There are around 30 billion planets in our galaxy , and there are...

badabing106 · 16-12-2018 12:54am #1

... over 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos

Does anybody else ever look up at the sky and see that vast dark sky with twinkling stars and think...how unimportant and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things..

Guy:Incognito · 16-12-2018 12:56am

There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing

ArnoldJRimmer · 16-12-2018 12:58am

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing

Thats a fact

We are 12 billion light years from the edge

Thats a guess

endacl · 16-12-2018 12:58am

badabing106 wrote: »

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos

Yes.

milehip · 16-12-2018 1:00am

Maybe at this moment in time we are,more advanced species may have existed million of years ago or in the future after we've expired.

emo72 · 16-12-2018 1:09am

The filter is going to get us. We've only just come out of the swamp, and we've created a **** load of existential traps for ourselves. If we make it through the next 200 years intact we may have a chance. Take your pick, climate catastrophe. Physics experiment at LPC. Biological leak from lab. Plain auld nuclear war. Ecological breakdown. The flu. AI, now that's scary.

But we deserve a chance. No reason why, but I'm optimistic. I can't believe we've come this far too **** it up.

gozunda · 16-12-2018 1:11am

badabing106 wrote: »

... over 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos

Before answering - read this....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

archer22 · 16-12-2018 1:15am

Well if we are the most intelligent...then it must be one dumb Cosmos.

Wibbs · 16-12-2018 1:17am

We simply don't know.

dxhound2005 · 16-12-2018 1:18am

From the Bet You Didn't Know thread. There are ten times as many trees on earth as there are stars in the Milky Way.

NIMAN · 16-12-2018 1:25am

..... so let's worry about the lyrics in a song from the 80s.

mad muffin · 16-12-2018 1:29am

We are alone in this alternate universe.

Arghus · 16-12-2018 1:29am

Sure, look....

emo72 · 16-12-2018 1:29am

NIMAN wrote: »

..... so let's worry about the lyrics in a song from the 80s.

What's the song? "It's the end of the world as we know it" REM?

9 million bicycles was 90s I guess.

Larbre34 · 16-12-2018 1:31am

We're not even the most intelligent species on the f****** Earth.

4068ac1elhodqr · 16-12-2018 1:44am

milehip wrote: »

Maybe at this moment in time we are,more advanced species may have existed million of years ago or in the future after we've expired.

Assuming time is one-directional, linear, and can't be manipulated.

We've gone from barely flying wooden planes and pigeon-mail just 100yrs ago or so, to landing robots on Mars and quantum processing. So who knows what will be possible in another century (blink of an eye in the scale of the cosmos).

Avatar MIA · 16-12-2018 1:50am

How about the Definitely not option?

Avatar MIA · 16-12-2018 1:53am

Donovan Rancid Jack wrote: »

Assuming time is one-directional, linear, and can't be manipulated.

We've gone from barely flying wooden planes and pigeon-mail just 100yrs ago or so, to landing robots on Mars and quantum processing. So who knows what will be possible in another century (blink of an eye in the scale of the cosmos).

There is that. But, if Einstein is correct about the speed of light we may be destined to never find intelligent life... in Dublin 😁😁😁😁😁😁

archer22 · 16-12-2018 1:53am

Donovan Rancid Jack wrote: »

Assuming time is one-directional, linear, and can't be manipulated.

We've gone from barely flying wooden planes and pigeon-mail just 100yrs ago or so, to landing robots on Mars and quantum processing. So who knows what will be possible in another century (blink of an eye in the scale of the cosmos).

Except in another century humans will be too busy trying to survive in the hellhole that they have created for themselves.

Gonad · 16-12-2018 1:55am

There has to be intelligent life out there. Scale alone suggests this is highly probable.

However reaching each other is the issue. There is only so fast you can get from A to B.

Myself I have experienced a few things in my time that makes me think 100% there is something out there. However when I explain my experiences people think I’m nuts .

worded · 16-12-2018 2:01am

Gonad wrote: »

There has to be intelligent life out there. Scale alone suggests this is highly probable.

However reaching each other is the issue. There is only so fast you can get from A to B.

Myself I have experienced a few things in my time that makes me think 100% there is something out there. However when I explain my experiences people think I’m nuts .

Apt username Gonad

Larbre34 · 16-12-2018 2:55am

Scale alone suggests its an absolute certainty.

There may be a billion civilisations, yet so vast is space that even with great technological advancement they will never know of each other.

10 billion galaxies recorded visible (or audible) from Earth, adding up to One Billion Trillion stars (21 zeros) in the observable Universe, another ten billion galaxies likely to be recorded when our technology allows. We're talking about such an inestimable amount of planets that even Einstein and Hawking handed it over to a great creator once the maths ran out, so limited are their theories and so huge the gaps in knowledge.

