What if we are the first advanced civilization?

Got woke up again with another strange dream. Ive had many from me being shot to death to whatever, but this one made me want to ask ATS. What if we are the first advanced civilization to exist in the universe?

reply to post by ExCloud


Then the whole thing is ours for the taking!

It would explain the lack of contact so far.

Considering the age of this part of the Galaxy compared to the galactic center that is highly unlikely. We would be very young.

Compared to the universe, I do not know.

P

It's very possible, it probably won't change anything at all because the chances of another advanced civilization being within a distance either of us can interact in is very slim.

When you look at things like the pyramids.... and we can't even figure out how they were built, its pretty clear that even earth itself has seen more advanced civilizations than us.

We are not I promise you that. When you die you will say aaah man how did I forget all this.

Originally posted by AsuspiciousMANappears
We are not I promise you that. When you die you will say aaah man how did I forget all this.

I love people like you. You come down from where ever it is we go when we ascend just to mingle with us mere mortals once more. You must live such thrilling existences in the upper realms. Why do you alwasy come back to tell us how much we've forgotten and how great it will be when we wake up.

I really wish I knew. There's so many of you guys here, it must be lonely up there...

I doubt it...

I'd say we are type 0 civilization #1959029320930293023080230239023920392039203920392039203920392039203920392039 x 32930293029302930293029302930293029302930293029302930293029302930293029302930

How many god-like civilizations exist?

I personally believe there are so many advanced civilizations in the universe that there are systems that are starwars-like, it would be awesome to live in such a system, sadly we are living in a barbaric neanderthalic system where we are likely the most 'advanced', I do believe the type 3, 4 civilizations may visit us sometime, but even they, with their supposed unlimited resources, would take them possibly an infinite amount of time to even find us, and if there are many like us it would be another reason why visiting us wouldn't be that big a deal...

Speaking of having dreams of alien civilizations...

the other year, I was in a jack in the box drive through and I had a vision....

in the vision I saw an extra terrestrial fast food drive through, and it looked very similar,

the color scheme was different, the window & the bag were different but so similar it was eerie, in other words I saw that even fast food joints are commonplace in the universe,

I do believe it was a vision as opposed to a daydream, very cool to see an alien planet, only to see one of the most mundane things to see on that alien world... they were humanoid and looked similar to us...

What if we are the first advanced civilization to exist in the universe?

IF, that is the case. One day we will be known as the ancients, and the future will look back on us, and wonder how we could ever have screwed up something so simple as living life in harmony with the planet, and each other.

I'm afraid our legacy isn't going to be pretty.

Given that there are billions of galaxies with billions of stars with billions of planets - at least a few of which are likely to be suitable for life as we know it, then it's likely there are other advanced civilisations somewhere else in the Universe.

But on the other hand, there has to be a first. And we have no evidence of any preceding us ......

What about the Dinosaurs? They were here on this planet before any of us, They weren't very advanced but they were life. We are probably not alone in the universe, who knows what we will find.

In order for a civilization as we know it to exist, it requires technology. The earliest stars were composed of nothing but hydrogen. All of the other elements were forged by these earliest stars. It was not until these heavier elements were spread through the cosmos by these early stars' deaths that the materials necessary for life and technology were available. There is some reason to believe that our Sun is one of the older members of the class of stars that is recent enough to have planets capable of supporting life. It is quite possible that humanity is the first species to develop a civilization with technology as we understand it. As someone pointed out earlier, some day we will be looked upon as the "Ancient Ones," and our wisdom will be sought after. Keep that in mind as you live your life.

reply to post by ExCloud


That is certainly a valid possibility but it suffers from a centralist position as having us as a special event, kind-alike to how the Sun orbited the Earth. Thinking that one is special is empowering but often a delusion of self importance...

Having said the above it is as possible as any other possibility, but I wouldn't bet on it due to the age of the universe the time it took life "to emerge" on Earth.

reply to post by ExCloud


It's possible. If so, a lot of people will have to rethink their ideas, eh? Personally, I never understood why people can't believe that ancient peoples built really cool stuff. We don't even know all of the really old history, or what they might have been able to do. I think some people sell us short too easily.

reply to post by ExCloud

We are not. Even without this information all one has to do is remember that there are Galaxies in our Universe that have existed long before Earth was even a Planet. Never mind the huge number of Planets in our own Galaxy that will support life.

There is a 100% Probability that there is Intelligent Life elsewhere in the Universe. Split Infinity

I have thought about this as well for a possibility to our place in the cosmos. I feel it is in the realm of possibility that we may be the seed planet for the universe. I am not saying it is fact, just that it is possible.

I am a giant Stargate nerd and I would be especially pumped if it ended up that we are the "Ancients" and another form of humans will discover traces of us millions of years down the line. After we have explored and left our mark.

On the flip side it is entirely possible that life is very similar to the Stargate universe and we are just "youngins" in the Universe. That is the side I lean more to.

One thing I know for sure, topics like this are awesome!

It's a neat concept. . .I've often wondered this as well. I have, however, come to the realization that, IMHO, we are at the bottom. . .and the animals around us are WAY more advanced than humans.

In fact, there is so much to still learn from them, and we should strive to achieve those teachings.

Sure we are supposed to be at the "top" of the food chain and all, but it's only because we developed technology that throws pieced of lead really fast.

No, I think we are still in a sort of "dark age", and until we live as free without the "need" of technology, we're never going to be advanced at all, especially when we're still killing innocent people.

Of course, this is just my opinion.
S&F

reply to post by ExCloud


The earth is estimated to be approximately 4.5 BY old, and the universe 14.5 BY. it is also understood that given the fact earth -- and the solar system -- contain elements heavier than iron, our solar system was created out of debris from at least one supernova, other solar systems have come and gone before ours was created. Chances are that there would have been solar systems that could sustain life long before ours came along -- by billions of years even, so I really doubt that we're the most advanced civilization around. But that said, certainly some of the oldest ones have likely died out. There's some 200-400 billion stars in our galaxy and I believe there are estimated to be 100-200 billion galaxies in the known (seen) universe, so I extremely doubt that we're the most advanced civilization currently in existence.

The number of stars in our galaxy, though, shouldn't all be considered to have planets that hold life however. The stars clustered towards the center of the galaxy are so dense in space that radiation and heat levels are likely too high to support life, but conservatively (I'd estimate) there must be several or several tens of billions that could, and a similar number is likely, on average, in other galaxies, so there are likely some -- as in MANY -- older civilizations out there in the cosmos. If it were determinable, I'd bet the farm on this being the case.

Not sure I understand the "what-if" question posited here. Is that not the position popular thought and accepted science already take, that we are the first and only civilization, period? If religious then that hat would have to make an exception for god and his cohorts, angels, demons, and such, but they don't really count, right?

My own opinion? I don't even think we were the first nor most advanced civilization to occupy this planet. Nevertheless, popular wisdom assumes the idea you put forth as fact already. "What-if" we were not?

Originally posted by ExCloud
What if we are the first advanced civilization to exist in the universe?

What if we are the last advanced civilization to exist in the universe?