futurefreak
salutatory committee member
Moderator
DOOP Secretary
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"Hey sugar cookie, you know, legally, nothing I can do counts as sex anymore." I know that wasn't from that episode but hilarious and informative nonetheless
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Tedward
Professor
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But that was from that episode!
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futurefreak
salutatory committee member
Moderator
DOOP Secretary
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Was it? Why did I think that was from the pilot? Maybe because Nixon's head appears in the pilot. But that was Clinton...Don't try to understand the inner workings of a futurefreak!
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DannyJC13
DOOP Secretary
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Also, I doubt that aliens exist since there is no real evidence whatsoever that there are aliens.
It's not even a scientific argument anymore whether or not other life exists in the universe. It's true.
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transgender nerd under canada
DOOP Ubersecretary
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Also, I doubt that aliens exist since there is no real evidence whatsoever that there are aliens.
It's not even a scientific argument anymore whether or not other life exists in the universe. It's true.
It's probable, given what we know. But we don't have proof, and so we can't say that it's certain. Also the odds of there being extraterrestrial life in the universe is so high, that it's more likely that 10 midgets can fit inside a Rubik's Cube.
That's a profoundly stupid statement. The odds are that there is a form of life out there somewhere. But we do not have any indication that this is true, only the mathematical reasoning to say that it's likely. We have not contacted or been contacted by any alien civilisation, nor have we discovered proof of life outside of our own biosphere. For all intents and purposes, we are alone and will remain alone until we manage to find proof that we are not.
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Tachyon
DOOP Secretary
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There are probably (within an order of magnitude or two) 10,000 stars in the universe for every grain of sand on every beach in the world. Think about it. Think about it hard. Is it not ludicrous to suppose that there are no civilizations out there, though the overwhelming majority could never be contacted, let alone visited? I believe in my heart that life is everywhere, but that complex life is rare, and sentient life is rarer still. But there still must be vast numbers of them. Think of the grains of sand... Dr. Brownlee has convinced me on a number of fronts, with his Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe
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Tachyon
DOOP Secretary
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...unless I'm misinterpreting what the authors are saying, I agree that while there probably are numerous simple single-celled creatures on other planets, we are likely among the very few (or only) complex life forms in the universe.
Relatively rare, I recall him saying. As in, only several civilizations in our galaxy, by one estimate. Which leaves billions more civilizations throughout the visible universe. He gave a talk at a star party I attended in central Washington, but the subject was a comet sample return mission, iirc.
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transgender nerd under canada
DOOP Ubersecretary
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Which leaves billions more civilizations throughout the visible universe.
Billions, Jesse. With an R. Yeah, there's probably quite a few alien worlds where there is life. But, if there are, then we shouldn't exactly expect to be on visiting terms with them in a thousand years. Crossing the gulfs between galaxies is going to be a pretty tricky business, and there's a good chance that we won't be at the stage where we can do that for a long while yet. Which is slightly sadmaking. I'd love to go explore a slice of the universe that hasn't been patented, sponsored, and subjected to Facebook yet.
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Tachyon
DOOP Secretary
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Agreed. My personal view is that there is a very narrow range of sizes for planets that might originate spacefaring lifeforms. Much smaller than Earth and plate tectonics are not too likely (which I suspect is a key precondition for most planets where life begins). Much larger, and a space elevator is probably not possible, making robust space industries less likely. Perhaps the most favourable nests for space explorers are moons orbiting large planets. The tidal distortion can generate a great deal of internal heat, and the low gravity would make it much easier to build a space elevator.
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