Do you believe in other life in the Universe?

[bulletsmith]

I assume this discussion is about basic life of any level. Given all of the required conditions life CAN exist elsewhere in the universe. That being the case, given a large enough sample size, life is likely to appear in at least one of those places.

I'd like to throw one more wrinkle at this. There is no evidence that life originated on planet earth. It's just as likely that life came to earth on a space rock of some sort. In my mind, that increases the likelihood that life, however simple, does exist elsewhere.

 

[2A_Tom]

OK.

So we are not spending Trillions of dollars to find inteligent life in the universe.

We are spending Trillions of dollars to find the Andromeda Strain.

That makes perfect sense.

 

[chef larry]

I assume this discussion is about basic life of any level. Given all of the required conditions life CAN exist elsewhere in the universe. That being the case, given a large enough sample size, life is likely to appear in at least one of those places.

I'd like to throw one more wrinkle at this. There is no evidence that life originated on planet earth. It's just as likely that life came to earth on a space rock of some sort. In my mind, that increases the likelihood that life, however simple, does exist elsewhere.

Kind of like the third rock from the sun.

 

[bulletsmith]

Kind of like the third rock from the sun.

I loved that show!

 

[2A_Tom]

Well this is an interesting turn of events.

 

[hog slayer]

I assume this discussion is about basic life of any level. Given all of the required conditions life CAN exist elsewhere in the universe. That being the case, given a large enough sample size, life is likely to appear in at least one of those places.

I'd like to throw one more wrinkle at this. There is no evidence that life originated on planet earth. It's just as likely that life came to earth on a space rock of some sort. In my mind, that increases the likelihood that life, however simple, does exist elsewhere.

Except that you have no evidence life exists anywhere BUT planet earth, I suppose you are correct about that. Maybe.

Next step would be to state what qualifies as acceptable evidence.

 

[bulletsmith]

Except that you have no evidence life exists anywhere BUT planet earth, I suppose you are correct about that. Maybe.

Next step would be to state what qualifies as acceptable evidence.

I think that's where it gets truly complicated. We know what life looks like on earth. Would all life, anyplace in the universe, look the same. Must life be carbon based, in need of oxygen and water? Would all life have dna?

 

[2A_Tom]

I realize that everyone has different types of government welfare that is acceptable to them. when I was a kid during Jhon Kennedy's space race I was a space nut It didn't matter to me and most Americans how much it cost. I grew up and joined the Army and for those eight yeays I was absolutely apolitical.

When I got out, having been brought up a FDR Democrat, I was faced with the Carter v Reagan race and did my research and became a Reagan Republican.

Fiscally conservative I have to say that I am not for most science welfare. I like science fiction, so I recently watched the movie Space Between Us. I found the movie enjoyable, but the "science" deplorable.

Earth is dying, it's resources are depleeted, Something mUst be done, a domed habitat is built on Mars. It is totally self contained, water and air are recycled, all green food is grown under the dome(forget about bacon guys), bone density is lost because of the lower gravity. (I'm not spoiling the main character)

16 years later: Earth is dying, it's resources are depleeted, Something mst be done, a domed habitat is built on Mars. It is totally self contained, water and air are recycled, all green food is grown under the dome(forget about bacon guys), bone density is lost because of the lower gravity. (I'm not spoiling the main character)

When they return to earth it is blue and green and has bacon.

The pipe dreams of the scientific community of finding a better place than Earth are wasting the wealth of our people.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I too used to believe that life would found to be common across the galaxy and the universe. As I grow older and learn of the fine tuning in the universe and the complex factors that seem to be required for life to come into being, I grow increasingly dubious we'll ever find anything out there.

 

[BugI02]

If we can't do some kind of end run around the light speed barrier, we'll likely never know

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

If we can't do some kind of end run around the light speed barrier, we'll likely never know

Reckon that was a part of the plan?

 

[indiucky]

I too used to believe that life would found to be common across the galaxy and the universe. As I grow older and learn of the fine tuning in the universe and the complex factors that seem to be required for life to come into being, I grow increasingly dubious we'll ever find anything out there.

Amen...

 

[bulletsmith]

Reckon that was a part of the plan?

This.

To date, it's all opinion, belief, and statistics. We do evolve in our understanding of the universe as time goes on. Who's to say? I say plausible, still don't know about probable.

 

[2A_Tom]

But, the grants!

 

[bulletsmith]

But, the grants!

Here's where we'll have to disagree. Answering the questions of how and why is what gives us the world we live in. If knowledge is power, then we have an interest to make sure we get as much of that knowledge as we can, before others do. Of all the things we spend money on, research and exploration are not of those I disagree with.

 

[BugI02]

Here's where we'll have to disagree. Answering the questions of how and why is what gives us the world we live in. If knowledge is power, then we have an interest to make sure we get as much of that knowledge as we can, before others do. Of all the things we spend money on, research and exploration are not of those I disagree with.

What kind of power is engendered by erroneous, agenda-driven knowledge (see: [STRIKE]global warming[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]climate science[/STRIKE] climate change)

Alas, the days of the search for knowledge for its own sake and scientic collegiality seem to be falling by the wayside. Peer recognition is no match for holding the patents

 

[Alpo]

It's science without ethics that scares me.

 

[BugI02]

"Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

Sometimes ethics takes a back seat to necessity

 

[hog slayer]

Ethics: the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation

Sure. Let's toss them to the wayside. That seems productive

 

[Alpo]

"Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

Sometimes ethics takes a back seat to necessity

While high energy physics is a concern, I'm more worried about biologic/genetic researchers. Anyone who routinely kills animals for science is less worried than I am about his fellow man....at least that's my view.