SETI shutting down?!

[selfinflikted]

The intense search and money spend looking ET life was EVIDENCE of ET life?

Oh my goodness...

No wonder you guys don't accept scientific evidence. You don't even understand what the word "evidence" means!

That's true, on the one hand. But on the other hand, there is an extremely high probability that life (even, intelligent life) on other planets exists. The probability that we will ever find evidence of it, however, likely remains small especially using systems like SETI.

 

[sandwiches]

On the contrary. Have you read Ezekiel?

The chariot of fire, shaped like a big wheel, that comes down from above the clouds and takes Elijah away in a beam of light?

Or how about Exodus... where *ahem* Moses *ahem* parts the sea and God travels with them, providing shade by day and light by night before settling on the embankment... Where Moses goes in and and comes back out with the commandments. If that doesn't scream Stargate....

I agree with you. Tell that to the Christians who say we're unique in the universe.

 

[Upisoft]

I agree with you. Tell that to the Christians who say we're unique in the universe.

Well, they could be right. Others determinately will not have so many Christian denominations. That makes us unique.

 

[sandwiches]

Well, they could be right. Others determinately will not have so many Christian denominations. That makes us unique.

LOL
Very right. This reminds me of this:

 

[sandwiches]

That's true, on the one hand. But on the other hand, there is an extremely high probability that life (even, intelligent life) on other planets exists. The probability that we will ever find evidence of it, however, likely remains small especially using systems like SETI.

Yea, but that has nothing to do with his claim that the SEARCH of ET life was evidence of ET life.

 

[Upisoft]

Yea, but that has nothing to do with his claim that the SEARCH of ET life was evidence of ET life.

Oh, you mean Higgs must exist, because they are searching for it? And that precambrian rabbit...

 

[TheReasoner]

I agree with you. Tell that to the Christians who say we're unique in the universe.

Meh. Paranoid ethnocentrists/anthropocentrists who choose to be afraid of everything, mostly. I wonder at the nature of their faith though. What kind of faith is it that apparently requires a fear of everything around you and a sort of very limited and small worldview centered on some small little thing like q species or a culture without any room for other perspectives? Is that even faith at all, or is it just fear manifesting itself in some illusion conjured by the believer to create a shell within which the believer can find a sense of security in a false simplicity justified by religious lingo and some fear-filled "logic"?

I don't see it as faith myself. I see it ad something else, a sort of pseudo-faith.
Faith is - to me - about peace of mind, calm humility and the ability to be ok with new knowledge and possibilities. It is - to me - something which enables as opposed to confines. Reveals as opposed to obscures (by which I refer to the open-mindedness I feel is essential to true faith and it's role and importance in learning and adapting). And last but not least: Loves and includes as opposed to hates and excludes.

To me this is extremely central to following Jesus. Of course some "Christians" find this approach threatening to their (fragile?) faith and then attack it. Oh well. *shrug* so what?

 

[Doveaman]

The intense search and money spend looking ET life was EVIDENCE of ET life?

Oh my goodness...

No wonder you guys don't accept scientific evidence. You don't even understand what the word "evidence" means!

If you saw a crowd of people standing around you might consider that as evidence for something even if when you go there you find nothing.

Consider the crowd standing around at SETI as evidence for something (ET life) even if when you go there you find nothing.

 

[TheReasoner]

.

 

[Upisoft]

If you saw a crowd of people standing around you might consider that as evidence for something even if when you go there you find nothing.

Consider the crowd standing around at SETI as evidence for something (ET life) even if when you go there you find nothing.

Like going to church seeing people praying to something invisible?
Yeah, it could be evidence only in your skewed interpretation.

 

[Doveaman]

I thought most Christians thought aliens couldn't exist because humans are supposed to be unique... or something...

I tend to think we are unique because: #40

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

I tend to think we are unique because: #40

"There is no evidence of extraterrestrials in the universe, therefore they don't exist."

Really? Really now? The conclusion doesn't follow the premise. We have not looked in every place in the universe, so how can we know for sure that they don't exist?

"On a more serious note, since creationists believe in one God then any extraterrestrials would have been created by that one God. This leads to many questions. Are they perfect beings as God is perfect, or are they fallen (sinful) beings just as we are?

And if fallen, would Jesus then have to incarnate multiple billions of different times into the multiple billions of different life forms on multiple billions of different planets in multiple billions of different galaxies in order to suffer and die multiple billions of different times to save the multiple billions of different extraterrestrials on the multiple billions of different planets, just as He suffered and died on our planet to save us?"

Great questions, actually. Which is why extraterrestrial life would have great implications on reality for us.

One of the things you shouldn't do is assume you know the answer before the questions are asked.

 

[Doveaman]

One of the things you shouldn't do is assume you know the answer before the questions are asked.

Good point.

Now go find me some extraterrestrials!

