Posted on 04/03/2006 5:10:47 PM PDT by KevinDavis
The year 2010 will mark the 50th anniversary of humanity's strangest scientific quest: the use of giant radiotelescope dishes to listen for radio messages from alien beings in space. So far, the search has been a complete bust. The radioastronomers keep listening, but the stars aren't talking to us -- not yet, anyway.
Oddly, the failure of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, has been largely ignored by the general public, journalists and Hollywood filmmakers. They continue to be enchanted by (and, in Hollywood's case, to commercially exploit) the hope that intelligent life is sprinkled across the galaxy like dandelions across a spring meadow, that those faraway intelligences wish to communicate with us by radio and that said communication would mutually benefit both parties. For example (we are told), aliens could transmit to us cures for cancer and warfare, while we could enlighten them on the mating and sexual rituals of hominids on the third planet of the star called Sol.
Why does the public remain fascinated with a project, SETI, that has so far yielded only disappointment? No doubt it's fun to think that the cosmos is more than "drops of mud," as Anatole France sneered. In an unhappy world, it's reassuring to think that no matter how miserable we are Down Here, there's all kinds of wondrous stuff going on Up There, i.e. that the center of our Milky Way galaxy is a celestial Broadway teeming with brilliant societies and buzzing with starships. Toward that stellar metropolis 30,000 light years overhead, we suffering terrestrials gaze wistfully, rather like the ragged working girls of romantic fiction who gaze longingly at the lights of Manhattan.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Algore is proof of non-human humanoids.
Other than your saying it. What proof do you have there is any other intelligent life out there?
What proof do you have there isn't???
"use of giant radiotelescope dishes to listen for radio messages from alien beings in space. So far, the search has been a complete bust."
Instead of listening for messages, why not send messages?
Visionless idiot.
We have only been searching a *tiny* portion of time.
The search has only just begun. But I guess that just not fast enough for fools. Somethings take a great deal of time from a human perspective.
And who is to say that alien signals havent been streaming through our very bodies all along as thousands of radio signals do every second?
All the time as we searched for "smoke signals" while they were using "radio".
And if we are truly alone. then THAT is a valid answer to this quest too. Either way it is our nature to find out.
That's a cop out. No one can prove the negative, however the positive is not proven then it is not proven. As far as I know we're it, and you need to face that fact.
I agree.. We should send the messages..
No it isn't....
We do. It is called television.
Oh, yes it is
I'm still hoping they look like "six".
How long did it take to prove the Earth was not flat and this planet was not the center of the universe...
I gotta disagree. Back when I was married I used to see flying saucers all the time.
Only people who believe that we are alone are ignorant.. My gut instinct is that we are not alone.
Have you been receiving signals again?
What's the frequency, Kevin?
7 of nine...
Gut instinct, huh? The basis for good science...
The Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy knew the earth revolved around the sun nearly two thousand years ago and the nature of the solar system seems to have been common knowledge at the time.
BTW, I'm inclined to believe we aren't exclusive, but would also like to see tangible proof.
The author is the real person who expects Hollywood-style contact, not astronomers.
SETI is not looking for "messages", but radio signals that wouldn't appear by plain chance. Thus far, approximately 0% of the universe has been closely examined.
Not very scientific....
So...
reference?
SETI wouldn't be shutting down if people in charge thought they had a prayer in finding anything....
"3) People need to get use to the fact that we may very well be alone."
Possible. But that answer must also be persued with the same techniques.
He makes some good points and does it in an interesting manner.
With libs ruining peoples minds and screwing up civilization...who'd blame the ET's for not talking to us.
I'm sitting here. I wait for someone to come, or to communicate. They don't. So I am alone. I try to listen for them. No answer. I am still alone. Until something changes. I am still alone.
Why can't people accept the fact they are alone?
'Billions upon billions of billions' is a drop in the statistical bucket, my FRiend.
There is ample proof: you are it.
We may very well be alone. Until someone proves otherwise, that is the way it is.
If you believe in the inspired word of God, He told us (more or less) we are it.
Right..
That was my Ex on a broom...
So according to God we are it??? So according to the Bible we are it??? Question, does the Bible mention Dinosaurs???
Question: Are you looking for a replacement for God?
We exist. That is your tangible proof.
Might as well look for smoke signals, carrier pigeons, or pony express stations.
There's no known evidence of other life. If there is evidence it is in a form we cannot presently recognize as such.
No, but God did give us free will... Not blind obiedience...
Good point. My view is, who knows! I wouldn't be shocked if tommorow we had some sort huge discovery of Alien life. There are things I believe are far less likely to happen. Like real border security.
What scientific evidence do you use to make an intelligent estimate of whether there would be intelligent life on another planet?
I use emperical evidence to suggest the likelyhood is there is no other intelligent life in the universe.
First, there is no intelligent life on any planet we have closely monitored.
Second, we have found no signs of intelligent life anywhere else.
Third, assuming evolution explains the history of life on this planet, the odds of life evolving were astronomical. The chances of it happening TWICE are much worse.
By induction. We have just reached the time in our evolution (again, assuming evolution for the sake of argument only) when we have the ability to transmit. However, we've been able to transmit for some time now, and I assume will be able to do so for the rest of our existance.
If there is ONE other life in the universe, it had to have evolved earlier than us, possibly by MILLIONS of years. If so, they would have long ago been able to develop technology that would have allowed us to pick up their signals. (if it evolved LATER, it wouldn't count as intelligent life at this point in time.
anyway, not a full treatise. Just some reasons why I would predict that there isn't other life in the universe.
Thank goodness the messages are a different family, I hear they live in Hoboken.
I have my own problems being auctioned off to Hillary and all.
Al Gore believes we are not alone in the universe. And he is ignorant.
Therefore, your assertion is false.
You'd find it a good deal easier locating intelligent life on other planets if you'd quit landing your saucer at Democratic conventions, Cluster Leader Zoltar.
Yes it does, "God created the animals"
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