How could we go about proving that life on other planets exists?

Why don't we try to prove that life on this planet exists?

I don't see why we are so worried about life on other planets when we haven't even proved our own existence yet. We just accept whatever we see. If we don't see aliens does that mean that they aren't there? If we see other humans does that mean they exist?

How are we to know what exists?

How are we to know that there is life on Earth and that it isn't made up?

Do we know if we are here or not?

After all, we could be seeing the Earth through another dimension.

We have no definite proof of anything.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Well that really depends on what you define proof to be.

Proof can be many things, and like you said proof may not even be the real proof one needs, if this world isn't real.

But in a logical, normal everyday world that most people believe is the real world, then there IS proof all around us.

All I know 1000000000000000% is that I am real. But wait I know that you are real too, because I'm talking to you. Even if you think that you might not be real , and that you would need to prove it, I believe that you would still be real in a way. Just like how a memory is real, or how your dreams are real, or your thoughts.

Basically you've confused me. And I think there is plenty of proof all around us?

[edit on 13-4-2008 by _Phoenix_]

All the world's a stage?
Frankidealist35, what do you accept as proof of reality?

reply to post by _Phoenix_


I'm confused too. I think I'll take the blue pill on this one

I've said this before, and you'll say it again...

I am a figment of your imagination. Nothing you see is real. You are God, and this is how you amuse yourself, by trying to forget your omnipotence.

You might also be interested to know that there is
Proof of multidimensional molecules that know you're watching...

Originally posted by Umbrax
All the world's a stage?

Hey Umbrax - You forgot - "Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is But a Dream"!

Why don't we try to prove that life on this planet exists?

I don't see why we are so worried about life on other planets when we haven't even proved our own existence yet.

Oh boy, Philosophy 101 huh? Prove you exist....

The easiest fallback is to of course use Rene' Descartes' "I think, therefore I am". I'd furthermore back that up with recent quantum physics experiments that show how the act of being observed changes matter's behavior, and use it to bolster the claim.

Beside's, one man's "proof" is another man's "nonsense"... The most common conception of "proof" or "fact" is exactly that....a conception...of what "most" people believe to be true. At one time, Creationism was a "proven" "fact". In many circles, it still is. So there you go. Proof is simply a group of people "agreeing" that something is true. Proof has no bearing on whether something is actually true or not.

For example, I'd wager the average person on the street would believe themselves to be very "solid". This is in spite of the "fact" that most of their body is taken up by the empty space between all of their particles.

So, why do we want to prove life exists elsewhere? Because, by the concensus of the people, we've already "proven" it exists here.... Of course, there is still hot debate over whether or not life here is "intelligent"...

[edit on 14-4-2008 by Gazrok]

I think some things should be taken for granted. For example, insisting that no other intelligent life form exists in our galaxy, nevermind universe, with millions of stars and billions of planets is pure insanity. Yet the opposite side always prevails and even if they admit that life probably does exist somewhere its always far, far....far away!

The question is why should we prove life exists nearby(which in all probabilty does) while in the meantime the majority of scientists are allowed to keep their rather illogical, status quo theories alive and well?!

Please prove life does not exist in our solar system when monuments have already been found on mars and the moon. I am not saying aliens live there now but at the very least it does suggest that they once did.

Then we have suspicious looking moons on jupiter and saturn. Iopetus with its frozen glassy surface and near perfect equatorial ridge is particulary interesting. It looks very much like the "death star" from the star war episodes.


[edit on 14-4-2008 by EarthCitizen07]