Yeah. Either that or the aliens are travelling more in time than space. Or whoknowswhat.
Are you sure? According to the latest figures in the NASA exo-planet catalogue there are 359 planets detected within 100 light years. While only six of these are classified as terrestrial, the presence of the other planets coupled with our knowledge of planetary systems raises the probability that at least some of these will be accompanied by as yet undetected terrestrials. Not to mention ones yet to be found around stars with no planets currently known to be in orbit, as the resolution of our detection methods improve further. A sphere 100 light years in radius can hold a lot of stars.
Exactly. That is "not many." What are the odds that of those 6 one of them would have a civilization capable of launching a starship? I'm thinking we need at least a 1,000 terrestrial planets before we find one populated and then advanced enough to be spacefaring. And if it's able to get into space, can it move that last bit and be interstellar? We just don't know what it takes and how to calculate the odds.
Perhaps you missed my point, which focuses on the meaning of "not many".
Right, and so what are the best odds that we can figure that there is a spacefaring civilization out there within 100 lightyears? Based upon all the best guesses that anyone can muster...
1. My main point is that if there are 60 terrestrial planets within 100 light years of the Earth, which the evidence suggests is likely, saying that is not many is an abuse of English qualifiers.
So as not to wander. I said there are not many stars within a hundred lightyears with planets. There are 359. I don't think that's very many. Considering how vast a sphere of 100 lightyears is... You're right however. Our ability to find them is ... lacking. So there are likely many more. I'll just give in on that one. There are a lot of planets out there. More than I thought.
(Its also not mathematically valid, in the absence of real-life data for establishing parent distributions and thence have any measures of confidence in any particular sampling techniques, as well).
Well, the term certainly doesn't have any objective meaning, or even any data there, whatsoever .. That implies any meaning would have to come from a belief .. so remaining silent is suggestive of not having much faith in such beliefs, (which is, I guess, what you're not saying there)?Ophiolite said:
I guess English isn't your native language, but any quality dictionary will help you out. If it you don't have one, just go with "strange" as the most applicable synonym, that's objective if no necessarily quantitative.
I was largely agreeing with what you said there .. (and adding some more perspectives for collective consideration).
You've nailed it. I am often surprised when I see normally logical persons doubting, for example, that aliens would be unwilling to spend the huge amount of time for interstellar travel. The (unwarranted) assumption being that it because it would require a very large part of our lifetime, it would be the same for aliens (who might live for a thousand years, or-like microbes, just periodically split in two and thus experience a form of immortality). Similar assumptions populate nearly every objection to alien visitation. The assumptions might be valid, but there is no reason, apart from anthropocentric thinking, to believe that they are.
Right. And not just abilities, but motives too. I suppose its possible that our social psychology reiterates patterns that would typically arise among any intelligent techno-species. But its not at all certain.
Given that the volume of evidence came before cell phones with picture taking capabilities were in every persons hands>
I don't think there is any evidence of aliens unless I've missed something. I would not be a bit surprised if there are other species of intelligent life out there. I'd take it in stride unless they come down and start eating us or something. It would be like finding out that there are mountains or lakes on another planet. I'd ask for a ride in their starship. In fact, lately, when I see a UFO I wave my arms and I hope they come down so I could meet them. No luck so far.
