Where Are All the Aliens?

[Space Commander Travis]

or just something like the Mars Rover. Everybody likes remote-controlled stuff!

indeed, I've often argued that, if any UFOs are indeed spacecraft from Out There, they're far more likely to be robotic probes (perhaps AI, to avoid problems of the lag in transmission with remote control) than manned. Or Alienned.

[Spacenut56]

Colonel, I would agree that a percentage of ufo's seem/appear to be just that. I have seen some pics of alleged probes from around the world, and to me, though not an expert by any means thats what they appear to be. It makes sense, as that is what NASA and the world are doing right now in our solar system, so why couldn't some be probes from someplace out there?

[scowl]

The real questions are...what about the gravity? The period of rotations and revolutions? I think aliens won't bother colonize a planet if it doesn't fit these criteria.

And that's just the beginning. Venus is a "habitable" rocky planet. Mars is a "habitable" rocky planet. Obviously the criteria of rock and location as being "habitable" isn't complete.

[Frank Merton]

And that's just the beginning. Venus is a "habitable" rocky planet. Mars is a "habitable" rocky planet. Obviously the criteria of rock and location as being "habitable" isn't complete.

It's conceivable either of them could be perceived as ideal by a certain type of alien with a lifestyle a bit different from ours. Mars's alien could even be carbon based.

I suspect in time we may terraform both of them.

[itsnotoutthere]

Well, here's one possible theory & a very plausible one why we haven't been visited by aliens.

Perhaps Einstein was right, perhaps the speed on light IS the absolute maximum speed that anything can travel, perhaps it is simply impossible to travel any faster. in which case even if aliens did exist they & we may be always trapped on our own planet by the sheer distances involved.

The argument for the possibility of alien life in the universe is the sheer number of stars we can see, which is a perfectly reasonable argument, BUT if nothing can travel faster than the speed of light then of all those thousands of millions of stars out there, we would have to be lucky enough that perhaps only the nearest 50 or 60 have exactly the right conditions to develop life, & so the numbers argument becomes redundant.

[Spacenut56]

Well, here's one possible theory & a very plausible one why we haven't been visited by aliens.

Perhaps Einstein was right, perhaps the speed on light IS the absolute maximum speed that anything can travel, perhaps it is simply impossible to travel any faster. in which case even if aliens did exist they & we may be always trapped on our own planet by the sheer distances involved.

The argument for the possibility of alien life in the universe is the sheer number of stars we can see, which is a perfectly reasonable argument, BUT if nothing can travel faster than the speed of light then of all those thousands of millions of stars out there, we would have to be lucky enough that perhaps only the nearest 50 or 60 have exactly the right conditions to develop life, & so the numbers argument becomes redundant.

Einstein may be right, but I have a hunch he may be in error, or that what we think is the limit of speed, actually may not be or that it would only apply to us at least for now. For example, NASA as I write this is looking into the possibility that a warp drive ship may be possible and are trying to build one as I type this. The other things that is really interesting is that many top thinkers, and Physists think that the trick to moving great distances across the galaxy and space is the ability to move or "bend" space itself, as opposed to building a fast propulsion system. Time will tell, but lots is happening.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Spacenut56

[scowl]

It's conceivable either of them could be perceived as ideal by a certain type of alien with a lifestyle a bit different from ours.

What kind of lifestyle involves living in crushing pressures at temperatures that melt lead?

[scowl]

Einstein may be right, but I have a hunch he may be in error, or that what we think is the limit of speed, actually may not be or that it would only apply to us at least for now.

What do you base your "hunch" that Einstein was "in error"? Do you fully comprehend his theories? Have you seen the overwhelming amount of evidence that supports them?

For example, NASA as I write this is looking into the possibility that a warp drive ship may be possible and are trying to build one as I type this.

So are they "looking into the possibility" or are they "trying to build one"? These are two very different things.

The other things that is really interesting is that many top thinkers, and Physists think that the trick to moving great distances across the galaxy and space is the ability to move or "bend" space itself, as opposed to building a fast propulsion system. Time will tell, but lots is happening.

None of them have any clue how to do this so it's nothing but science fiction.

[itsnotoutthere]

Einstein may be right, but I have a hunch he may be in error, or that what we think is the limit of speed, actually may not be or that it would only apply to us at least for now. For example, NASA as I write this is looking into the possibility that a warp drive ship may be possible and are trying to build one as I type this. The other things that is really interesting is that many top thinkers, and Physists think that the trick to moving great distances across the galaxy and space is the ability to move or "bend" space itself, as opposed to building a fast propulsion system. Time will tell, but lots is happening.

Can you post some evidence re 'warp' drive & 'bending' space, because these two subjects are both the product of popular science fiction.

[seeder]

nasa as I write this is looking into the possibility that a warp drive ship may be possible and are trying to build one as I type this.

Have you got some credible links about nasa warpdrive? I thought it was all just a theory they were working on

[badeskov]

Einstein may be right, but I have a hunch he may be in error,

Really? May I ask what you are basing that hunch on?

or that what we think is the limit of speed, actually may not be or that it would only apply to us at least for now.

We are pretty certain what the speed limit is, so to speak. At least we haven't seen anything contradicting it yet.

For example, NASA as I write this is looking into the possibility that a warp drive ship may be possible and are trying to build one as I type this.

And where exactly are they trying to build this contraption?

The other things that is really interesting is that many top thinkers, and Physists think that the trick to moving great distances across the galaxy and space is the ability to move or "bend" space itself, as opposed to building a fast propulsion system. Time will tell, but lots is happening.

