Extra-terrestrials (Aliens) - A Poll

[Astro78]

Would love to know your thoughts on this (intelligent life btw):

:question:

[dpastern]

I believe that other intelligent life is almost certainly existant.

Dave

[Baron von Richthofen]

How do you know that I am not an alien:ship2::cool3::ship1:

[AdrianF]

They are just too intelligent to come here :lol:

Adrian

[leon]

No mate, not a chance, we are alone in this vast wilderness.

Leon

[MrB]

Is there other life out there somewhere? I believe so.
Has an extraterrestrial being ever visited this planet? No, not even close, and probably never will.

[Neil]

G,day on checking the poll results I,ve found I,m amongst the majority, this seems to indicate why we,re all members of this ilke,searching for an answer for that question? or are we just deemed to be not ready yet, i,m sure we,re not. But we should keep on looking, seeking the answer,i,m mean isn,t that why we,re here?

[Jen]

Well ive meet some people in my lifetime that i think they are from another world :lol::lol:
:rolleyes:

[Neil]

:lol::lol::)so they,re not from swan hill?:rofl::rofl::question:

[renormalised]

That can't be proven, and, the first time someone born on Mars or anywhere else in the solar system comes to Earth for a holiday and/or business, an extraterrestrial will have set foot on our planet...technically.

[Ian Robinson]

Yep they are out there , that's a dead cert.

I do not think they are visiting us or have been to our planet anytime in the recent pas or are observing us now.

They may have been to our planet a few times in the geologic past.

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol: yeah thats right :rofl: There not from Jens world anyway :rofl:

:D:D:D

[AlexN]

I'd say it would be fairly small minded of us to think that in the entire universe, we are on the only planet with sentient life forms...

We know of 300+ planets outside of our own solar system, orbiting other stars within this galaxy... There is likely to be many many more than what we've found, remember, we can't see what is on the opposite side of our galaxy due to the galactic core being as dense as it is.. There may well be other sentient life within our own galaxy.. and the likely chance is that we (in our lifetimes) will never know one way or the other.. Now zoom out a ways, and look at the bigger picture.. There is 300+ planets we know of in this single galaxy... There are hundreds of millions of galaxies out there, if you were to assume similar distribution of planets in every galaxy, then the number of planets out there would be astronomical. Now, clearly, the percentage of these that would be suitable for us to live on (Carbon based life) may be low... However whats to say an extraterrestrial is carbon based? There is nothing to rule out life that breathes sulfur instead of oxygen, or life that does not require water..

Chances are better for there being other life in the universe than not...

If there isn't.. If we're it, isn't it a hell of a waste of space? Like building an entire city as a house for 2 people...

[Neil]

:eyepop:Great ,well they must be aliens, ! Just kidding ,glad you,re looking too.:):D:lol::rofl:How do you do that purple thing?

[Kal]

It would be a pretty sad scenario if among the trillions of stars (perhaps septillions of stars) contained in the billions of galaxies the only intelligent life was on a small rock called earth circling the sun.

[Jen]

:lol:
Click on the drop down arrow next to the A above you have lots of colors to choose from ;)

[Neil]

There,s a very interesting read in the current issue of Sky & Telescope on this senario of weather we are alone,p36,it opens up all sorts of possibilities, at least in my mind. Have a read.

[Neil]

Found IT

[Jen]

:2thumbs::2thumbs::2thumbs:
:clap::clap::clap:
Well Done
:D

[Astro78]

I personally love the fact that little over 10 years ago we weren't sure if other planets existed outside our solar system. Now it is commonly accepted that around 1/3 to 1/2 of all stars do indeed have planets. -> surely wont be long until we scientifically believe all stars do?

Still amazes me of the huge temperature range out there - and the TINY little range we can thrive in.


Please share, subscription was axed (darn CC)

[Neil]

Thankyou :lol::thumbsup::rofl::rofl::rofl::r ofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::)

[dpastern]

Well, plans are underway to:

1) find rocky terrestial style planets around exo stars. Then determine their mass and distance from their parent star.

2) ascertain their atmospheric makeup (by analysing their light)

Over the next 20 years or so, there'll be enough technology to determine 1) and 2) imho. From there, it'll be simple enough to work out "pollution" in alien atmospheres, and work out from there as to if there's life or not. I think we're going to find that life is not uncommon, and intelligent life forms by natural means of evolution (given enough time of course).

