Extraterrestrial intelligence?

[Tiel]

Basically we look at our celebrities and imagine an opposite...

 

 

Lol no seriously:

 

1. There is little chance we would find an alien race at a similar level to our own, this is due to the vast lengths of time involved in the evolution of a species. Therefore an alien race would probably be far more advanced or far less so.

 

2. A highly advanced race would have found us already or left signs of its existance, even now scientists have theories about crossing the vastness of space quickly so that wouldn't be a problem for an alien super race. Therefore, there probably any advanced alien races.

 

3. So most probably any alien species is probably going to be much less advanced than us, probably not even as intelligent as a lemming, a species not particulaly renouned for its intellectual prowess.

 

Well anyway thats my opinion, sorry for disturbing the atmosphere of this serious debate... (silence) ok i'm sorry i'm going now... :ph34r:

[Shakkara]

What's the difference between Europa and Europe? :blink:

 

Or is it my lack of a sense of humour?

[ThetaOrionis01]

Europa is one of Jupiter's moons.

 

 

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/europa.htm

[Shakkara]

Oh that way...

 

We call Europe Europa over here actually...

[Zmid]

My truthful answer would actually be none of the options. Yes, there are billions and billions of star systems out there, and it would be arrogant to assume intelligent life would never evolve out there as it has here, but what if this hasn't happened yet? Of course, I do not absolutely believe this is definately the case, but it is certainly a possibility.

[The_Reaper]

Oh that way...

 

We call Europe Europa over here actually...

Here too! :)

But i meant jupiter´s moon.

[Shakkara]

My truthful answer would actually be none of the options. Yes, there are billions and billions of star systems out there, and it would be arrogant to assume intelligent life would never evolve out there as it has here, but what if this hasn't happened yet? Of course, I do not absolutely believe this is definately the case, but it is certainly a possibility.

I don't think that would be the case, our sun is relatively young, and there were plenty of stars created long before it and plenty have died already. It's not like every star is born at the same moment. Therefore there could be species that are around much much longer then anything else on this rock.

[ThetaOrionis01]

First generation stars - ie stars formed solely from the matter created by the Big Bang - could not have had planets made out of anything other thanhydrogen and minute amounts of helium. It is difficult to see how life could have formed on such proto-sun style planets.

 

Formation of 'solid' planets was not possible until heavier elements had been formed by nuclear fusion in the centres of first generation stars, and made available for planet formation after supernova explosion.

 

So, the age at which such planets could have formed is less than the age of the universe, but still greater than the age of the solar system.

 

Other factors to take into account are the lifespan of a society - how long does it last before it blows itself up....

 

There is an equation which estimates the number of extraterrestrial societies with a technology emissions of which could be detected by us.

 

http://www.seti-inst.edu/science/drake-bg.html

[idea assassin]

I consider myself an 'open-minded skeptic' on the matter. It wouldn't surprise me to discover 100% that we are the only sentient species in the entire universe. On the other hand, it wouldn't shatter me to find out that we are not. I don't believe there are any more races out there, personally. I definitely don't think we have ever been visited. But, I don't know for sure, so I keep my opinions open and subject to change.

[Luminus]

i am pretty sure there is intelligent life out there...how can there not be, if we exist, somewhere else in the universe, there has to be another planet just like ours, just the right distance away from the sun, just the right climate for life. I personally don't believe we have been visited either, but i am pretty sure they is intelligent life out there somewhere.