Simple question, with a poll.

Are humans it, or are there others like us out there? If you believe we are not alone, how many others do you think are out there? Just a few, or hundreds/thousands/millions? Do you imagine other intelligent life as humanoid, or insectoid, or something else?

I think part of the reason I like reading sci-fi so much is this question fascinates me, so I like reading others' takes on what other intelligent life might look/act like.

we'd be naive to think we're the only form of intelligent life in existence, but to be honest, I never gave it much thought as to what they/them/it might look like (besides the martian-like creatures I imagined as a child).

I go back and forth. Part of me thinks we are just lucky and by chance life formed on this planet in a specific way in a specific time. That luck and chance was so long at odds that maybe we are alone.

Part of me also thinks, that is insane and of course there other intelligent forms of life out there in some shape or fashion. The universe is so large that of course there has to be intelligent life out there. 

I also wonder if the fact the universe is so large and it takes so long to get anywhere if that could be why we have yet to see other sign of intelligent life.

posted by ptown_trojans_1

I also wonder if the fact the universe is so large and it takes so long to get anywhere if that could be why we have yet to see other sign of intelligent life.

That and the simple truth that our world's shown itself to be too stupid to accomplish much of anything as far as space exploration. Some astronauts blowing up here, some shuttle malfunctions there and that leads to us being amazed by camera footage of Mars or getting a pic of what a black hole looks like.

For me, it's stupid to simply assume we're the only ones out there. First, the Elder Gods had to come from somewhere. Lovecraft was very clear on that. Second, there are (at least to us) countless stars, which means countless solar systems, which means countless opportunities for a chance of one of them to have a planet like Earth with the same potential for Earth-esque life. Or countless opportunities to have one with a form of life completely "alien" to what we have around here, which can breathe nitrogen or some chemical that doesn't even exist in our system.

posted by ptown_trojans_1

I go back and forth. Part of me thinks we are just lucky and by chance life formed on this planet in a specific way in a specific time. That luck and chance was so long at odds that maybe we are alone.

I've actually been thinking about that recently.  I think there may be a few books to seek out, but I'm trying to comprehend the magnitude of the mathematics.

Talking just life evolving from single/simple cells to man.  Evolution occurs rather slowly, and just think about all the genetic mutations that have to occur to get from single cells to man.  Even over a period of 500M years, it's hard to believe there wasn't some sort of intervention.  And then how do you explain the gaps - the lack of a true missing link and the huge disparity in intelligence between man and virtually every other animal on the plant.  You have a singular evolutionary branch for man, and it continues linearly with no other real branches off?  I'm not sure survival of the fittest really explains the comparative lack of variation in man relative to other animals.

But go back a step further.  If the dinosaurs don't go extinct, would man have ever been able to advance like we did?  Go back even further - you can't have life without water.....and you can't have water without an atmosphere.....but you can't have an atmosphere without water.  The argument goes with a 100 Billion Trillion chances, eventually you get an Earth.  But our search for similar planets may not yield anywhere near those number of chances, which are believed to be nearly inifinte.

So basically I think you end-up with if we are the result of randomness, then several other forms of intelligent life must exist in the universe no matter how astronomical the odds of that randomness.  And if there was some sort of intelligent design, then by definition we are not alone.  And in such a large universe, why would said designers stop with only one planet?

Put me down for "not alone", but the universe is probably not "teaming with life".

To put into perspective how small our solar system is compared to the galaxy, the recent black hole that was found is estimated to be 17 billion times bigger than the sun 

gut:

“Put me down for "not alone", but the universe is probably not "teeming with life".”

I agree with this statement. 

posted by geeblock

To put into perspective how small our solar system is compared to the galaxy, the recent black hole that was found is estimated to be 17 billion times bigger than the sun 

If I am not mistaken it is 17 billion times more massive but actually smaller since black holes have nearly infinite density. 

How do you define “Intelligent”? I think there are other beings out there with some sort of civilization. Similar to something you see on earth. Not a small number, but not some number that’s inconceivable.

As far as living organisms...I’m not sure we can comprehend how many planets have this in some form or another. 

Yes

This article on the subject was from just yesterday.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-02/ufo-sightings-u-s-military-takes-them-seriously-you-should-too

Maybe we are not able to see other life forms. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

I go back and forth. Part of me thinks we are just lucky and by chance life formed on this planet in a specific way in a specific time. That luck and chance was so long at odds that maybe we are alone.