It is completely illogical to think that we're the only sentient life. Sorry, but you'd have to be mad to think that. We've found 300 odd exo planets in the past Ten years, and the number is growing exponentially as new technologies become available. We've only analysed a very very very very very small portion of our own parent galaxy, imagine if we had the ability to check our ENTIRE galaxy - there'd be millions of planets imho. And that's just our galaxy. When there's trillions of other galaxies in the known universe, the odds are simply just too great for their not to be life imho.

Dave

[AlexN]

Dave, another problem is that most of the time when they look at other planets, and their atmospheric make up, they deem a planet to be uninhabitable due to either its temperature, proximity to the star (radiation problems etc) and the composition of the atmosphere.. As I mentioned before, There is nothing ruling out aliens that live in 180°c temperatures and breathe sulphur dioxide... Absolutely no reason they can't handle constant exposure to massive amounts of UV or even gamma radiation... There is no rule saying they have to be human, or even human like... So whilst any given planet orbiting another star may be utterly uninhabitable for us, does not mean that life is not there.. it just wont be life as we know it.

[dpastern]

I realise that Alex, but I think most investigations will try and concentrate on planets with similar temperature zones to Earth, as well as similar atmospheric conditions. Life is very resilient, and I have no doubt in my mind that it can exist in far harsher conditions than what is on Earth. Intelligent life too for that matter.

Dave

[MrB]

Ofcourse, but it was just my opinion.

Good Point!

[michaellxv]

you are looking for the Drake equation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Every now and then someone has a go at updating our best guesses at each parameter. Problem is that it is not too hard to manipulate it to get the answer you want.

The real problem is that based on our current understanding of the laws of physics we could not have a meaningful conversation even if we did find ET let alone go visit each other.

Michael.

[Astro78]

Dunno (not disagreeing), but reckon if we could travel back to just about anytime in the past, say right back to the Sumerians or further, we'd have a pretty interesting time sharing 'life experiences' with each other. Conversations, literally, might be hard and of course sharing the same genome might help of course.

Perhaps if we could observe them in real time and were taught about them in depth at school, we might not bother or want to....

[troypiggo]

If it's ever proven that life on other planets doesn't exist, all these movies I've been watching - they're all lie? Oh no. And to think I put "Jedi" down for "religion" in that Census...

[UK1]

I have seen some, they have formed a comunity called the Circque de Soleil,
they are all freeks, with the things they do, to them the earth has no gravity, so they must be aleins from another planet :eyepop:

[stephenb]

Agree on both points :thumbsup:

[Esseth]

Is out there, pretty good chance.... will be detected in my life time, chances are slim. but they are there.

[supernova1965]

My wife reckons that because I can bend my first joint of my fingers without bending the other joints that means that I am an alien.:rofl:

[wavelandscott]

Life I suspect will be hard not to find once we can really look for it...

Intelligent?...depends on your definition (including on earth)...

Do lgm (little green men) visit earth?...I think (my opinion) it is unlikely...

[AdrianF]

There probably is someone out there on a forum much like this one wondering if there is a planet out there with any kind of intelligent life form.

Adrian

[jjjnettie]

I believe there is intelligent life out beyond our Solar System.
I would love to see what would happen if they ever came to visit our planet, but the chances of that are so slim.
Lucky there's others out there who feel the same otherwise we wouldn't have all these wonderful Sci Fi movies and shows to watch.

[Omaroo]

I went with "not likely".

As opposed to Carl Sagan (Copernican principle), I guess that I'm a proponent of the Rare Earth Hypothesis as put forward by Peter Ward (not ours).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesis

http://www.damninteresting.com/life-without-the-moon

There are soooooo many "freaky" conditions that were super-luckily in place for us to be here at all.

Maybe, just maybe there are others, but I'd hazard a "no" answer before a "yes".

[FredSnerd]

That was an interesting Wikipedia article Chris. I suppose time will tell whether the Copernical people or the Rare Earthers are right

[Ian Robinson]

Ha .... then they shouldn't waste their time looking in Sol's direction as there is bugger all intelligent life on the 3rd rock out.

[renormalised]

Oh, it's intelligent. But it's also arrogant, greedy, apathetic, selfish, ignorant, misguided, hoodwinked, short sighted and a great number of other things.

