I just had a terrible thought.

[CPA]

Like we did to the American Indians?

Yes, the American Indians are stuffed and placed into countless museums.

 

[IronWing]

Yes, the American Indians are stuffed and placed into countless museums.

They aren't? We didn't? Oh.

<Crosses the National Museum of the American Indian off of the itinerary>

 

[waffleironhead]

They aren't? We didn't? Oh.

<Crosses the National Museum of the American Indian off of the itinerary>

That just leaves more room to spend time at the phallus museum.

http://www.phallus.is/en/

 

[moonbogg]

I've always thought this. Why people believe there is a superior race in the universe is beyond me, especially when there is no shred of proof that one exists or has ever existed.

There was never any proof that a pineapple could make a group of people look silly either. But here we are. :hmm:

OP, I have to know, did you do it on purpose? What was meant by "pineapple"? Please tell me, I have to know if I've just been trolled. I pride myself on being untrollable and if I just got trolled by a pineapple I need to know OP.

 

[mmntech]

Well the difference between a chimp and a human is 2% DNA. With such a small variance, it's highly probably that there are more intelligent aliens than us. Though we may never find them, purely due to the vastness of time and space.

 

[SMOGZINN]

At this point, based on what we actually know, it could go both ways. The best I can do is take a quick look at the numbers the universe presents us with, and take a guess.
If we are the best the universe has to offer, then we will get better and expand (I hope). As long as we don't stay like we are things should work out.
I do suspect there are other intellectual creatures, perhaps advanced enough to have left biology behind a very long time ago. Biology seems like a natural stepping stone to maturity, a sort of cocoon phase that successful, intelligent forms must go through unless they are created by existing forms.

I agree, the numbers seem to suggest that there should be lots of life out there, and if even a vanishingly small number of those are intelligent there should still be billions of them out there.

But, I recently read a scientific article that was suggesting that it might be likely that our planet could be among the very first in the universe to be able to harbor life. It seems that in the recent past the universe might have been continually swept clean of life by frequent gamma ray bursts. On top of that there are a few rather unique circumstances around our planet, namely being in an extremely stable region of a galaxy, being in a region that has experienced two supernovae close together in both space and time that generated a lot more heavy metals than is normal, being in a solar system that is very clear of asteroids, having a large moon that stabilizes our axis, and all this occurring while our planet still have tectonic activity to help the atmosphere and keep a strong magnetic field to protect us from radiation. All that might make us a part of the vanguard of planets capable of supporting life at all, much less intelligent life.

 

[WHAMPOM]

What if humanity really is the intellectual elite of the universe, the pineapple of advanced thought and wisdom? No alien super-races, we're the genii and everyone else is really, really dumb?

Don't worry "pineapple" says we are not the elite.

 

[moonbogg]

I agree, the numbers seem to suggest that there should be lots of life out there, and if even a vanishingly small number of those are intelligent there should still be billions of them out there.

But, I recently read a scientific article that was suggesting that it might be likely that our planet could be among the very first in the universe to be able to harbor life. It seems that in the recent past the universe might have been continually swept clean of life by frequent gamma ray bursts. On top of that there are a few rather unique circumstances around our planet, namely being in an extremely stable region of a galaxy, being in a region that has experienced two supernovae close together in both space and time that generated a lot more heavy metals than is normal, being in a solar system that is very clear of asteroids, having a large moon that stabilizes our axis, and all this occurring while our planet still have tectonic activity to help the atmosphere and keep a strong magnetic field to protect us from radiation. All that might make us a part of the vanguard of planets capable of supporting life at all, much less intelligent life.

Yes, the thought of there only being a precious few gives a kind of empty, eerie feeling and also burdens us with a sense of immense responsibility to spread life from one of few "planet zeros".

Also, if we discover that we are only one of a very few, then we should make propagation our second priority. Our first priority should be enjoying and appreciating the life we have right now, because if we don't have that already in place, then what is it that we'll be working so hard to spread throughout the cosmos?

 

[ImpulsE69]

I agree, the numbers seem to suggest that there should be lots of life out there, and if even a vanishingly small number of those are intelligent there should still be billions of them out there.

But, I recently read a scientific article that was suggesting that it might be likely that our planet could be among the very first in the universe to be able to harbor life. It seems that in the recent past the universe might have been continually swept clean of life by frequent gamma ray bursts. On top of that there are a few rather unique circumstances around our planet, namely being in an extremely stable region of a galaxy, being in a region that has experienced two supernovae close together in both space and time that generated a lot more heavy metals than is normal, being in a solar system that is very clear of asteroids, having a large moon that stabilizes our axis, and all this occurring while our planet still have tectonic activity to help the atmosphere and keep a strong magnetic field to protect us from radiation. All that might make us a part of the vanguard of planets capable of supporting life at all, much less intelligent life.

It's an interesting premise, but it also revolves around life as we know it. If life exists out there (and truly I am on the fence) I would imagine there is life that can exist with the high levels of radiation.

