Poll: Is there other intelligent life out there?

ernest_t_bass 12th Son of the Lama
26,698 posts 204 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 3, 2019 10:30 AM

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

friendfromlowry Senior Member
7,778 posts 86 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 3, 2019 10:46 AM

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. 

queencitybuckeye Senior Member
8,068 posts 120 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 3, 2019 10:51 AM
posted by ernest_t_bass

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

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

Rotinaj Senior Member
7,878 posts 49 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 3, 2019 11:28 AM
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?  

Zunardo Senior Member
815 posts 15 reps Joined Nov 2010
Fri, May 3, 2019 11:54 AM
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.

queencitybuckeye Senior Member
8,068 posts 120 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 3, 2019 11:55 AM
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?  

Based on an estimate of the number of planets in the observable universe, the odds would be staggering that there is not life elsewhere.

O-Trap Chief Shenanigans Officer
18,909 posts 140 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 2:30 AM

Burden of proof rests where?

There's your answer.

queencitybuckeye Senior Member
8,068 posts 120 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 7:10 AM
posted by Zunardo

 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.

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

Spock Senior Member
5,271 posts 9 reps Joined Jul 2013
Sun, May 5, 2019 8:31 AM

we are not alone but whatever is out there is likely plant life or simple organisms

33,369 posts 132 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 8:54 AM
posted by queencitybuckeye

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

Especially when the proof of absence has basically been the equivalent of walking next door, seeing nobody, and saying you’re the only person on earth.

 

jmog Senior Member
7,737 posts 50 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 10:05 AM
posted by queencitybuckeye

Based on an estimate of the number of planets in the observable universe, the odds would be staggering that there is not life elsewhere.

The Drake Equation for determining “probability of advanced life” can still show the probability to be very small. Even science has found that the chance of life evolving to the point we are on Earth is infinitesimally small. 

Zunardo Senior Member
815 posts 15 reps Joined Nov 2010
Sun, May 5, 2019 3:32 PM
posted by Laley23

Especially when the proof of absence has basically been the equivalent of walking next door, seeing nobody, and saying you’re the only person on earth.

 

I'm not a scientist, and I'm certainly not trying to be argumentative, I just gave an honest answer to the OP and poll.

 The analogy above is well-taken.  Should a similar analogy apply for proof of existence?

gut Senior Member
18,369 posts 114 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 4:05 PM
posted by jmog

The Drake Equation for determining “probability of advanced life” can still show the probability to be very small. Even science has found that the chance of life evolving to the point we are on Earth is infinitesimally small. 

I've made that point a few times.  Dinosaurs dominated for like 170 million years, and pretty clearly never evolved to anything remotely involving "intelligent".  Yet man would probably never been able to evolve like it did if not for the one in a billion chance of an asteroid wiping out the dinosaurs.

Then you look at how remarkably fast man evolved, while many other species around much longer never really evolved to be more intelligence.  Man is truly a fluke of nature, and it's almost a case AGAINST a planet with life and hundreds of millions of years to evolve ever evolving into intelligent life.

ernest_t_bass 12th Son of the Lama
26,698 posts 204 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 7:50 PM
posted by gut

while many other species around much longer never really evolved to be more intelligence.  


gut Senior Member
18,369 posts 114 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 5, 2019 7:59 PM
posted by ernest_t_bass


I don't normally write that poorly even when I'm drunk.

O-Trap Chief Shenanigans Officer
18,909 posts 140 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, May 6, 2019 1:12 AM
posted by queencitybuckeye

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

No, but an absence of proof IS reason to assume something isn't true.

The burden of proof falls on the affirmative claim.

HitsRus Senior Member
9,358 posts 86 reps Joined Nov 2009
Fri, May 10, 2019 10:06 PM

I would submit that not only are we not alone, we may be the lowest form of intelligent life in a multidimensional multiverse.

There are very few of us that are capable of seeing things beyond anthropomorphic terms, and even those geniuses are limited by what they can verify by their senses. Imagine a blind man who has never seen color detecting/ understanding “redness”. 

That’s where we are in the scheme of things.... maybe even less significant than that.

justincredible Honorable Admin
37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009
Sun, May 12, 2019 7:29 PM
posted by HitsRus

I would submit that not only are we not alone, we may be the lowest form of intelligent life in a multidimensional multiverse.

There are very few of us that are capable of seeing things beyond anthropomorphic terms, and even those geniuses are limited by what they can verify by their senses. Imagine a blind man who has never seen color detecting/ understanding “redness”. 

That’s where we are in the scheme of things.... maybe even less significant than that.


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