Above all, it's immature (or acting that way, at least).

[Darth Wader]

An excellent point... we humans really should shed ourselves of our anthropocentric view of the universe. There is a great article in the latest Australian Sky & Telescope about life in what we perceive to be "extreme" conditions - excellent reading.

[Manav]

probability = 1

[Baron von Richthofen]

Most all life on other planets through out the universe would have developed similar to our planet, intelligent life would have developed on a similar line to us, the strongest at the tip of a sword and just as violent, because that is what is required to survive and we have not changed just the sword

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Without empirical evidence to prove the case in either direction, we can really only make a best guess here. The passage of time might provide some evidence or even a definitive answer ... equally, it might not.

I wasn't aware of Ward's work or the other proponents for the stance he takes. For what it's worth, based on the wiki article, I think his position is well reasoned out. I find it very persuasive if not compelling.

I'll have to try and hunt-down that book -- looks very interesting. Many have legitimately argued that a calculation that supports your (perhaps pre-determined??) position is pretty easy to contrive one way or the other. The number of factors we are prepared to include (or discard) in the probability calculation and their apparent rarity (or otherwise) of their being co-incident at the one place at the one time will dramatically affect the final answer (guesstimate) you get, as will how in turn you estimate the rarity of each of those individual factors you include.

There have in the past been some lively discussions on this forum on closely related topics here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=38229&highlight=Intelligent+life+common&page=3

and here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=34210

where there are a number of interesting, witty and highly readable contributions from a range of the people on this forum.

Personally, I find it fascinating that there is such an incredibly broad spectrum of opinion. Could that super-wide range merely be a reflection of the paucity of empirical evidence one way or the other???

I voted rare or singular.


Best,

Les D

[joe_smith]

I also voted extremely unlikely, based on the way they think life was kick started here (by random events) on earth and the odds were stack up against us at the very start. What gets me is how anyone with a logical mind thinks that the drake equation is the holy grail for life out there. They use it as a magic formula for proof that the formula proves life is out there, but then these same people dismiss the paranormal because of the same lack of proof.

If life is flourishing in the universe and is as common as people think and have faith in then, that if true makes me think that the universe IS set up for the sole purpose to contain that life. Every action in the universe must have a cause and if life can only come from life which is so far the only proven way, then life must of been created with the universe in some type of form at the begining.

As the master said "Why are we here?, were did we come from?" will we ever find out I don't think we can.
we only have five senses to wonder the secrets of the entire universe and most of those things we will never be able fully grasp and will never know truth. To the universe we are blind and we can only have faith in what we perceive as the truth in "Why are we here?, were did we come from?" let alone if its also out there.

[DavidU]

Perhaps I aim too low however I would be thrilled just to see some basic bacteria found in a meteorite or Mars etc.

[Ric]

Don't know what it is or what it looks like but it's out there somewhere.

[Davros]

Infinite diversity in infinite combination. Also the string theorists would argue for infinite dimensional realities.

[renormalised]

"Extraterrestrials"....don't think we need too many more people on this planet, there's enough already:P:D

[GrampianStars]

What ! Your all telling me scientology is a fraud ?
Kneel before Xenu, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in a DC-8-like spacecraft :rofl:
all those thousands of rich and powerful believers are having the same mass delusion ! :screwy:

No can't be surely! ;)

[GrampianStars]

Jesus was an Alien :thumbsup:
well he couldn't be killed though the Church tried
Oh! and he flew just like Superman :thanx:

[TrevorW]

"It's life Jimmy but not a we know it"

highly probable considering we are here, it would be the height of arrogance to think otherwise

[FredSnerd]

Gee I must admit this result surprises me. I thought it would be the tuther way round. You know 10% say yes ETs exist and 90% say no or extremely unlikely. I wonder if the result would be different if those in the real world (not just people with an interest in astronomy) did the poll.

[ngcles]

Hi Claude,



I might well be wrong Claude, but maybe you have misread the intent of the question?

I don't think the question is asking whether Earth and/or Humans have been "visited" by E.T, but rather whether E.T (which I take to mean (1)advanced, multi-cellular, (2) self-aware life capable of abstract thought, communicating thoughts and ideas by speech, (3) capable of making and using tools to perform tasks and (4) manipulating their environment to their species' advantage) exists somewhere other than our home planet.

