Stephen Hawking warns over making contact with aliens

[Fnaar]

Cox did mention panspermia

It's OK, I've had a vasectomy

 

[yello]

I don't think an alien life form would necessarily be anything like that which we might expect. Certainly not like Star Trek aliens with papier-mâché heads!

Who knows what 'form' they might take? If any at all. We could be surrounded by aliens already

 

[ASC1951]

Intelligent life visiting earth or likely to do so - I struggle with this when faced with the size of the universe and distances involved.

Exactly. What SciFi telly and cinema don't show (and probably can't show, because we can't get our heads round it) is the sheer vastness of the cosmos.

It will always need whole lifetimes and vast amounts of energy for any intelligent species to travel even within its own back yard. Broadcast communication is one thing, but there are very few reasons why it would ever be necessary or worthwhile to physically leave your own star system.

 

[Fnaar]

... but there are very few reasons why it would ever be necessary or worthwhile to physically leave your own star system.

To boldly go where no man has gone before...

 

[Davidc]

It would be great if Earth was invaded by a species of metal-eating alien who just happened to enjoy scoffing motor cars for a meal.

Rapture, by Blondie (Debbie Harry singing) is about just such an alien! (Doesn't stop at cars though).

 

[Mark_Robson]

To boldly go where no man has gone before...

So given the vast size of our galaxy, never mind the universe, the question is, is warp speed possible or are we stuck with E=MC2 ?

 

[Riding in Circles]

Hawking is probably worried they will nick his chair.

 

[Fnaar]

Well, there's bike lanes on the moon...

 

[Fnaar]

Hawking is probably worried they will nick his chair.

I can do a really good impression of Stephen Hawking's "voice"

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Well, as long as they exterminate d*cks in cars, then I'll be quite happy as I'm also vapourise .....

I wonder who the Arthur Dent will be.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

The universe, being some 10,000 million years old, is a very long time compared to the time that we humans have existed - a mere fraction of that time.

So, is it not plausible that those beings that have the technology and the biological make-up either to get here and/or get here and survive in our climate, could have missed us already? Might we not miss them in the grand scale of time?

As usual, Hawking is right. Perhaps when you and I are ready to travel to the nearest planet capable of harbouring life, would we, in fact, still be human? I think not. What ever comes along is going to be vastly different and somehow, I think, superior in many ways that will probably not benefit our race.

 

[TVC]

Clearly they are already here, watch this testimony, I think it will convince you:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7-hpQcrME0

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

And I hope that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space because there's bugger all down here on Earth.

 

[just jim]

That's why we need wormholes. And if we really want them, we'll get them.

 

[rh100]

So given the vast size of our galaxy, never mind the universe, the question is, is warp speed possible or are we stuck with E=MC2 ?

Apparently not: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/17/star_trek_scuppered/