Are we alone?

[Lily]

I do not think that was necessary, as there are perfectly local explanations for technological development of human culture. Evidence too.

[Heartseed]

OK, my belief is this:
There is an implicate order in the structure of the universe. (See David Boehm's "Wholeness and Implicate Order" about what processes may underlay the randomness of quantum physics.) Note that in my case this does not imply a supra-personal creator. It implies that what ever is generated in the structure of the universe is inherent.

The inherent structure of the universe drives on the one hand to complexity i.e. subatomic particles to simple atoms like hydrogen to larger atoms as the periodic table progresses to molecules to simple organisms to more complex organisms, etc.

The inherent structure on the other hand drives towards increasingly complex consciousness also.

So the answer would be - no, if you mean by not alone that there are other conscious entities in the universe.  I see no reason to assume that humans are the only reflective consciousness in the universe or the most advanced one.  The faintest stars that we can discern with our technologies are billions and billions of light years away.  That is a lot of time and space for consciousness to develop. And this is also assuming that the processes of the universe are to some extent orderly and the earth is not an anomaly.

As for whether there could be other planets like earth.  Water is essential to earthly life but the existence of water is not unique to earth.  We now know that water forms as ice in star nursery clouds like those in Orion.  I can dig up a link if anyone wants to see it. Or you can google "The Mountains of Creation" for neat Nasa pictures. If water made it to earth as ice in comets and other bodies traveling through space, it could go elsewhere also.

So that's my belief with some science to back it up.  It makes more sense to me than any separate from its creation Creator being. That is gut feel rather than proof but it combines reason and intuition for me.

Kernos:

'Science' doesn't have beliefs; individual scientists have beliefs which can interfere with their objectivity. This is why one of the fundamental scientific concepts is reproducibility. This is one of the processes that  make the scientific method self-correcting.

 You are so right there.  The number of people who do not understand what science consists of is truly amazing. (At least in the USA).
Blessings, Heartseed

[panidaho]

I believe we are not alone in the universe, the math would suggest that situation to be highly improbable.  

However, I believe we probably ARE under quarantine.  Or at least, we should be.  ;-)

[Heartseed]

However, I believe we probably ARE under quarantine.  Or at least, we should be.  ;-)

Does not play well with others yet. Being held back a grade.

Heartseed

[Twyrch]

I believe we are not alone in the universe, the math would suggest that situation to be highly improbable.  

However, I believe we probably ARE under quarantine.  Or at least, we should be.  ;-)

Hmm... Under quarantine? Sounds like something C.S. Lewis would have said in his Space Trilogy... specifically, Out of the Silent Planet.

[starspawned]

Greetings Earthlings,

IMVHO conciousness is everywhere throughout the uni/multi verse. Opinions, however, are pointless among the earthbound. As I have pointed out before - the universe, as viewed from the earth, is an earthly universe. We will, however, eventually be liberated from earthcentric perceptions and thus escape the gravitational pull of earhbound attitudes. In the meantime, for those who keep the solstices, how can we be too gravitationally challenged. Happy Solstice to one and all everywhere throughout the everywhere.

[eo]

Are we alone? Absolutely not. Looking at statistics concerning the sheer amount of galaxies in existance pretty much promises this. Whether or not we'll come into contact with other beings is another question. I think we're more likely to find an alien bacteria before an actual being, given our current situation.

[Aarondel]

.... which I actually got from a movie a looong time ago but which stayed with me for thr rest of my life...  

If we are truly alone in the universe it would be an awful waste of space....

... just a thought....  

[Twig]

How arrogant to think we're the be-all and end-all in such a vast universe!
Of course, I think there is other life out there. And I choose to believe that it is far advanced and that it is here to help us evolve to a higher plane.

OTOH, just as there are here on earth, there may be "bad guys" out there who just lust after our TVs.    :grin:

[Lisebethea]

OTOH, just as there are here on earth, there may be "bad guys" out there who just lust after our TVs.    :grin:

 ... Or random worm hole technology ....  *ponders the likelihood of Farscape*  :o

 It's funny I should've come by this tonight.. my astrobiology course started last night on the same lines...


Lise

[ita]

Tome the ideaof us being the only inteligent race in the universe,is a prove that the human race still is very young...
It´s like the mind of a baby who think the whole world is it self and the mother...

I believe that there is lots of life that we don´t see out there,just because it doesn´t fit OUR definitionof life...

I even believe that Eath here is a school for more advanced planets...
To me,we are just getting started and are preparing,learning rigth from wrong ect...
I don´t believe there is an end to our growth,I think we move on to other systems and even dimentions on our journey...

I have seen thing flying in VERY stranges ways more than once,so yes I think they keenan eye on us,some of them...

I believe ther are inteligens in every cell around us,just because we can´t see it,doesn´t prove it isn´t there...
How else can some people comunicate with the plants..¿?

I so believe there is much more than we could  ever imagine...

[Cleopatra]

I do believe we are not alone in the universe, that there could be life on different planets. I dont believe for a second that we are the ONLY intellegent life out here in space. Our galaxy alone is very huge and we are only a speck on the outer arm of the spiral of the Milky Way. It wouldn't make any sence what-so-ever to think that our planet is the only life out here.

There are tons and trillions of galaxies and within those could hold many differnent types of life. I mean look at Mars for example. We have found microbes. That tells you something right there. Ok so it's not like us but maybe we're looking and expecting too much. A lot of people are looking for something that is like us. No matter what type of life is out there, it doens't matter if it's something tiny or something big. It's still LIFE!

I believe there is life in our solar system, we did find it,  the microbes on mars but everyone is thinking to large to see that we have found life.

People are very sterotypical they dont use their eyes and see whats infront of them.

Another thought. What if the intellegent life that is out there see's Earth and they think we are too primative. what if they pass us by and dont take interest. Or maybe they're looking just like us but neither one has connected yet. Maybe we're looking in the wrong places.

Thats my thought about it. Sorry if it doesn't make any sence..  :saturn:  :martianeye:

~ Cleo