Why haven't we found aliens yet?

[Still Waters]

The question of whether or not we are alone in the galaxy is one that has fascinated everyone from mathematicians to conspiracy theorists.

But, if extra-terrestrial life forms are abundant in the Universe - as some people believe - why have they not been in contact?

From Doctor Who to Superman, ET to Marvin the Martian, fiction has regularly brought aliens to Earth as friends or enemies but, as yet, no-one has proved they have ever seen an alien apart from on film or TV.

In 1960, a radio telescope was pointed out into space to listen for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence, trying to add scientific fact to the question "is anybody out there?"

But 50 years on, nobody knows the answer to it.

"It's probably the most important question there is," says Dr Frank Drake, who was a pioneer of radio astronomy and is considered the father of Seti - the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence.

"What does it mean to be a human being? What is our future? Are there other creatures like us? What have they become? What can evolution produce? How far can it go?

Read more...

[Lilly]

Personlly, I think it's as simple as ET is just really, really, really (and I mean really) far away.

[scowl]

"What does it mean to be a human being? What is our future? Are there other creatures like us? What have they become? What can evolution produce? How far can it go?"

I believe these questions can be answered here on Earth.

[TSS]

I think the answer to the reason we haven't found aliens yet, is money. Go back 50yrs, add a dozen or so noughts to the space exploration budget, and we might not be asking this question now.

[Boe]

Personlly, I think it's as simple as ET is just really, really, really (and I mean really) far away.

And they could have existed and been wiped out before we ever existed. Could be that our timing is all wrong.

[TheMcGuffin]

I've read a little about SETI and the theories on why they haven't heard a real alien signal, ot at least not one that repeats. Maybe the aliens aren't using radio, for example, or maybe the signals are not strong enough to reach us, or they couldn't hear them unless they were very strong signals beamed directly at us.

Others who follow SETI more closely might have ideas on that. In spite of its limitations, it has picked up some interesting "candidate signals" from time to time, hasn't it?

[arglebargle]

There are plenty of people who do think we have found aliens, or at least that they have found us. With all the witness reports and all the old artwork that seems to depict aliens at a time where even the idea of electricity was generally thought of as complete fantasy, it seems weird to me that these mountains of reports and depictions are all wrong. All it takes is for one of them to be correct, for there to be truth in the concept that alien life is or has been here.

That aside, I think the main factor why we haven't found alien life is because we have no idea what alien life might look like, and that our efforts to make contact are dependant on the sufficient technology not only to receive our ttransmissions but send transmissions back to us. Which rules out less technologically advanced life forms. So, when we've explored a portion of the universe equivalent to somewhere far, far less than one specific grain of sand, on our planet, then the chances are pretty damn good you're not gonna get anywhere in a hurry. This is as I said assuming all the UFO reports and art is all bogus.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Looking at wrong places.

[scowl]

I think the answer to the reason we haven't found aliens yet, is money. Go back 50yrs, add a dozen or so noughts to the space exploration budget, and we might not be asking this question now.

If we (meaning we Americans, not you Brits ) had spent even more money on our space program fifty years ago, we might be getting close to exploring Mars right now. Mars is most likely a dead planet so I wouldn't count on finding aliens.

Remember that goal of our space program was to beat the Soviets to the Moon, not space exploration. We would have spent any amount of money to achieve that after a decade of humiliations by the Soviet space program. Once that was done, we felt good enough to cancel the final missions of the Apollo program.

[scheming_dreaming]

The sun goes around the earth, and earth is the only real planet

[Disbeliever]

Personlly, I think it's as simple as ET is just really, really, really (and I mean really) far away.

I agree 100%.

Personally I don't believe aliens have ever even visited earth yet. We are just a dot in the middle of no where.

[Prab]

The sun goes around the earth, and earth is the only real planet

What?!?!? Sun goes around the earth??

LoL!

and

"Philosophy Professor Nick Bostrom, of Oxford University, has even posed the question whether humans are living in a computer simulation created by beings with a superior intellect"

LOL someone tell this professor Nick to stop watching movies like Matrix because he is really losing it!

LOL!

[Rolci]

It would seem that some people still haven't read the Ra Material. Asking questions like this implies a great deal of ignorance. Although not part of the Ra Material, this: http://www.llresearch.org/transcripts/issues/2008/2008_0315.aspx might give some of the people asking such questions some insight. Enjoy.

[Jaygatz]

If we are alone, seems like an awful waste of space

[HoaxHunter]

What makes people think Aliens are evil?

Also, how do we know that aliens aren't scared of us?

Because if I was an alien and came to visit us, I would **** my pants and run as far as I could lol

[The Word of Thoth]

why would they want to visit us!!?? all we would probably do is lock them up and cut them open n the name of 'learning'!!!!

[shaka5]

The sun goes around the earth, and earth is the only real planet

The Sun does what?...and this is the only real What?

[aliennnn]

I believe we haven't found aliens yet because we don't have enough money or technology to go where they might be. I don't think sending out radio signals into space will achieve anything.

However I do think that they have made contact with us and have bases etc here on earth, and people who are important enough know this.

[Col. Kurtz]

Maybe they are so advanced that we offer them nothing at all in the way of technology or any other scientific reason.Why waste their time comming here,,could be like us trying to talk to an earthworm.

[Lilly]

What makes people think Aliens are evil?

Also, how do we know that aliens aren't scared of us?

Because if I was an alien and came to visit us, I would **** my pants and run as far as I could lol

IMO, this too, is a real possibility. Humans are without question quite warlike...we could readily just scare the hell out of any ETs that did discover our presence.

[marcos anthony toledo]

I think they are here already and are keeping a eye on us they might also be controlling us thru reglion so we will not interfer with their use of the galaxy and using us as lab rats and having fun watching our antics and pulling our stings.

[Stardrive]

Maybe they are so advanced that we offer them nothing at all in the way of technology or any other scientific reason.Why waste their time comming here,,could be like us trying to talk to an earthworm.

Unless they're time travelers from the future wanting to learn about the history of this planet. Then they'd have a reason to be here and remain incognito.

[mitchall]

I think they found out what really goes on on this planet called earth and they said Noooooooooo way in hell are they making contact!!!!!!

[TheMcGuffin]

Unless they're time travelers from the future wanting to learn about the history of this planet. Then they'd have a reason to be here and remain incognito.

If they were really aliens, could we even ascribe human motivations to them? Would they have any sense of connection are attachment to earth? Or maybe there's something here they want? But what would we have here that they'd want?

[~TheBigK~]

I've read a little about SETI and the theories on why they haven't heard a real alien signal, ot at least not one that repeats. Maybe the aliens aren't using radio, for example, or maybe the signals are not strong enough to reach us, or they couldn't hear them unless they were very strong signals beamed directly at us.

Others who follow SETI more closely might have ideas on that. In spite of its limitations, it has picked up some interesting "candidate signals" from time to time, hasn't it?

The wow signal is an example of one. I think the biggest limitation though is that if some lifeform did receive our signals, it would take years for us to receive anything they sent back.

I agree with what Lilly and HoaxHunter have said though.