Yes, wormholes are very nice theoretical solutions to the Theory of General Relativity. Sadly, they have no practical solutions yet.

Cheers,

Badeskov

[DONTEATUS]

But atlast Its a Good thing to Dream,from the mind of man & woman comes the Dreams,that may become the Future of our Travel into the Stars ! Afterall,One Should Dream ,And Really Good Dreams !

[Spacenut56]

Can you post some evidence re 'warp' drive & 'bending' space, because these two subjects are both the product of popular science fiction.

I don't know where you are, but in the U.S. I got this information from Morgan Freemans excellent program called "Through the Wormhole."

[S2F]

I don't know where you are, but in the U.S. I got this information from Morgan Freemans excellent program called "Through the Wormhole."

It is still very much in the theoretical stage at this point. So far they need 'negative mass', which there is no evidence such a thing even exists, and ungodly amounts of energy (even at modern levels we aren't even close... not even in the same league).They don't even have a proof of concept model yet.

*On a side note, Through the Wormhole isn't Morgan Freeman's program. He's just the talent hired to host it.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Slave2Fate

[Jacques Terreur]

I don't know where you are, but in the U.S. I got this information from Morgan Freemans excellent program called "Through the Wormhole."

Please do not pass on Entertainment Shows as credible source of such info. Even if Morgan Freeman is involved.

[Frank Merton]

Well, here's one possible theory & a very plausible one why we haven't been visited by aliens.

Perhaps Einstein was right, perhaps the speed on light IS the absolute maximum speed that anything can travel, perhaps it is simply impossible to travel any faster. in which case even if aliens did exist they & we may be always trapped on our own planet by the sheer distances involved.

The argument for the possibility of alien life in the universe is the sheer number of stars we can see, which is a perfectly reasonable argument, BUT if nothing can travel faster than the speed of light then of all those thousands of millions of stars out there, we would have to be lucky enough that perhaps only the nearest 50 or 60 have exactly the right conditions to develop life, & so the numbers argument becomes redundant.

That makes it necessary to have generational travel for a species of our life expectancy, but many ways to make such trips are readily imagined, and human life expectancy can be expected to become essentially indefinate in a few centuries. By the way, there is no doubt that nothing can travel faster than light.

[seeder]

Please do not pass on Entertainment Shows as credible source of such info. Even if Morgan Freeman is involved.

I actually used to really like Morgan Freeman, until the 'Shawshank Redemption' film came along, and he bloody talked all the way through it. So distracting..

[Frank Merton]

Please do not pass on Entertainment Shows as credible source of such info. Even if Morgan Freeman is involved.

Why not? It is speculation but mathematically possible, not that I think there is any reality to it. As things are a spaceship would require about a century to reach nearby stars. This is not undoable. I fully expect such expeditions to begin being mounted in a few centuries, assuiming of course no disasters here.

I actually used to really like Morgan Freeman, until the 'Shawshank Redemption' film came along, and he bloody talked all the way through it. So distracting..

He has a nice voice.

[Jacques Terreur]

I actually used to really like Morgan Freeman, until the 'Shawshank Redemption' film came along, and he bloody talked all the way through it. So distracting..

he's the kind of actor from whom i'd buy almost anything. Except that he played God and, obviously, claiming that NASA is already building the Enterprise.....

[Jacques Terreur]

Why not? It is speculation but mathematically possible, not that I think there is any reality to it. As things are a spaceship would require about a century to reach nearby stars. This is not undoable. I fully expect such expeditions to begin being mounted in a few centuries, assuiming of course no disasters here.

He has a nice voice.

don't get me wrong! I TOTALLY think that someday we make it to master REAL space travel. It's just always a little odd to me when people are asked "so, where did you get that information from" and they answer "i saw it on TV"....Morgan Freeman or not.

[itsnotoutthere]

That makes it necessary to have generational travel for a species of our life expectancy, but many ways to make such trips are readily imagined, and human life expectancy can be expected to become essentially indefinate in a few centuries. By the way, there is no doubt that nothing can travel faster than light.

Really !!! I must have missed that memo.

[Sweetpumper]

I actually used to really like Morgan Freeman, until the 'Shawshank Redemption' film came along, and he bloody talked all the way through it. So distracting..

I just hung out with him on set last week. Cool dude.

[Frank Merton]

Really !!! I must have missed that memo.

I feel sure it will happen. We know each species has an evolved maximum life expectancy, and this varies from species to species. That incidates that it is set genetically. There are other reasons for thinking this too, as we understand why such a programmed death would evolve. At the moment we have several theories as to how this aging occurs, and it is not a wearing out sort of thing, but a preprogrammed tendency of cells to function less and less well.

Not too far off the story will be untangled and treatments to alter and stop aging will be developed.

[itsnotoutthere]

There is another reason why faster than light speed may indeed be a useless method of travelling to distant planets. According to Einsteins theory of relativity any time passed on board a ship traveling at that speed would seem normal time to the passengers on board, but time would move faster for the people on planet earth.

If we travelled for tens of years into space at light speed, thousands of years would have passed back on earth relatively. How many people would volunteer for a journey knowing that effectively it was a one way ticket.

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

There is another reason why faster than light speed may indeed be a useless method of travelling to distant planets. According to Einsteins theory of relativity any time passed on board a ship traveling at that speed would seem normal time to the passengers on board, but time would move faster for the people on planet earth.

If we travelled for tens of years into space at light speed, thousands of years would have passed back on earth relatively. How many people would volunteer for a journey knowing that effectively it was a one way ticket.

I still bet a ton of people would sign up for that