If the question is asking whether E.T visits here on Earth, I'd probably expect 90% of people on this forum would answer no and 10% or likely somewhat less answer yes.

If instead (as I interpret) it asks whether he exists somewhere (somewhen?) I'd expect a reversal of percentages -- but personally I still vote rare/extremely unlikely (at the highest) on both counts.

If it were the public at large, I'd probably expect a percentage approaching 100 would vote that E.T exists somewhere (somewhen?) and maybe 30-40%would say we have/are being visited.

Did you misread/misinterpret?


Best,

Les D

[FredSnerd]

Yes Les, I wonder if without actually realising it there was an element of that in my thinking and thefore my surprise. Thanks I appreciate you pointing that out.

[Morepower]

I voted "More probable than not" and am leaning toward "99.9%". It's not only what I believe, it is also what I would really like to be true as well. I feel it would be a very sad day if it were ever proven we were the only inteligent life in the entire Universe.

I doubt we have been visited by aliens themselves, but maybe we have been checked out by an automated probe, or the like, sent millions of years ago ? I also have to wonder if we weren't here, given enough time, whether Apes might evolve into something similar to us.

[ngcles]

Hi Morepower & All,



This is perhaps this is just a little off the topic of the poll, and if so I apologise to the moderators & readers. This is in no way intended as a criticism of people's views (to which they are completely entitled as well as basic respect). But I wonder if you can answer me this ...

A great many of people I've met over the years and several people in this thread have said that they would be sad or upset etc if it turned out we were the only intelligent life in the sector/galaxy/local group/Universe. It is a fact that a lot of people feel this way. But ...

What I want to understand is why it would make you (them) sad or upset etc? Why would it be a sad thing to be the only/first intelligent beings in the Universe?

Maybe it's the "only child" in me saying this but: So what if we're alone?

Would your opinion change if instead you believed the aliens out there were mean, nasty and want to take your resources, kill your daughters, rape your sons and enslave you? If they are out there, what makes you necessarily think they will be friendly, helpful, loving, giving and caring? That they will give us the technology they have -- gratis and unravel for us the apparent contradictions we see in physics etc without us lifting a finger?

Maybe if they did land, they might see us as a bunch of no-hopers, kill us all and then conduct their high-level negotiations with the chimpanzes the dolphins or the lizards? Do you think they are going to be more spiritually or philosophically "enlightened" than us? What is the basis for that belief? How does solving the riddles of interstellar travel necessarily make them enlightened, wise, loving, caring and giving? Maybe they will be, maybe they won't be -- who knows?

Lots of people have said that if it were proved, it would transform humanity. What I want to know really is why and how? If we knew other beings were out there, how does it help us fix the problems we face or even see them in a different light? Or do we think they are simply going to pop over and solve all the problems we've created for ourselves? If 500 ships suddenly materialised in our skies and started zapping everyone with their "definit-kill-cannons" so they can re-settle our planet with their own kind, that would certainly be "transforming". What makes you think there is simply no-way they could possibly be hell-bent on conquest?

If E.T did send us an unambiguous greeting tonight would all current wars stop? Would Robert Mugabe stop his genocide and driving Zimbabwe into the dirt and say "oh well now, this changes everything!" Would it solve our energy problems? Would racism stop? Would it cause the opposing forces of politics to shake hands across the table and take a bi-partisan cooperative stance on everything? Would crime stop? Drug usage? Late-running public transport? The economy? Would the banks stop ripping us off? How would this world be better or how would it be transformed if we knew E.T. was out there?

Could it be that your hope that we are not alone is colouring your opinion that we are or are not. Have a hard think about it and consider whether your opinion is or isn't an extension of wishful thinking? If you feel it might be, is that "wishful thinking" realistic?

Whether we have company, lots of company or we are alone does not affect me emotionally at all. For me, at this stage the question is a simple matter of probability. If it happens we don't have company, I'm okay with that. If we do have company, I'm okay with that too -- and I hope sincerely "they" are "okay" with our presence here. How, and more particularly why does it/doesn't it affect you emotionally?

Sorry to introduce such a heavily philosophical take on this topic on Melbourne Cup night!:) But I'm intrigued about why people would be sad.