 

[TheReasoner]

Given how large the universe is it seems absurd to think we're alone as intelligent beings in the universe. It seems vanishingly improbable when we consider this galaxy alone, and there are well over a hundred to two hundred billions of galaxies out there. Each with billions of stars, most of which are bound to have planets orbiting them.

So... Why should we be the only ones?
It makes no sense at all, does it?

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Good point.

Now go find me some extraterrestrials!

What faith guardian said. While we can't say for certain there are or aren't extraterrestrials, it is a reasonable assumption to think that it is likely. When you think about how big the universe is, and how many earth-like planets there probably are (from a statistical standpoint), the thought of extraterrestrial life is not that absurd.

Based on the size of the universe, it is unlikely human life will ever make contact with another civilization. We haven't been on this planet very long as a species, and given the propensity of the earth to host various extinction events, the likelihood of us making contact before we become extinct is probably pretty low. We (or the other civilization) would have to find a way to transmit information or travel around the limits of the speed of light, either through wormholes or something we haven't been able to comprehend yet.

 

[Doveaman]

What faith guardian said. While we can't say for certain there are or aren't extraterrestrials, it is a reasonable assumption to think that it is likely. When you think about how big the universe is, and how many earth-like planets there probably are (from a statistical standpoint), the thought of extraterrestrial life is not that absurd.

Maybe the entire universe was made for man and we are presently in the process of preparing for it by how we conduct our lives here on little earth:

Jesus told His disciples..."Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" - Luke 16:1,10-11.

Based on the size of the universe, it is unlikely human life will ever make contact with another civilization. We haven't been on this planet very long as a species, and given the propensity of the earth to host various extinction events, the likelihood of us making contact before we become extinct is probably pretty low. We (or the other civilization) would have to find a way to transmit information or travel around the limits of the speed of light, either through wormholes or something we haven't been able to comprehend yet.

If there are extraterrestrial civilizations out there it is highly likely that many of them were around far longer than us and are far more intelligent and technologically advanced than us and would be capable of contacting us by now. But they haven't. Probably because they don't exist.

 

[TheReasoner]

Maybe the entire universe was made for man and we are presently in the process of preparing for it by how we conduct our lives here on little earth:

Jesus told His disciples..."Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" - Luke 16:1,10-11.
If there are extraterrestrial civilizations out there it is highly likely that many of them were around far longer than us and are far more intelligent and technologically advanced than us and would be capable of contacting us by now. But they haven't. Probably because they don't exist.

What makes you think they even think like we do? And... WHat makes you think they'd want to contact us? What makes you think they consider us intelligent? I'm not sure I do...

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Maybe the entire universe was made for man and we are presently in the process of preparing for it by how we conduct our lives here on little earth:

While that is a possibility, I don't find it very likely based on the observation of the universe alone. You're telling me the entirety of the universe was created just for one planet? Take a look at some perspective:

http://i.imgur.com/HkWEf.jpg

If there are extraterrestrial civilizations out there it is highly likely that many of them were around far longer than us and are far more intelligent and technologically advanced than us and would be capable of contacting us by now. But they haven't. Probably because they don't exist.

That is the most hasty assumption I have ever read. First of all, the universe is 13.75 billion years old. The earth has only been here for 4.54 billion years. Human life has existed for probably the past 100,000 years. We are here for quite a short amount of time. Given the distances we're talking about between stars, it would take millions of years for us to travel to a nearby star at the speed of light. By the time we got there, if there was any life there when the travelers left, the life could be extinct by the time they get there.

Life only exists in short bursts, and it does not sustain itself for very long. Any changes in the planet have drastic effects on life. Plus, the sun has a finite lifespan. The probability that any advanced civilization would get here before we went extinct, much less even know we were here, is extremely small. Plus, why would they even want to come? You guys think the universe was made for you. How more arrogant can you get?

There have probably been so many different kinds of life emerging and becoming extinct in flashes of time before our earth was even born. The fact that you cling to these unimaginative and extremely ignorant myths has left you unable to contemplate these great mysteries and potentials in the universe. I truly feel sorry that you have to shackle yourself to the limits of the imaginations of ignorant goat-herders from our species' neonatal period instead of embracing the beauty and harshness of reality.

 

[AV1611VET]

After saying this:

Life only exists in short bursts, and it does not sustain itself for very long. Any changes in the planet have drastic effects on life. Plus, the sun has a finite lifespan.

... you then make this doosey of a comment:

I truly feel sorry that you have to shackle yourself to the limits of the imaginations of ignorant goat-herders from our species' neonatal period instead of embracing the beauty and harshness of reality.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you're looking for diamonds in a trash can.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you're looking for diamonds in a trash can.

The fact that I am a part of the universe that is able to comprehend the universe is beautiful to me. I don't soil my fascination of the universe with short-sighted, arrogant silliness like you guys do.