We are alone in the galaxy

a reply to: eriktheawful

On a technological level perhaps.
Ever consider the philosophy of ants? Leaving out the concept of hive minds, of course.

a reply to: gortex

Brian Cox is a very smart man. There isn't anyone out there
because the universe isn't old enough for that to happen yet.
Life on our planet didn't progress in the midst of other worlds
civilizations that started and evolved before ours. No no no.
Why does no one ever consider us, this planet, our civilization
could just as easily be the very first one? That would make us
the only one. And if we don't make it? There may never be all
those other worlds that so many people today were hoping to
be out there. Well there isn't. But we're still not alone.

Brian Cox is smart, but I disagree with him on this one. He and that other guy cite the fact that we haven't been visited or contacted by ET civilisations, as the sole and fundamental reason to assume that we're alone in our galaxy. What a limited, shortsited way to reason! Gigantic distances between stars is why we haven't encountered aliens yet.

I always tell people to look at ourselves and out civilisation: we're pretty intelligent and pretty advanced (at least, compared to plants and animals), and yet haven't even explored our own Solar System using manned exploration, let alone attempting to explore deep space. Our galaxy might have millions of civilisations like ours, and they would be just as much limited by cosmic distances and technology as we are.

originally posted by: wildespace
Brian Cox is smart, but I disagree with him on this one. He and that other guy cite the fact that we haven't been visited or contacted by ET civilisations, as the sole and fundamental reason to assume that we're alone in our galaxy. What a limited, shortsited way to reason! Gigantic distances between stars is why we haven't encountered aliens yet.

I would say that the fact we are here means others are out there too. As to the numbers, wow, when one looks at all that needs to happen just for advance life, much less intelligent advance life, I would not think there are many.

The distances alone is one good reason we are alone and will be most likely for the entire time humans are a species....

originally posted by: wildespace
Brian Cox is smart, but I disagree with him on this one. He and that other guy cite the fact that we haven't been visited or contacted by ET civilisations, as the sole and fundamental reason to assume that we're alone in our galaxy. What a limited, shortsited way to reason! Gigantic distances between stars is why we haven't encountered aliens yet.

I always tell people to look at ourselves and out civilisation: we're pretty intelligent and pretty advanced (at least, compared to plants and animals), and yet haven't even explored our own Solar System using manned exploration, let alone attempting to explore deep space. Our galaxy might have millions of civilisations like ours, and they would be just as much limited by cosmic distances and technology as we are.

I would say that our galaxy has multitudes of civilizations many thousands and in some cases millions of years more advanced than we are, and vast distances are like walking to the corner 7-11 to them.
In fact, I and millions of other people already know this.
But don't tell anyone I told you that or I'll deny it.. To keep the job, and all that, you know how it works on planet Earth....

Brian Cox reminds me of the Baghdad information minister during the Persian Gulf War saying no enemy troops were anywhere close to Baghdad. We don't know what secrets our current governments are keeping from the people nor what or who might have visited the Earth 2 or 3 thousand years ago. He's making a statement based on very limited information.

a reply to: orionthehunter

I guess he hoped he will be long dead before proven ridiculous.

originally posted by: ParasuvO
a reply to: FormOfTheLord

What makes you think it is not INFINITELY LIMITED ??

Um uh science and observation, you should try it some time.

Try googling the universe wether its infinate or limited and see what you get.
Check to see why scientists say what they do.
Inform yourself before you ask a question that appears to be uninformed.

originally posted by: gortex
"There is only one advanced technological civilisation in this galaxy and there has only ever been one - and that's us," Professor Cox said. "We are unique."

"We have a galaxy full of 10 billion planets, in habitable zones, roughly Earth-size, [but] no visits, no communications we've picked up."

Both statements by the professor are profoundly arrogant and ignorant.

Arrogant because he concludes that there is no advanced one except us. This, coming from a "scientist" who would no doubt demand hard evidence of ET visitation. Yet, he has NO evidence that would permit him to draw this conclusion. This galaxy alone is vast. What experiments has he or others done to PROVE that we, as an advanced civilization, are alone here? Why doesn't the professor hold himself and his profession to the same standards those of us who KNOW ETs are here are held to?

Ignorant because he concludes that there have been "no visits, no communications..." LOL! What a fantastic display of denial! First, if he or others are looking for "scientific evidence" to prove ET presence, forget it. We aren't dealing with chemicals, stars, inanimate objects or anything of the kind that would be measurable and predictable. We are dealing with a sociological phenomenon, the interaction of various species. As such, all the "evidence" we need are those of observers, those who can testify as to the reality of ET visitation. And we have an enormous amount of testimony. Oh, I know, I've heard it all before: "oh that's just anecdotal evidence, not real, hard data." LOL again. In courts of law, evidence often takes the form of testimony with nothing else. The judge and/or jury will evaluate the credibility of the witness and determine whether or not they are truthful. That is the kind of evidence that does not meet the number-crunching criteria of close-minded, dull and unimaginative scientists like this professor Cox, but we don't need professor Cox or anyone of his kind to validate what a significant number of us already know. Therefore, his opinion is USELESS.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Swills
13.2 billion years old and I think it would be presumptuous to say we're it, we're alone.

