CycleChat Ivestigates - Alien Life

[markemark]

The closest we’ll ever get is a planet with a gas composition that is “likely” due to organic life. We won’t know for sure but scientists would give a likelihood of its origins. I hope to see this in my lifetime.

 

[sungod]

the missing option...

yes, but the universe is jolly big, sub-light is impractical for life as we know it, and even if aliens discovered physics that'd enable faster than light travel, the chance they'd bother wasting time on us is negligible

 

[Yellow Fang]

I read a book called Alone in the Universe, which reckoned there was not much intelligent alien life out there. There must be some out there somewhere in the universe, but in our galaxy, not much. The author reckoned we were in a relatively stable part of the galaxy. Not many neighbouring stars pass by to send lots of asteroids and comets crashing in. Those that do come are swept up by Jupiter. We had other bits of luck. For instance the cataclysmic crash that formed the moon thinned the earth's crust, which allowed the tectonic plated to move, which enabled the carbon cycle. It's a bit of a mystery because according to Drake's thingy the aliens should have got here by now, if only by probe.

 

[Drago]

How about this from a respected and authoritative source?

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/keir-starmer-synth-construct-alien-36083814

 

[classic33]

the missing option...

yes, but the universe is jolly big, sub-light is impractical for life as we know it, and even if aliens discovered physics that'd enable faster than light travel, the chance they'd bother wasting time on us is negligible

Consider another option.
The "aliens" people report seeing are actually a lifeform that developed on this planet. Got advanced enough to engineer means to escape the planet, and solar system.
They underestimated the attraction they'd have for a planet they once called home, and some make the trip back to see how things have gone since they, as a species, left.

 

[Drago]

Aliens must exist, else why would the government have faked Huw Edwards BBC sacking to free him up to join the men in black?

 

[DRM]

They arrived in a giant egg, circa 1978, never bothered coming back, after his reports back "Mork Calling Orson, They're all bonkers, forget it, Nanu Nanu"

 

[fossyant]

We'll be fine. We will just send Drago out in his y-fronts to greet any visitors. They will run for the hills of Mars.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

The existence of Michael Gove suggests that they walk amongst us.

On a more serious note: life evolved quite rapidly on earth, very soon after liquid water.

But it took billions of years for complex life, then hundreds of millions more for intelligence.

*If* that's typical it suggests that simple organisms are common, but intelligence rare, and perhaps very rare indeed.

We also know that we've not detected any sign of alien technology, which suggests any aliens there are, are far too far away to ever communicate with. The speed of light is extremely slow compared to the size of the universe.

 

[classic33]

View attachment 792050
They arrived in a giant egg, circa 1978, never bothered coming back, after his reports back "Mork Calling Orson, They're all bonkers, forget it, Nanu Nanu"

28th February, 1978 against this guy.

 

[tyred]

Aliens do exist. They run around a field in groups of 22 chasing a bag of wind and falling over instead of riding bikes. Such strange creatures.