Oh, and by the way here is a really credible newspaper report from the Sun in the UK that is said to prove that a buffalo was beamed up into a spaceship over England. That's both the headline and the conclusion of the "UFO researchers". Apparently the fact that the actual farmer is missing no cattle and the that the farm is adjacent to a military base (where you might expect unexplained lights in the sky) has little relevance to the final conclusion ...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2708680/I-saw-UFO-beam-up-a-buffalo.html


Best,

Les D

[renormalised]

It wouldn't, but I can see that it would be greatly to our advantage if we were:D:D Knowing how we think, I can imagine just how we'd lord it over our lesser fellow beings if we were to come upon them in our travels. Prime Directive....pffft!!!:P:D There'd be all manner of subverting, converting and perverting going on:D:D

[Omaroo]

??? Huh?

[TJD]

i think so........ we can tell there intelegent because there not coming here.

why should we care,i'm shore that they don't realy care about us other wise we would be seing them more often:rover2::anaut::ship2::ship1:: earth:

[gaa_ian]

"and pray that there is intelligent life somewhere out in space ......"
To quote those masters of wit .... Monty Python !

[Tandum]

I'll add something.

I'm sure that life has evolved elsewhere in this universe but I think when is the question. Even our own solar system is a rebuild from a previous system and we know this because we have heavy metals on earth which can only be produced in an exploding star.

They say the universe is 13.7 billion years old. We took 40 million years to get where we are and it's more than likely we will disappear within another thousand years, left to our own devices, so if all intelligent life has a use by date of 40 million years before it kills itself, there could have been thousands of intelligent life forms in this universe before us and after us.

It's quite possible that at this point in time we are it, but who can tell. The light we see from stars is only a few hundred years old which is really a drop in the ocean of time. We have only had the capability to look out there with electronic ears for something like 30 odd years. I think the question needs to be reviewed.

Did or will ET exist.

[leinad]

I'd say yes. And we've been in contact already.

One only has to look at Ancient texts and wonder what it all meant, did the ancients really have flying machines, advanced technology etc.
Then one might ask, where is the evidence then?; or then again was it just documentation of what existed on another world. Maybe another world within our own neighbourhood?

I've been listening to some interesting works by Joseph P. Farrell. "Cosmic War: Interplanetary Warfare, Modern Physics and Ancient Texts"

All for reading of course with an open mind, and a pinch of salt; but interesting here and there nonetheless.

my 2c.

[leinad]

Well written viewpoint Tandum. Got me thinking.
:)

[jjjnettie]

The Universe is infinite.
There is a finite amount of intelligent life within it.
Infinity divided by a finite number is near enough to nothing to make no difference.
Douglas Adams.

[Tandum]

He supposes there is just one universe :question:

[multiweb]

Couldn't agree more. The solar system is located far enough from the center of our galaxy. We're at the right distance from the sun and our orbit is near circular, the earth axis is tilted and the moon keeps it relatively stable, it revolves in 24h, just good enough to keep it warm without cooking it, and if that's not enough we have plenty of water, a thick enough atmosphere not to worry about a lot of meteorites impacts and most of all a magnetosphere to protect us from the sun's radiation. Now that's freaky enough. Sounds like we won Lotto big time. Even though life took millions of years to kick in with the right conditions, and us as "modern humans" we've been around for how long? 3000, 4000 years? ... and one big rock could end all this.

But given the number of stars out there wouldn't it be reasonable to assume there is a chance that the same conditions are met somewhere else to provide for complex life form development? It's a numbers game really isn't it?

As to visit each other, not a chance IMHO. The distances involved are just far too huge.

[TrevorW]

Don't just suppose intelligent life needs the same conditons we have to exist, I don't think it would be an absolute requirement

[multiweb]

Well I'd say intelligent life emerges from biodiversity and evolution so you'd need a fair bit of "favourable conditions" to start with yeah. :) Has any research been done on multi cellular complex organisms developing in other conditions than ours? :shrug:

[TrevorW]

I believe it has thats why we have these too branches of biology

xenobiology
and astrobiology

[renormalised]

Yet, only a little over 100 years ago, we couldn't fly. 60 years ago, we couldn't even get into orbit, let alone leave the planet. Look how far we've come in such a short time. What will we do in another 50-200 years, let alone 500-1000 years. Nothing within reason is impossible.

[Omaroo]

I guess that back then Carl, humans did not know if boundaries existed as the science wasn't there to suggest them or draw hypotheses from.

Now it is.