Why? We had billions of years of evolution here and intelligent life arose only one time. If it was not for the K-T extinction we might not have ever showed up.

Indeed, another legitimate hypothesis is that there may have been other intelligent civilizations in the galaxy, but they didn't last that long and they're not around right now.

So, at the moment, we could be alone.

There's excessive bashing of the original scientists who are certainly very well aware of all the arguments and present additional biological historical information which may be underappreciated.

originally posted by: Visiting ESB

Ignorant because he concludes that there have been "no visits, no communications..." LOL! What a fantastic display of denial! First, if he or others are looking for "scientific evidence" to prove ET presence, forget it. We aren't dealing with chemicals, stars, inanimate objects or anything of the kind that would be measurable and predictable. We are dealing with a sociological phenomenon, the interaction of various species.

If a major ET civilization came here, it would be as plainly obvious as the conquistadors were to the Aztecs.

a reply to: gortex

Nobody known for sure. What I know for sure is that human consciousness comes not from this planet. The consciousness gab between human and animals is simply too big. So there must be life in our galaxy. Because that life must have visited us. And that life is not so far away. Say 20 light years.
That we don’t intercept radio or other signals is simply not a reason to think we are alone in this galaxy. Those who made us are 11.000 years further in their evolution (I think). They have surely other communication systems than radio signals.
Or maybe they can protect their planet for escaping radio signals.
Besides I think also - I think a lot :-) - they now live in a cloud fed with magnetism.
read www.evawaseerst.be...

a reply to: mbkennel

Unless...they dont want you to know. In any case...to some people it is obvious...for whatever reason...the ET chose not to contact you specifically...or this NASA scientist. I guess you think because you are smart and scientific...they should have rang your doorbell...

originally posted by: smurfy

Well, intelligent life is certainly around most places on Earth, and if things evolve, where's the fluke?
monkeys that use tools like sticks to get at ants...

And we all share the same common ancestor.

"That the whole enterprise is about discovering whether human beings are alone in the universe. That's a bit like the half-pint analogy that another poster has already mentioned, and rightly so.

We can certainly have company, I just do not think we are going to encounter intelligent company.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: gortex

Brian Cox is a very smart man. There isn't anyone out there
because the universe isn't old enough for that to happen yet.
Life on our planet didn't progress in the midst of other worlds
civilizations that started and evolved before ours. No no no.
Why does no one ever consider us, this planet, our civilization
could just as easily be the very first one? That would make us
the only one. And if we don't make it? There may never be all
those other worlds that so many people today were hoping to
be out there. Well there isn't. But we're still not alone.

I would say it's possible, but not probable, considering our sun is considered relatively (in our limited knowledge of the solar system) young (Population 1 star) compared to other stars.

I'm sure everyone has seen this before, but it's so important to understand how insignificant we truly are comparatively speaking.

well after seeing my 4th UFO last night, I'd like to say we are not alone... Look to the skies!

a reply to: Bearack

Oh, I see, you aren't going to get away with that amigo.

From the perspective of what we know about the universe.
( May as well be nothing ) The odds of us being the first pop
one civilization, even the first planet to aspire intelligent life.
Even the very first planet to have any carbon based organisms.
The odds stack up evenly at this point in time to all the other
postulations, because they are all just a guess. And my guess is
as good as yours at this point. And the evidence being none
even leans in my direction. Mentioning of course that could
change in a few minutes as we are about to get an announce-
ment from NASA.

There's water on Mars again. LMAO

originally posted by: Dr X
well after seeing my 4th UFO last night, I'd like to say we are not alone... Look to the skies!

You know nothing of what you saw.

a reply to: wildespace

He and that other guy cite the fact that we haven't been visited or contacted by ET civilisations, as the sole and fundamental reason to assume that we're alone in our galaxy.

And that we've been listening to the cosmos using radio telescopes for decades and no communications or signals have been heard , SETI itself is over 50 years old and with their upgrades we should have heard something by now , the Wow signal is the best we got.

The fact that we haven't heard ET doesn't mean they aren't out there but it may be an indication that technological civs are few and far between , I hope that's not the case but we should prepare ourselves for the possibility.

a reply to: gortex

The fact that we haven't heard ET doesn't mean they aren't out there but it may be an indication that technological civs are few and far between

So how about quantum communication ? Have we been listening to those ?