Do Aliens Exist: The Great Debate

[Vagrant0]

HA HA, Typical vagrant0 response, maybe you can give us some hard evidence that aliens do not exist, instead of debating the facts :D

 

You can't provide evidence that something doesn't exist since the whole part of them not existing means not having any evidence. To prove the existence of anything, there needs to be some sort of evidence that can hold up under scrutiny, usually provided by people who gain no benefit from trying to prove that existence. The fundamental problem with anything from a TV show called "Ancient Aliens" is that the show would not last very long if they didn't make some effort towards leaving explanations open and pointing to some alien presence whenever they run into something that cannot be immediately explained.

 

Similarly, people who post something to youtube with "100% real" not only have an invested interest towards editing what it shown to be towards a specific view... But also make no attempt to hide the fact that the video is being heavily edited to "enhance" this view. Someone could quite easily just record a plane coming in for a landing at night, mix it to the x-files theme music, and suddenly have people who believe what is being seen is some sort of alien craft. Naturally, someone who is more skilled with editing and 3d rendering can make things which are even more believable. Like:

 

Ask yourself one simple question, If aliens were actually being caught on film since the 50's, then why would their physiology (height, shape of head, length of arms/legs, general proportions) vary so much in that time, even among supposed "official" images? The only logical explanation to this would be that rather than aliens actually changing over time, our own ability to make better and more believable special effects has increased. Even if there were multiple species, there would still be groupings of traits that could be classified towards that specific species... Instead what you see is a bit of a mishmash where what is shown is just fitting into some sort of vague alien thing with big head, big eyes, gaunt body.

[Thor.]

If there was no alien life, then the universe is as empty as a black hole, if you are questioning aliens existence you are questioning your own existence, if life thrived here then how can that be. I see no reason why not in some distance solar system aliens could exist, if we have curiosity to explore, how come we have that ability???. Why we are so special, see in a sense we shouldn't exist with that logic.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Thor.

[Lisnpuppy]

Thor...you talk about Vagrant getting "facts" then you proceed to toss yourself into a purely philosophical argument. Which is it you wish to have here as I am sure that Vagrant will be able to argue this particular debate with his typical efficiency.

 

Also as Vagrant said, you can not prove a negative.

 

Now I believe that there is or has been during the long life of the universe...intelligent life somewhere other than the Earth. Now they may have lived millions of years ago and long passed into the history of the universe. I do not however believe based on the "evidence" provided at this time that they have been visiting the Earth in the present or "remote past" (and a kudos to anyone that gets that particular reference.)

 

I agree with many scientist that if there were aliens and they wished to remain unseen..their technology would be advanced enough to let them do so. I also believe that since we still live..they have not visited. I imagine we would be but ants to them and be immediately wiped out like a child stepping on an anthill or taken as workers/slaves/food.

 

Of course I have no proof of this as...well there isn't any good proof for aliens and I can not prove a negative.

 

To Thor...the existence of us as intelligent life has no bearing on there being alien life. That we exist suggest the possibility not the proof. The size and age of the universe suggest it could and perhaps has happened...but it is no assurance and you can not argue somethings existence based on something else's existence. The conditions for life are still far from understood and the conditions we believe are needed may be so rare as to prohibit life from existing elsewhere. Supposing the conditions are met for life..then the conditions for intelligent, advanced-tech life capable of meeting us..that live at the same time period are pretty extreme.

[Thor.]

Yes but i gave many facts, just that everyone denied them, so i went into philosophical argument mode, what else is there to do when they simply don't believe.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Thor.

[Lisnpuppy]

I don't maybe some malleability in your own thoughts that you may be wrong?

 

Why start a debate if you don't want to consider the other side?

[Thor.]

The same can be said about your point of view, if you can't see it, then why bother.

 

This debate should be closed.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Thor.

[JimboUK]

If there was no alien life, then the universe is as empty as a black hole, if you are questioning aliens existence you are questioning your own existence, if life thrived here then how can that be. I see no reason why not in some distance solar system aliens could exist, if we have curiosity to explore, how come we have that ability???. Why we are so special, see in a sense we shouldn't exist with that logic.