I think the biggest factor playing in if life has a chance is all the other variables that disrupt it which basically equals 'things that are not the norm for that lifeform' (things it didn't adapt to, sudden changes such as comets/asteroid impacts, nearby supernova, etc). If it grew up with high bursts of radiation and then that radiation was gone, it would more than likely die if it wasn't intelligent enough to adapt quickly.

Our search for life has mostly revolved around what we know, but we still know so little for certain.

 

[Gardener]

I've always thought this. Why people believe there is a superior race in the universe is beyond me, especially when there is no shred of proof that one exists or has ever existed.

Considering the number of planets in the universe, it is logical to conclude that the earth is not unique as the only planet where life has evolved.

Life may be rare, advanced civilizations may be extremely rare, but the math argues for it/them.

We are just another baby bird chirping in the nest, nothing more to see. Maybe we are the first bird, I'd wager we are not.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Then the next question is....if we ARE the only life in existence it is our job to spread our seed as often as possible.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I've always thought this. Why people believe there is a superior race in the universe is beyond me, especially when there is no shred of proof that one exists or has ever existed.

Probability.

 

[Carson Dyle]

What if humanity really is the intellectual elite of the universe, the pineapple of advanced thought and wisdom? No alien super-races, we're the genii and everyone else is really, really dumb?

You'll never know.

What if you're the only entity in the universe and everything you perceive is an illusion?

 

[SP33Demon]

The other day I was thinking about what if an alien race sent 'missionaries' to us. If they came here with their very advanced technology and wowed us with their incredible wisdom, told us all of our religions are wrong, would we believe them because they know so much more than us and are so much more advanced? What if they told us they know who god really is, and would like to share that information with us. Maybe we're a third world... world. Maybe we'd buy into it just the same as how missionaries convert people in third world countries that don't know any better.

This sounds like the "professor" (some phd) who claimed that humans are not from earth because our bodies are too weak for gravity and our eyesight is worse than most animals, etc. His theory is that earth is where they sent us as a prison because we're too militant by nature.

Also, if they told us who god really is, then we would worship that and it would become the new religion.

 

[moonbogg]

This sounds like the "professor" (some phd) who claimed that humans are not from earth because our bodies are too weak for gravity and our eyesight is worse than most animals, etc. His theory is that earth is where they sent us as a prison because we're too militant by nature.

Also, if they told us who god really is, then we would worship that and it would become the new religion.

Sounds legit

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Then the next question is....if we ARE the only life in existence it is our job to spread our seed as often as possible.

It's our job to be wiped out by a superior species. We're like the dinosaurs, doomed to extinction and someday something different will come along. If it's smarter than us it will evolve the knowledge to spread across the universe and if not it too is going to disappear and good riddance to it.

 

[Carson Dyle]

It's our job to be wiped out by a superior species. We're like the dinosaurs, doomed to extinction and someday something different will come along. If it's smarter than us it will evolve the knowledge to spread across the universe and if not it too is going to disappear and good riddance to it.

Why would anyone think we have a "job" to do? We do what our DNA tells us, same as any other species: Procreate and see to it that our progeny survives. End of story.

 

[Mixolydian]

I swear to god I was going to post the exact same thread last night!

 

[LightPattern]

You'll never know.

What if you're the only entity in the universe and everything you perceive is an illusion?

Then what is it that would make your perceptions an illusion?
Who are you to judge, you fragment of imagination you...

 

[LightPattern]

I agree, the numbers seem to suggest that there should be lots of life out there, and if even a vanishingly small number of those are intelligent there should still be billions of them out there.

But, I recently read a scientific article that was suggesting that it might be likely that our planet could be among the very first in the universe to be able to harbor life. It seems that in the recent past the universe might have been continually swept clean of life by frequent gamma ray bursts. On top of that there are a few rather unique circumstances around our planet, namely being in an extremely stable region of a galaxy, being in a region that has experienced two supernovae close together in both space and time that generated a lot more heavy metals than is normal, being in a solar system that is very clear of asteroids, having a large moon that stabilizes our axis, and all this occurring while our planet still have tectonic activity to help the atmosphere and keep a strong magnetic field to protect us from radiation. All that might make us a part of the vanguard of planets capable of supporting life at all, much less intelligent life.

Sounds very interesting. Was curious what article you're referring to, so I found this:
Role of GRBs on life extinction by Tsvi Piran, Raul Jimenez - Sept 8th, 2014

Here's a nonacademic summary in The Economist, astrobiology section.

 

[Ruptga]

I've always thought this. Why people believe there is a superior race in the universe is beyond me, especially when there is no shred of proof that one exists or has ever existed.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best?

Also, probability says that we are more likely to be in the middle of the range of intelligence, more or less. The odds of us being in the 70th percentile of intelligent species are a lot higher than the odds of us being in the 90th, assuming a random distribution.