Since it is thought that you cannot move faster than the speed of light, how do you guys find reason for there to be aliens coming to here, Earth? I have always known that there are aliens, but I am not sure if it is at all possible for them (or us) to travel to another galaxy where intelligent life may exist. How do you explain this?

Only linear travel requires speeds in excess of light.

Fortunately, this universe is complex enough to allow more creative methods of transportation.

Even if we assumed that was not possible, why deny Aliens within the Solar System?

Originally posted by SteveR
Even if we assumed that was not possible, why deny Aliens within the Solar System?

Or why deny really determined, extrasolar aliens that completely obey relativity AND even stay away from the wormholes that relativity predicts.
Time dilation causes huge interstellar distances to be crossed in relatively short periods of time as observed by the craft and its occupants...

that's my werd, son

Originally posted by Noodleboy
Since it is thought that you cannot move faster than the speed of light, how do you guys find reason for there to be aliens coming to here, Earth? I have always known that there are aliens, but I am not sure if it is at all possible for them (or us) to travel to another galaxy where intelligent life may exist. How do you explain this?

The argument that faster-than-light travel is not possible is based on the assumption that the model of relativity is inviolable. Certainly, people thought the same thing about Newtonian mechanics, and it was difficult for them to accept that time was the variable, and not the speed of light.

Nowadays, we hear speculation that there are ten spacial dimensions. We hear people postulate about super strings and other concepts. It is possible that such models will redefine what we think about faster-than-light travel. Certainly, this phenomena of UFO's that people witness is very real; it implies that there are holes in our understanding of the universe. As someone once said, there are "unknown unknowns."

Alas, we arrive back at the Time Travel Paradox.

At least travelling faster than the speed of light, and time travel mechanisms involve the same sort of distorting of Space/Time.

But I don't see how this argument would disprove aliens.

edit = clarity

also, just because we have not discovered a way to travel faster than light, does not mean the possibilty does not exist. We just haven't figured out a way to do it yet.

[edit on 1/20/2007 by Mechanic 32]