"Is there anybody out there?" [Extraterrestrial Life Debate]

• Blassreiter wrote on 2010-05-16 18:56
  Bacteria and viruses. Microorganism are proof of the existence of evolution. Many microorganisms can survive in conditions that humans cannot. Because of this they may evolve into something like humans yet be able to live in volcanoes since they lived in such conditions as microorganisms. With this in mind it is possible that in other "non-hospitable planets" have life forms of some sort, even if it's microorganisms.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-05-16 19:03

  Quote from Rime;37145:

  Not too sure about probability and all the philosophical stuff that people tack onto it, but the simultaneous occurrence of oxygenation of planets seems high unlikely, at least on a small scale like a single galaxy.

  
  
  Who knows what evolution is capable of? In fact, they recently discovered a species on Earth that does not need oxygen to survive. It was once thought that only bacteria could survive without oxygen.
  
  New species 'lives without oxygen' - Telegraph
  
  That single cyanobacteria evolved into other stuff like these. Evolution does wonders.
  
  
  

  Quote from EndlessDreams;37141:

  If they have their own technology, whatever that is, they most likely will not pick it up. Maybe they pick it up, and completely dismiss it as noise. They could be sending very weak signals to us, but we have not been able to pick it up with our technology.

  
  
  But radars, whatever they may look like, are built to detect stuff. Signals are light beams and I'm pretty sure that if they got radars up, they can detect all across the electromagnetic spectrum.
  
  They might not see in visible light though, which could be interesting. Imagine if they saw in infrared! We would be glowing figures to them, since we radiate energy in the infrared part of the spectrum. 8D
  
  Dr. Manhattan, anyone?
  
  

  [Image: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3307708521_e0bd2a9ea5.jpg]
• Andy-Buddy wrote on 2010-05-16 19:22
  Well, somewhat ontopic, but somewhat off, I found a wonderful infographic which can explain what to do when/if we first meet aliens.
  

  [Image: http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/71041_firstcontactalien.png]
• EndlessDreams wrote on 2010-05-16 19:28

  Quote from Phunkie;37161:

  
  But radars, whatever they may look like, are built to detect stuff. Signals are light beams and I'm pretty sure that if they got radars up, they can detect all across the electromagnetic spectrum.
  
  They might not see in visible light though, which could be interesting. Imagine if they saw in infrared! We would be glowing figures to them, since we radiate energy in the infrared part of the spectrum. 8D

  
  
  You assumed that they had the technology of radars that are the same concept of radar as us. We can't detect stuff if you go far enough to the electromagnetic spectrum combined with if the signal is weak enough. (Or the tool isn't designed for certain part of the electromagnetic spectrum) We have technology to jam radars so it can't detect stuff as well.
  
  And, lol@Andy-Buddy's guide to Alien Contact.
• Rime wrote on 2010-05-16 19:30

  Quote from Phunkie;37161:

  Who knows what evolution is capable of? In fact, they recently discovered a species on Earth that does not need oxygen to survive. It was once thought that only bacteria could survive without oxygen.
  

  
  Biologically, respiration is the only known way to produce enough energy to support large multi-cellular animals, i.e. intelligent life. But biology only describes I guess.
  

  Quote from Phunkie;37161:

  
  New species 'lives without oxygen' - Telegraph
  
  That single cyanobacteria evolved into other stuff like these. Evolution does wonders.
  

  
  You might to read the comments. It seems they still haven't figured out how the organism functions without oxygen, if it does at all. One commenter suggested the possibility of it working like jellyfish.
  
  Annnnnd >.< Cyanobacteria were the first known protists with photosynthetic organelles and were the ancestors to plants. It's speculated that they were responsible for oxygenating the primordial earth.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-05-16 20:10

  Quote from Rime;37186:

  Biologically, respiration is the only known way to produce enough energy to support large multi-cellular animals, i.e. intelligent life. But biology only describes I guess.
  
  You might to read the comments. It seems they still haven't figured out how the organism functions without oxygen, if it does at all. One commenter suggested the possibility of it working like jellyfish.
  
  Annnnnd >.< Cyanobacteria were the first known protists with photosynthetic organelles and were the ancestors to plants. It's speculated that they were responsible for oxygenating the primordial earth.

  
  
  Sorry about saying cyanobacteria. I meant the anaerobic organisms which existed before the cyanobacteria came into the picture. I get a little too excited when I write things that I forget to proofread. haha
  
  And yes, I agree with you. Oxygen support large creatures very well.
  
  I believe that if we ever trace oxygen on another planet, chances are there will be some sort of life there.
  
  
  

  Quote from EndlessDreams;37183:

  You assumed that they had the technology of radars that are the same concept of radar as us. We can't detect stuff if you go far enough to the electromagnetic spectrum combined with if the signal is weak enough. (Or the tool isn't designed for certain part of the electromagnetic spectrum) We have technology to jam radars so it can't detect stuff as well.

  
  
  I assumed that because light surrounds us all, hence why it is so useful at studying it. It is just so universal and constant, which is great.
  
  But your point is definitely a possibility.
• Chockeh wrote on 2010-05-16 20:31
  Imagine we have the most advance technology, and in hundreds, or thousands, even millions of years from now, WE ARE THE ALIEN INVADER.
  It could happen ._., why does humanity have a inferiority complex D<.
• Lan wrote on 2010-05-16 20:50
  How many years till the sun burns out and goes nova?
• Jean wrote on 2010-05-16 21:15
  Well, I dunno if anybody's stated this yet, but despite my indifference and lack of consideration to otherworldly things, here's my thought process:
  
  Chaos Theory - Given an infinite amount of space and infinite amount of time, if something occurs once, it can easily occur again.
  Butterfly Effect - One simple change in the process of time can vastly affect the outcome in the long run.
  
  Therefore, if space is infinite, the concept of time in itself is infinite, and because Earth has occurred once (Our existence being proof of that.), then it is actually probable that extraterrestrial life exists. The reason they haven't contacted us yet if they're intelligent life? We haven't even been outside of our own galaxy at this point in time and we consider ourselves intelligent.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-05-16 21:44

  Quote from Lan;37234:

  How many years till the sun burns out and goes nova?

  
  
  Our Sun isn't massive enough to go Supernova. Instead, in 5 billion years, it'll enter its Red Giant phase. New research suggests that our buddy, the Red Giant Sun, will swallow the Earth when this happens.
  
  However, by this time, the Earth will have been inhabitable for a long time already. Check out the following image.
  
  

  [Image: http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/2028/chapter1003.png]

  
  
  In half a billion years, it will be out of the conservative estimate for habitability.
  In 3 billion years, it will be out of the optimistic estimate for habitability.
  
  Conservative means that Earth will be habitable, like it is today.
  Optimistic means that Earth might be habitable. (Or so we hope.)
  
  Worst case scenario is that our oceans start slowly boiling away half a billion years from now. 8D