Gonad · 16-12-2018 3:07am

worded wrote: »

Apt username Gonad

I didn’t see that coming either

No pun intended.

PistolsAtDawn · 16-12-2018 3:16am

Gonad wrote: »

I didn’t see that coming either

Apt username Stevie Wonder

Mongfinder General · 16-12-2018 3:19am

Are these my feet?

An Ri rua · 16-12-2018 3:27am

I bet they've got better broadband than us...

tabby aspreme · 16-12-2018 3:31am

Lovely clear sky tonight to be looking up at our unknown neighbours

topmanamillion · 16-12-2018 3:49am

It'll be very interesting to find out what the imaginatively named Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will be the most powerful telescope ever constructed, spots when it's finished.

I could very well see a scenerio where enough evidence of extraterrestrial life is gathered to make a compelling argument for it, even going as far as where we can observe distant artifical light sources but we will simply never be capable of any meaningful contact with them due to the distances involved. Destined to be a cosmic peeping Tom hoping to just see even a little more each time we look.

Gonad · 16-12-2018 3:55am

topmanamillion wrote: »

It'll be very interesting to find out what the imaginatively named Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will be the most powerful telescope ever constructed, spots when it's finished.

I could very well see a scenerio where enough evidence of extraterrestrial life is gathered to make a compelling argument for it, even going as far as where we can observe distant artifical light sources but we will simply never be capable of any meaningful contact with them due to the distances involved. Destined to be a cosmic peeping Tom hoping to just see even a little more each time we look.

I know when there is a gig on in Marley park I can see all the lights and hear the sounds from miles away .

Probably same thing for them aliens .

eagle eye · 16-12-2018 3:57am

Where do you think all them flying saucer came from?

Birneybau · 16-12-2018 4:24am

Very interesting podcast from one of the 'Stuff You Should Know' guys about the aforementioned Fermi Paradox.

https://www.theendwithjosh.com/podcasts/ep01-fermi-paradox.htm

GMSA · 16-12-2018 4:33am

I wonder do they have the same type of loonies that think their planet is flat, as we have here.

Junkyard Tom · 16-12-2018 4:34am

The earliest episodes of 'Glenroe' will soon be arriving at the star 'Beta Virginis' in the Virgo constellation.

foxatron · 16-12-2018 5:09am

Isn't there a dark skies heritage centre in Kerry. Id say if you got the weather be a great place to have a look

Zorya · 16-12-2018 8:08am

Fairly regularly on the way back in from the shed at night, I put down the firewood and lean back on the car and have a look up. There is very little light pollution here, and the skies can be marvellous. It is such a spacious, uplifting feeling one gets looking up at the moon and stars. I don't really think about the possibility of other intelligent life out there, we may never find out, so that is dwelling in the unknown and perhaps even the unknowable. What we do know is we are here, you and I - each a mortal human being temporarily alive and acutely conscious amidst incredibly complex nature on a goldilocks planet that is spinning insanely fast and hurtling speedily though an unimaginably vast cosmos. It's mad, Ted. Mad and brilliant.

begbysback · 16-12-2018 8:41am

If the universe is unobservable then how can the galaxies be counted?

judeboy101 · 16-12-2018 8:54am

badabing106 wrote: »

... over 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos

Does anybody else ever look up at the sky and see that vast dark sky with twinkling stars and think...how unimportant and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things..

As more and more planets are discovered it confirms Fermi's paradox. We are truly alone in this galaxy (and possibly this universe.

Sirius Boner · 16-12-2018 9:10am

The chances of us being completely alone would be almost zero.
The chances of us being the most advanced life forms are much, much higher.

judeboy101 · 16-12-2018 9:24am

Sirius Boner wrote: »

The chances of us being completely alone would be almost zero.
The chances of us being the most advanced life forms are much, much higher.

Of course they are zero, there a millions of other species living with us on this planet. But there have only been ~6 documented sentient species in the known universe all hominids and all from the same planet. With our currently tech we could seed every planet in the galaxy with bacteria/virus and probes in less than 15 million years. We could bombard the galaxy with a constant stream of daniel o Donnell within 50k years.

Melodeon · 16-12-2018 9:39am

I can't believe this hasn't been posted here yet!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkkjzmuEBbo

Pay particular note to the last line.

runawaybishop · 16-12-2018 9:45am

judeboy101 wrote: »

As more and more planets are discovered it confirms Fermi's paradox. We are truly alone in this galaxy (and possibly this universe.

It confirms nothing. There are plenty of reasons that Fermi's paradox is incorrect. Not least that we have been looking for a negligible amount of time at a negligible section of the universe.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 16-12-2018 9:48am

archer22 wrote: »

Well if we are the most intelligent...then it must be one dumb Cosmos.

