we were to early or to late.

[YT2095]

the Drake equasion takes this into account, and the maths still look good for the likelyhood :)

[Tesseract]

Hmm,

N = N* fp ne fl fi fc fL
http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/SETI/drake_equation.html

Your right.But still small chances.I saw this once before,but never examined it. :D

[atinymonkey]

There are too many variables in Drakes equasion to substitute analysis, it's designed to predict the expected results of listening projects rather than a direct theory that life exists. Basically, it works from the standpoint that life will evolve elsewere and works on the percentage chance from there of contact with said lifeforms.

[YT2095]

and based on the fact that the OP never mentioned communication with them, that up`s the probability even further :)

[Sayonara³]

If you take the Drake Equation as being a reasonable assessment of the involved probabilities, it doesn't matter if communication is needed or not.

[Tesseract]

The problem with the Darke equation is that all the variables are predicted.

[Sayonara³]

The good thing about it though is that you can be as conservative as you like with the variables and still end up with good result, due to the size of the cosmos.

[YT2095]

agreed, but each prediction is based on certain Known principles, and even taking into account the margin of error, the odds still are in favour :)
and certainly high enough to make "NO there aren`t any other lifeforms out there" a foolish statement :)

[Tesseract]

Theres a much better chance that theres lifeforms, than there are intelligent lifeforms.A few trillion light years away there could be an amoeba somewhere...

[YT2095]

of course there is :)
we only need to look at our own home to know this :)
how many plant varieties are there? all living, but hardly "Inteligent". the equasion takes all that into account, as I said, it maybe predictive and have a margin of error, but each is based upon as many KNOWNS as possible :)

[fafalone]

..even being conservative with the numbers, it still results in a few in this galaxy... theres billions of galaxies.

[atinymonkey]

Given, but the equation starts on the principle life will evolve, and intelligent life from that. You can't use Drakes equation to indicate intelligent life will evolve, you can only use it to indicate the persistence and spread in the cosmos if you take the evolution of alien life as a absolute.

I'm not saying that life can or cannot evolve, just that Drakes equation is not supposed to be used to show the chances aliens exist. It's to analyze the percentage chance to contact them, should they exist.

Super.

[Sayonara³]

If you're using the Drake Equation at all, I'm guessing you already accept the assumptions.

[fafalone]

Well, obviously intelligence life can evolve, hello?

[Sayonara³]

I was going to put "that proves nothing" but it would have been mean.

It's a good point.

[atinymonkey]

Well, obviously intelligence life can evolve, hello?


Hello. It's still not what the point of the equasion is. ;)

[YT2095]

no it isn`t when taken to it endth degree, but the parts leading up to inteligent life are quite appropriate in this instance :)

whether we`ll ever cominucate or exist in the same time frame is imaterial to the OP :)

[amoda]

i'm supprised that some1 in 1961 even tried making an equation to prove or disprove intelligent extra teristials(??). That equation must have given his reputation quite a blow.

[YT2095]

and your reasoning behind such an assertion based on the current facts about it would be....?

[fafalone]

The equation isn't trying to prove or disprove, it's simply estimating probability.