Part of me also thinks, that is insane and of course there other intelligent forms of life out there in some shape or fashion. The universe is so large that of course there has to be intelligent life out there. 

I also wonder if the fact the universe is so large and it takes so long to get anywhere if that could be why we have yet to see other sign of intelligent life.

I feel the same way.  It seems like earth was the perfect shape, size, and distance from the sun to create the type of life we have here.  Perhaps there is another planet just like ours somewhere in the universe.  I voted there is life just because of how big the universe is, but I don't think they are any more advanced than we are. 

posted by like_that

I feel the same way.  It seems like earth was the perfect shape, size, and distance from the sun to create the type of life we have here.  Perhaps there is another planet just like ours somewhere in the universe.  I voted there is life just because of how big the universe is, but I don't think they are any more advanced than we are. 

With the amount of stars, and most of those stars hosting planets (in the Milky Way, and presumably all the galaxies out there), wouldn’t the odds be in favor of a few of those plants being the same as ours, versus the other way around? I don’t really know, but seems with 100 thousand million stars and like 80% hosting planets in our galaxy alone (plus millions of other galaxies), the odds would actually be in favor of other planets with the same size/distance/etc.

Very interesting that out of 21 voters so far..........100% yes. 

posted by Laley23

 I don’t really know, but seems with 100 thousand million stars and like 80% hosting planets in our galaxy alone....

But I think the number is a lot lower, like maybe 1% of stars having a planet like ours....and maybe 1% of those actually having/had the conditions for life.  So we are still talking millions of planets that have or had life....But then consider everything that has to happen for intelligent life like Man to evolve.  Suddenly, that universe starts becoming pretty small.

I don't think we are alone and I agree with everyone's theory with this.

posted by cat_lover

I don't think we are alone and I agree with everyone's theory with this.

There are supposedly about 2000 stars within 50 light years of earth.  We've been transmitting radio waves (which travel at light speed) for over 100 years, and listening for at least 50?  So it's a decent bet there's not 1 other civilization within 50 light years capable of sending and receiving radio signals.

Of course, with 200 million trillion stars in the universe.....divide by 2000.....and you get 100,000 trillion stars that could potentially host intelligent life.  Another thousand years from now without contact and that number comes down to only 250 trillion.

But it's not a question we can really even guess at without knowing how rare it is for life to begin, and then exist long enough to evolve.  And the latter is extremely difficult, for life as we know it, without an atmosphere and magnetic field.

posted by Laley23

With the amount of stars, and most of those stars hosting planets (in the Milky Way, and presumably all the galaxies out there), wouldn’t the odds be in favor of a few of those plants being the same as ours, versus the other way around? I don’t really know, but seems with 100 thousand million stars and like 80% hosting planets in our galaxy alone (plus millions of other galaxies), the odds would actually be in favor of other planets with the same size/distance/etc.

 

This is why I voted yes. 

No.

The concept of intelligent life on other planets is just  StarTrek/StarWars/DayTheEarthStoodStill wishful thinking.

That reminds me - the original version of The Day The Earth Stood Still has been on TMC several times in the last month.  I love that movie.  The Keanu Reeves version was on the other day, but I've never been able to watch it all the way through.

posted by BRF

Very interesting that out of 21 voters so far..........100% yes. 

 

Until now. 

Spinoff thread.  "Is there intelligent life on the OC?"

I voted yes. I think outer space is too large for us to be the only shit going on. And if we're it, then that's pretty depressing. 

posted by ernest_t_bass

Spinoff thread.  "Is there intelligent life on the OC?"

Excepting the occasional jim teacher, about average for this planet.

posted by Zunardo

No.

The concept of intelligent life on other planets is just  StarTrek/StarWars/DayTheEarthStoodStill wishful thinking.

That reminds me - the original version of The Day The Earth Stood Still has been on TMC several times in the last month.  I love that movie.  The Keanu Reeves version was on the other day, but I've never been able to watch it all the way through.

I don't really understand this. It has happened once for sure, considering we are here to talk about it. How is the possibility of it happening somewhere else science fiction?  

posted by Rotinaj

I don't really understand this. It has happened once for sure, considering we are here to talk about it. How is the possibility of it happening somewhere else science fiction?  

And here I thought folks would be happy I didn't crank out another tl;dr post, lol.

 The best short answer I can give you is because it hasn't been demonstrated elsewhere as of yet.  And I don't think it will be, at least during my natural lifetime.