It’s mostly bacteria and pidgins.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 16-12-2018 9:51am

runawaybishop wrote: »

It confirms nothing. There are plenty of reasons that Fermi's paradox is incorrect. Not least that we have been looking for a negligible amount of time at a negligible section of the universe.

Of the galaxy you mean. If life were statistically as likely as the Drake equation suggests, that would be enough.

(and most refutations of the Fermi paradox are really refutations of the Drake equation. Fermi just asked “ok. Where is everybody”?)

EdgeCase · 16-12-2018 10:12am

We're very limited in what we can look for too. For example we're assuming that an advanced civilization would use loud and powerful radio waves for communication and that it would be noisy. That's largely based on what we were doing in the mid 20th century with simple, analogue, mass broadcasting. Even following our own development over 50 years, we became quieter with more sophisticated, low power transmission systems focused much more locally and not giant single very loud broadcasting towers. We've also moved to fibre optics etc etc.

We have no idea what technology might have evolved somewhere else. We could for example be unaware of some other 'obvious' phenomenon that could be being widely used for very long distance, real time communication. Radio waves aren't great over long distance as they're too slow.

There are all sorts of weird and wonderful phenomena like quantum entanglement etc etc there are time distortions and we don't even fully understand gravity other than by observation of what of does.

Even look at our own technology evolution over a century. A 1930s scientist with the latest radio gear from that era likely wouldn't even see or hear the digital signals from a 2018 4G mobile phone. Even if they heard the signals they'd probably think that they were random background noise because of the complex way they encode vast amounts of data.

We are a very, very long way away from concluding anything about the existence or non existence of life beyond Earth. We are literally only beginning to scratch the surface of exploration.

runawaybishop · 16-12-2018 10:13am

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Of the galaxy you mean. If life were statistically as likely as the Drake equation suggests, that would be enough.

(and most refutations of the Fermi paradox are really refutations of the Drake equation. Fermi just asked “ok. Where is everybody”?)

Yeah but the drake equation was purely a vehicle to drive discussion. There are any number of solidly constructed refutations of it, not least the time we have spent observing is absolutley teeny tiny .

realitykeeper · 16-12-2018 10:20am

badabing106 wrote: »

... over 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos

Does anybody else ever look up at the sky and see that vast dark sky with twinkling stars and think...how unimportant and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things..

There are many lifeforms on earth, only humans have made it to space. The planets that have been detected so far are all inhospitable to life relative to earth, although some may be home to bacteria.

Who is to say we are not the only life in the universe by intentional design by the creator? What if the big bang theory is false? Why this desperate search for the so called "God particle'' - this quest is costing billions and all to prove a theory to help atheists sleep. Even if the elusive particles are found to have the critical mass to make the big bang theory possible, the agnostic belief is correct - one cannot prove or disprove the existence of God. It`s all about faith you see.

EdgeCase · 16-12-2018 10:28am

It's nothing to do with helping anyone sleep at night. Humans have a brain that's evolved to explore and figure out what's beyond the horizon and then what's beyond the next horizon.

Pretending that you know everything based on a nice story and trying to shut down exploration, be it through creationism or other dogmatic beliefs eg that flat earth nonsense is a bit like sticking fingers in your ears and blinkers on your eyes.

If there's a question or a mystery the fun bit is having a brain that's actually able to contemplate it and explore.

Thinking about the possibilities of what's out in the universe or what's in a subatomic structure doesn't keep people up at night. It's what makes for great dreams!

It's not about having all the answers. It's about asking all the questions.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 16-12-2018 10:37am

runawaybishop wrote: »

Yeah but the drake equation was purely a vehicle to drive discussion. There are any number of solidly constructed refutations of it, not least the time we have spent observing is absolutley teeny tiny .

That’s not a refutation of the Drake equation.

If technological civilisations were plentiful then many would be billions of years older than us, and have time to populate the galaxy with probes.

Signore Fancy Pants · 16-12-2018 10:38am

badabing106 wrote: »

Do you think it's more likely or less likely that this planet has the most intelligent species in the cosmos.

I was going to say "yes", then I looked at your other threads.

Now, I hope we are not.

uck51js9zml2yt · 16-12-2018 10:40am

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

Thats a fact

We are 12 billion light years from the edge

Thats a guess

Considering light can be slowed down and speeder up in laboratory conditions we're in fantasy land saying how big it is.

Are there really 9 Million bikes in Beijing

Atoms for Peace · 16-12-2018 10:48am

N = R* • fp • ne • fl • fi • fc • L

There are around 30 billion planets in our galaxy , and there are...

Are we the most intelligent species in the cosmos? 68 votes

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