# Are They Out There?



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jun 21, 2004)

2 years old but still great reading, this is a debate between scientists who hold quite divergent views on the odds for intelligent extraterrestrial life - Meyer & Brownlee, proponents of the 'rare earth' hypothesis, Frank 'equation' Drake and others. 

Very thought-provoking stuff. Read it here: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/rare_earth_1_020715.html


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## nemogbr (Jun 21, 2004)

THanks for the wbsite knivesout. Fascinating reading...lol.


Never though that there might b life on the moon exported from Earth.


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jun 21, 2004)

There's also a theory that life on earth may have originated on Mars - I was watching a program on Discovery about this a few days back. Not the most believable theories, but good food for thought, hey?


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## Blue Mythril (Jun 21, 2004)

You know what? For some reason I don't think I view "out there" as being real as such...
I dunno, it's like it's not truly reality like Earth etc. Hmm, having trouble explaining here. But when I read articles or see pictures from Hubble I just seemto think of it more in terms of "beyond" or, for lack of a better word, spiritual or philosophical terms.
Ok, this is sounding really weird even to me, I think I'll shut up now.
*Makes mental note: avoid stoners from now on.*


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## Brian G Turner (Jun 21, 2004)

In that case I will therefore lay claim to the theory that life originated simulateously within the solar system across multiple planets.


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jun 21, 2004)

I see that my fellow forumnites are all battier than Bruce Wayne, from the venerable tea-boy to the lowliest newbie.


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## Blue Mythril (Jun 21, 2004)

knivesout said:
			
		

> I see that my fellow forumnites are all battier than Bruce Wayne, from the venerable tea-boy to the lowliest newbie.


Yes, being so lowly I bow before your wisdom Mr Black Pot.
Besides, its late and well, *looks at forums*, insanity is guaranteed here


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jun 21, 2004)

Point taken, Kettle.


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## nemogbr (Jul 3, 2004)

What would we like to have:

Star Trek: humans are dominant, but not necessarily the power in the Galaxy.

Star WArs: humans are dominant, but not necessarily the power in the Galaxy.

Uplift Wars: Humans are a minor species, constantly in danger of being taken into the "care" of much older species. I believe fifteen galaxies?

Andromeda: Wormholes have allowed travel to three galaxies. 

Babylon 5: younger races and the first ones. 

Personally I think I'd prefer the galaxy were we are a young race among other young races and not have a dominant culture in out face. 

What are the chances of that though?


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## The Master™ (Jul 3, 2004)

I'll take the option that humans are an early ape-decended race... Barely sentient and totally ignorant of anything but the forest of trees they scavenge about in!!! 

They say that ignorance is bliss...


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## littlemissattitude (Jul 4, 2004)

Blue Mythril said:
			
		

> You know what? For some reason I don't think I view "out there" as being real as such...
> I dunno, it's like it's not truly reality like Earth etc. Hmm, having trouble explaining here. But when I read articles or see pictures from Hubble I just seemto think of it more in terms of "beyond" or, for lack of a better word, spiritual or philosophical terms.
> Ok, this is sounding really weird even to me, I think I'll shut up now.
> *Makes mental note: avoid stoners from now on.*


You know when I really, really realized that "out there" is a real place?  July, 1969, when the first astronauts set foot on the moon.  Their was real dirt, with real folks walking around (despite the yahoos who claim that the landing was a hoax).  And then, even more realization in 1976 when I saw the first photos from the first soft landing on Mars (was it the first? or just the first to send back such spectacular photos?).  We happened to be in Houston and visiting the space center, and they had an auditorium set up to view the pictures as they came back and were processed.  Amazing.  A real landscape, with dirt and rocks and sky.

But, heck, even when I was a little kid, I always looked up at night and wondered who was looking back.  Probably fallout from having been taken to science fiction movies from the age of about six weeks. 

P.S.  How's the "avoiding stoners" thing going?


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## Ivo (Jul 7, 2004)

That was a great debate!  I tended to side with David Grinspoon more often than not.  He essentially said he doesn't know and I appreciated that.  His thought process seemed to be a little more outside of the box.

Thanks for the link!


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## Cricket (Aug 5, 2004)

Of course there is intelligent life out there on the other planets in the Galaxy, and more still in other galaxies. But you get one point for class participation. Hehe.


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## Wayfarer (Sep 28, 2004)

Just make sure you don't shoot one when you see it, Cricket.


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