Intelligent life is common in the Universe: Free Public Debate

[CY(CLE)BORG (David)]

Intelligent life is common in the Universe : Free Public Debate - next Monash University Event

To (mis) quote the famous show:
"There's Life Jim but not as we know it" - Dr McCoy
"There's no sign if intelligent Life captain" - Dr Spock

So which is it........?

Two experts on astrobiology will argue the topic using the latest information and theories about astronomy and the possibility of life existing in the Universe. In recent years we have found hundreds of planets outside the Solar System. Surely intelligent life must exist somewhere. But why have radio searches revealed nothing yet? Following the debate the experts will take questions from the audience.

Date:Thursday 27 August
Time:6 - 7 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre S4, Building 25 Clayton campus

[avandonk]

There is a simple answer to the question of radio signals. We have been transmitting 'analogue' signals for about one hundred years. Once everything is 'digital' transmissions it will look like random noise from far away. So for two equivalent civilisations to communicate they must be on the same timeline as far as their development is concerned. These windows are very short and very unlikely to coincide in time let alone within range of sensitive detectors. .

I personally think the Universe is teeming with life. Thankfully far enough away to not cause us any grief. Yet!

There is no definitive answer as we have no evidence only conjecture.

Should be interesting.

Bert

[Jeeps (Sam)]

There are dinosaurs everywhere out there. Be afraid





cheers

[avandonk]

The other 'gedanken' argument if an alien species millions of years ahead of us pass us by regularly and do not bother to communicate, Why?

When was the last time you tried to communicate with ant nests in the desert?

Bert

[DavidU (Dave)]

Intelligent life is rare here on Earth. Lets hope things improve out there.

[renormalised (Carl)]

True....the simple answer is there isn't that many civilisations around at present using radio and/or communications equipment as primitive as we have. Considering that 75% of all Earth-like planets in this Galaxy are on average 1.8 billion years older than ours, with all things being equal, we're not even out of the stone age, yet

Most of the usual comparisons (them to us being like us to pond slime) are a little demeaning and fanciful, but to be more realistic the comparison is probably more like us trying to communicate with an ant and explaining to it the fundamentals of quantum physics. Or teaching your dog how to build a radio receiver. They would probably find us both amusing and frustrating at the same time because apart from a few basic things, we would have very little in common. You couldn't discuss physics with them, they'd be so far beyond us that their understanding would seem to be nothing more than magic to us (hence the old adage of Clarke's) and our knowledge would be even less than quaint.

[avandonk]

My dog does not need a radio transmitter. He thinks by looking at me he can control me and then he gets what he wants, food! I have tried to explain basic cosmology to him but he sees the perfect Universe as an ever replenished plate of FOOD!

Bert

[renormalised (Carl)]

Maybe dogs are more intelligent than humans after all. In that case, we should be barking to the cosmos (or have them do it)

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by DavidU

Intelligent life is rare here on Earth. Lets hope things improve out there.

[Rod66 (Rod)]

Well there is the drake equation, which tries to simplify the idea of how many civilisations might be out there, but the problem is we have to guess at some of the values to begin with and since we don't have any contact with ANY thing out there yet, its kind of hard to prove the equation... and even worse, a number of wildly different answers are still right using this equation.

http://www.airynothing.com/smackerel...eEquation.html

I tend to think that any sentient species is worthy of contact by another, regardless of how primitive they are. Have we not come far enough now to be able to speculate about future technology to at least have a go of understanding it..

I think it more likely that advanced species may in fact protect those less advanced civilisations (like ours) for fear they could easily be wiped out by more advanced ones, or worse, be enslaved by them. Also imagine what we might do with a little of their technology.. we are after all no less warlike than the ancient romans. I think we need to get to a certain level of cultural maturity before they would consider contacting us, rather than think of us as ants..

Of course a few crashed ufo's would be handy to help us along

[leon]

Na we are alone, and that's it.

Leon

[Galactic G (Greg)]

If the idea of an "Infinite Universe" is correct then there is intelligent life out there. In fact, in an "Infinite Universe" there must be another forum (called 'IceInSpace') debating this question right now.

[seanliddelow (Sean)]

Originally Posted by avandonk

There is a simple answer to the question of radio signals. We have been transmitting 'analogue' signals for about one hundred years. Once everything is 'digital' transmissions it will look like random noise from far away. So for two equivalent civilisations to communicate they must be on the same timeline as far as their development is concerned. These windows are very short and very unlikely to coincide in time let alone within range of sensitive detectors. .

I personally think the Universe is teeming with life. Thankfully far enough away to not cause us any grief. Yet!

There is no definitive answer as we have no evidence only conjecture.

Should be interesting.

Bert

Thank god we have digital radio. I think that earth like planet 20 light years away loooks promising. Now we have to wait 40 years.........

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Too true

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by avandonk

There is no definitive answer as we have no evidence only conjecture.

This is actually the definitive scientific-based answer. If only this idea was implanted in the population, we wouldn't have to put up with the mumbo-jumbo from people who just haven't a clue.
No problem looking for life on Earth or in the universe out there - agree with the premise to search - but the rest in the meantime is just silly.
Great comment Bert!!

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

I guess it all boils down to how you define life, and you define intelligence. Given that planetary systems are almost becoming passé these days, I'd say there's a very good chance that in most planetary systems orbiting G type stars (or similar) that some terrestial style planets have formed in the life zone. Resonance orbits seem to be quite the norm from what observational scientists are currently seeing, so I don't believe that there's any reason that similar planetary systems to Sol's don't exist.

Of course, evolution is the big question. Will intelligent species always develop on planets like Earth? We'll probably never know.

As to aliens, why on Earth would they want to show themselves to a bunch of unintelligent, war mongering, greedy, self centered, violent humans? If I was an alien, and was monitoring us, I'd sure as hell make sure that I remained hidden.

Dave

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

I find it quite bazzar that some members of the public can report seeing something strange in the sky when they just pop outside "just walking the dog" or something, and all of us that spend hours upon hours upon hours under the stars have not seen anything unusual.

In the 40 years I have spent looking at the sky, I have not seen anything strange.

Our money would be better off trying to feed the people that need it instead of looking for something that just isnt there.

I agree with a previous post that says we are all alone....

Geoffro.

[marki]

Oh I don't know about the conjecture, there are definately aliens on Earth and some have enrolled in my year 8 science class .

Mark

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

Well, in my 30 years of looking at the sky, I have seen some very odd things.

Just because you haven't seen anything, doesn't automatically discount others. Nor does it make it a solid reason for not investigating alien life.

Dave

Originally Posted by Inmykombie

In the 40 years I have spent looking at the sky, I have not seen anything strange.

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by dpastern

Well, in my 30 years of looking at the sky, I have seen some very odd things.

Just because you haven't seen anything, doesn't automatically discount others. Nor does it make it a solid reason for not investigating alien life.

Dave

Fair enough, but no-one else I know has seen anything strange either.
Maybe if I did see something, I would have a deifferent view.

Please enlighten us with what you have seen.