[multiweb]

True but not so long ago Jules Vernes was shooting a canon shell with people inside on the moon. We got there but after practical considerations it took a bit longer and wasn't as simple as first thought. I'm just hinting to the "Warp 5 Mr. Worf! Engage!" . Is this likely to happen? ;)

[TrevorW]

I'm a great exponent of human expansion of our galaxy using what has often been propostioned that of century ships.

Our ancestors used to travel for months in couped up ships to get from one point to another what is too say our childrens, childrens, children won't do the same to travel the stars.

Whats to say other species ain't already out there doing likewise.

"Oh well this planet is already overpopulated by sentient beings, lets move on, then shall we"

[renormalised]

That's not all that long ago, Chris. Relativity was around and so was just about every other major physics theory. What they hadn't done by then was have those few inventors and scientists who were bold enough to think outside the accepted paradigm and take those risks in experimenting with the wacky, "impossible" and "unacceptable". Look where it got us when they did:D

[renormalised]

It was only 104 years between his cannon shot and the actual Moon landing...not as long as you may think:D

Who knows when they will be able to say "Set a course for Earth Mr Worf, maximum warp...engage.", but I will make a prediction and say it'll be before the end of the next century, probably (maybe) before the end of this one.

How's that for confidence:P:D

[Baddad]

Hi All, :)

A lot of good points raised on this subject. The Rare Earth Theory. I recently learnt about it. Again a good arguement.

To me life seems to be so resilient. It seems to find a way to survive no matter how violent the conditions are. (Within some reason ofcourse).
Extremophiles, living in physically or geochemically extreme conditions. They exist.:eyepop:

On Earth extreme conditions are comparatively rare. Therefore lessens the chance for complex life forms to develope or evolve much more than their current state in these nasty conditions.

If a large portion of a planet were homogeneous and extreme it stands a better chance for a more complex life form to develope.

IMHO the Rare Earth theory does not hold much water for me.:D

The String Theory and multiple dimensions leads me to conclude that we know so little about Everything (pun intended).

Perhaps other life forms are not able to be recognised by us if they exist. :eyepop:

Simply because of the great resilience of what life has displayed on this Earth we can not discount it not existing outside of the solar system.
Particularly where there are friendlier environments than what the extremophiles live in.;)

Cheers Marty

[multiweb]

That's optimism mate. I like that :thumbsup: If we're capable of such technology in the near future and I hope we do then it would be fair to assume that others would have it too and would be in a position to come and visit us? I just hope it's not the vogons :lol:

[renormalised]

No need to worry, I've already put in an objection to the overpass with the ITA (Interstellar Transport Authority). They don't like the Vogon construction crews that much, anyway:P:P:D:D

[bloodhound31]

I don't think anyone is narrow minded for thinking either way.

In saying that I still try to keep a logical mind. :screwy:

So, I think there are two outcomes and one must find out which is the case:

1. If the conditions for life to spontaneously spark here were a once-off, never to be repeated and unique set of circumstances, then we are it and that's that.

2. If it has happened in even ONE other place, the conditions and circumstances are not unique. This means they can and definately will be repeated many times over in this infinite universe. Therefore life would be all over the universe. As life is such a fierce survivor, the forms would be wide and varied, able to survive in some form or another in a huge range of conditions.

That very idea for me, supports the "no" option. We find water in multitudes of places with life in most of it. All be it small, but it's there. From the 700-degree geothermal vents where extremophiles live under great pressure and no light from the sun, to the depths of frozen ice packs in the poles, to the inside of the driest rock in the driest hottest dessert. I'm pretty sure there are lots more extreme examples of life on Earth than I can provide. There is water all over the solar system and looks like it must be all over the universe as it is made from the most basic elements. Plenty of opportunities for favorable conditions IMHO.

If our space probes and exploration give us some solid evidence of life in space or on other planets that can be proven they didn't somehow get smashed off the Earth and commuted, I will of course, have to re-evaluate.

Both impartial arguments are equally strong and it will have to come down to proof.

Until then, I am happy to ponder the possibility and wonder what that life would be like, if they are in God's plan, if it's His intent to show us when we are ready, or whether he has left it up to us to go find out for ourselves one way or the other. For now, I think we are very special and loved. All this for us!!??? WOW.:thumbsup:

[shane.mcneil]

At the risk of sounding really dumb, why don't the percentages in this poll add up to 100%?