Do you think there is life in our universe outside our planet?

2015-09-24T11:45:51-04:00

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/09/24/you-are-not-alone-most-people-believe-aliens-exist/

YouGov | You are not alone: most people believe that aliens exist

Majorities across Britain, Germany and the USA believe that extra-terrestrial life exists

Response by SGT Scott Bell made Sep 24 at 2015 11:47 AM

2015-09-24T11:47:36-04:00

No i do not

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Sep 24 at 2015 11:49 AM

2015-09-24T11:49:05-04:00

Once again, NDT swoops in with insight...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2wp5Qe3JV0

The Most Outstanding Fact of Life and A Fascinatingly Disturbing Thought: Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson:...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2015 12:13 PM

2015-09-24T12:13:54-04:00

A person who denies there is life in the vastness that is our universe, I think, is fooling themselves something bad.

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Sep 24 at 2015 12:31 PM

2015-09-24T12:31:28-04:00

Absolutely. Seems nearly impossible that there is not life elsewhere.

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 24 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-09-24T13:00:14-04:00

I think the probability is quite high.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2015 1:07 PM

2015-09-24T13:07:27-04:00

Absolutely. There is no question in my mind that life exists beyond our small planet.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Sep 24 at 2015 1:16 PM

2015-09-24T13:16:48-04:00

Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. - Arthur C. Clarke

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2015 1:27 PM

2015-09-24T13:27:26-04:00

Statistically speaking, it's a near-certainty that there is life out there somewhere.

We've already seen how many planets have been found just around the nearer, observable stars to us, and we've found lots of evidence for places where biological molecules could not only exist but be formed. And there are ~300-400 Billion stars in our galaxy alone, not to mention the ~100 Billion other galaxies just in the observable universe. The Drake Equation, used to estimate the probability of extra-solar life, has been steadily appearing to have better values as we find more and more crevices in which life could exist.

The real question is: is there *intelligent* life out there? The Drake Equation partially accounts for this, but that raises a problem in itself. The Fermi Paradox is the contradiction between the sheer chance for intelligent life to form, and the fact that we haven't found any concrete evidence for any to date.

Common assumed solutions to that paradox include:
-- No other civilizations have arisen (aka "We're the first");
-- It is the nature of intelligent life to destroy itself;
-- It is the nature of intelligent life to destroy others;
-- Life is periodically destroyed by naturally occurring events;
-- Intelligent civilizations are too far apart in space or time;
-- It is too expensive to spread physically throughout the galaxy;
-- Humans are listening wrongly or have not been listening enough;
-- and a variety of others.

Personally, my favored hypothesis to solve the Fermi Paradox is that intelligence on the scale being assumed is somewhat of a myth; in other words, our hubris exceeds our perceived intelligence, and civilizations simply hit an evolutionary wall (where the evolutionary baggage prevents them from progressing more meaningfully to true intelligence rather than just complex problem solving).

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2015 2:46 PM

2015-09-24T14:46:01-04:00

I highly doubt it.
Our planet that supports life is an exception to the rule. There are a lot of variables that must be met. Some variables I know of are:
1) Our solar system sits on an arm of the Milky Way galaxy where there isn't much radiation and is a metal rich area.
2) This particular solar system has a giant asteroid sucking gravity well known as Jupiter. It absorbs the hits that we could take. We're not sitting near a nebula or a black hole.
3) The Earth's placement in the solar system is in an area where it is not too hot or not too cold. Our rotation around the sun is almost a perfect circle. Other solar systems planets circle their sun like a hoola hoop during their rotation. Planents will get extremely hot as it gets closer to the sun, then the opposite as it gets furthur away.
5) Our gravity and air pressure is not too high or not too low.
6) Our atmosphere not only gives us air to breathe, but protects us from the sun's harmful rays.

Any other planets chances of sustaining life would have better odds of four poker players getting a royal flush for each player for three hands.

Response by CPT Alan W. made Oct 31 at 2015 11:59 PM

2015-10-31T23:59:37-04:00

I think there's a good chance we might find extra terrestrial life right here in our own solar system. It won't be as complex as life here on earth, but life none the less.