 

 

 

There being life out there and that life visiting us are two very different things, unless we're some kind of freak accident then there probably is something else out there but it doesn't automatically follow that they've visited us. There's no evidence for them ever being here, there's no evidence that they exist locally and the sheer distance between stars makes it very unlikely we'll ever meet beings from elsewhere.

[Thor.]

We shall see whose in the majority here with a poll, how many of you believe aliens exist or do they not. Let the poll decide.

[Vagrant0]

If there was no alien life, then the universe is as empty as a black hole, if you are questioning aliens existence you are questioning your own existence, if life thrived here then how can that be. I see no reason why not in some distance solar system aliens could exist, if we have curiosity to explore, how come we have that ability???. Why we are so special, see in a sense we shouldn't exist with that logic.

 

 

I am not saying that life does not exist out among the stars, on distant worlds. To state such a thing would be to ignore the absolute vastness of just our own galaxy. Even if life were exceedingly rare in the universe, there are more stars in that universe than there are grains of sand on all beaches on Earth. When you're dealing with that large of a sample size, any evidence which might point toward a possibility within a small subset of that sample, ends up pointing toward an absolute certainty within the whole sample. If we are to accept that there is life on Earth, then we have to accept that life also exists somewhere else just from the standpoint of statistics. The fact that we've discovered microbe life on rocks in space which did not originate from Earth only goes on to strengthen that certainty.

 

That said. What I am saying is that even if intelligent life did exist relatively close to Earth, it is unlikely said life had done much more than take a few notes and go off on its way cataloging the rest of the galaxy. If we are to assume that the universe is that full of life, and if that life had a chance of just snuffing itself out by its own technology, then one small blue planet is probably of little consequence since there is bound to be some other fledgling race out there which is just as interesting, and just as likely to kill itself off at any moment. If travel between stars can happen quickly, then a single individual could have witnessed thousands, if not millions of races doing the same dance. Frankly, humanity probably isn't all that special despite what we like to tell ourselves. Nevermind the fact that an alien species may simply not recognize humans as being the dominant or most intelligent species on the planet (eg. insect colonies have higher levels of organization, and animals such as cats are often clearly in positions of power).

 

Even if aliens were visiting humans... They wouldn't be peeking in through windows, rustling around in bushes, leaving messages in crops, or flying over rural areas only to be caught on camera by some random idiot. Given how many cameras there are in major cities, along roads, on buildings, or even on private property, if these visitations were that frequent, then there would be an abundance of footage from those sources. Given the number of telescopes in the world and the number of which are linked up to recording devices, there would be lots of evidence there as well to backup any UFO video. Nevermind the extensive radar and satellite monitoring, and air traffic that we have. Yet most reports are coming from some person who just happened to have their 1990's era videocamera on hand.

 

Reports of UFO's don't actually mean anything. The term UFO just means anything which has not identified itself. For example, during the cold war prototype aircraft being flown around Groom Lake which could not be acknowledged publicly because of the secrecy around those projects. Due to the "alien spacecraft" mess which led to continuous breeches of security, the US government decided to shut down that facility and move operations elsewhere. One of their efforts made to likely hide real operations probably involved designing craft or images which while not viable as workable prototypes were aimed at fabricating evidence as part of that "alien spacecraft" coverstory which would lead to doubts of pictures of those things which were actual prototypes. There are countless instances of this sort of thing happening even from as far back as the 30's which were later declassified in full.

 

 

 

*edit* having that poll doesn't really say anything. Are you talking about life on other planets, intelligent life on other planets, or intelligent life from other planets which has visited us, or intelligent life from other planets which continuously visits us and likes to be recorded on youtube. Every one of those states means something completely different.

[JimboUK]

We shall see whose in the majority here with a poll, how many of you believe aliens exist or do they not. Let the poll decide.

 

I'd answer yes to that, the sheer number of stars suggests there's a very good chance of something existing somewhere out there. It's the visiting here I have a problem with, not it existing in the first place. The poll might be better as "Do you think aliens exist" rather than "Do they" because no one actually knows one way or the other.