Is it Possible to Exist without Proof?

[blackjack50]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet? Do we require proof of that? Scientifically speaking...there is NO life beyond this planet. Am I correct in that presumption? We have no evidence to make a claim, therefor life does not exist beyond our planet. But life COULD exist beyond our planet, and mathematically speaking it really should. Planets would be more common than stars, and moons even more common than planets.

 

[Moot]

“The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” - Carl Sagan


Science would never conclude that "there is NO life beyond this planet." Just because the science doesn't have the evidence that life exists elsewhere doesn't mean that it doesn't. It's a big universe out there and we can only see a small sliver of it....and new planets and solar systems are constantly being discovered. Some may even have the potential for life.

 

[ecofarm]

Scientifically speaking, the odds of no life beyond this planet approaches 0.

 

[sbrettt]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet? Do we require proof of that? Scientifically speaking...there is NO life beyond this planet. Am I correct in that presumption? We have no evidence to make a claim, therefor life does not exist beyond our planet. But life COULD exist beyond our planet, and mathematically speaking it really should. Planets would be more common than stars, and moons even more common than planets.

Unfortunately, I doubt you and I will be around to see intelligent alien life discovered. :[ I know you aren't saying this, but I think it's a bit silly for anyone to say we are the only life in the milky way galaxy, let alone the entire universe. I can't even comprehend that thinking considering how massive the universe it.

 

[blackjack50]

“The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” - Carl Sagan


Science would never conclude that "there is NO life beyond this planet." Just because the science doesn't have the evidence that life exists elsewhere doesn't mean that it doesn't. It's a big universe out there and we can only see a small sliver of it....and new planets and solar systems are constantly being discovered. Some may even have the potential for life.

That is kind of my point. Science does not conclude there is no life beyond this planet. But to say that it does not exist is ALSO incorrect. Would that be correct?

 

[blackjack50]

Scientifically speaking, the odds of no life beyond this planet approaches 0.

Mathematically speaking I agree.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet? Do we require proof of that? Scientifically speaking...there is NO life beyond this planet. Am I correct in that presumption?

If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is around to hear it...

 

[blackjack50]

Unfortunately, I doubt you and I will be around to see intelligent alien life discovered. :[ I know you aren't saying this, but I think it's a bit silly for anyone to say we are the only life in the milky way galaxy, let alone the entire universe. I can't even comprehend that thinking considering how massive the universe it.

I do actually think it would be cool, but at the same time it could cause much problems too. I don't know if humans would survive a contact. The odds are 50/50. We would be outmatched technologically speaking. Simply observing the behaviors of colonists in the past, and global corporate entities of the present is enough to say that we would at minimum be exploited for our resources. Be that labor or minerals.

 

[ecofarm]

That is kind of my point. Science does not conclude there is no life beyond this planet. But to say that it does not exist is ALSO incorrect. Would that be correct?

Correct response to the question:

Believing there is no life beyond this planet is like believing that you'll win the Powerball lotto ten times and survive being struck by lightning each time.

 

[Moot]

That is kind of my point. Science does not conclude there is no life beyond this planet. But to say that it does not exist is ALSO incorrect. Would that be correct?

Science requires observable evidence. And as far as I know, they don't have it yet. But considering they've only been looking for a short time in the scheme of things...and our technology is still pretty limited, it's way too early to rule out the possiblity. After all, we exist...so it is possible. Eco mentioned the odds, but I don't know if he was correct or not.

 

[Muhammed]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet? Do we require proof of that? Scientifically speaking...there is NO life beyond this planet. Am I correct in that presumption?

No, because that presumption is based on a logical fallacy that unfortunately is excruciatingly common in forums like DP.

Argumentum ad Ignorantiam

 

[iguanaman]

Unfortunately, I doubt you and I will be around to see intelligent alien life discovered. :[ I know you aren't saying this, but I think it's a bit silly for anyone to say we are the only life in the milky way galaxy, let alone the entire universe. I can't even comprehend that thinking considering how massive the universe it.

I know what you mean about comprehending but when I read that the number of stars in the universe is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on all the Earths beaches I got a better idea of the massive size it must be to hold all those suns.

 

[sbrettt]

I know what you mean about comprehending but when I read that the number of stars in the universe is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on all the Earths beaches I got a better idea of the massive size it must be to hold all those suns.

And that's not even considering the vast distances between stars!

 

[blackjack50]

And that's not even considering the vast distances between stars!

And that planets will likely orbit most suns. And moons to those

 

[blackjack50]

No, because that presumption is based on a logical fallacy that unfortunately is excruciatingly common in forums like DP.

Argumentum ad Ignorantiam

So what Is your belief in this issue? That to comment on the issue is ignorance? Or that to make conjecture upon the issue is silly? Or do you think it is ok to make a hypothesis as to what is out there?

 

[sbrettt]

No, because that presumption is based on a logical fallacy that unfortunately is excruciatingly common in forums like DP.

Argumentum ad Ignorantiam

 

[blackjack50]

Science requires observable evidence. And as far as I know, they don't have it yet. But considering they've only been looking for a short time in the scheme of things...and our technology is still pretty limited, it's way too early to rule out the possiblity. After all, we exist...so it is possible. Eco mentioned the odds, but I don't know if he was correct or not.

Would the same concept be applicable to a God then?

 

[Moot]

Would the same concept be applicable to a God then?

Yes, I think it does. But then religion doesn't require observable evidence to believe God exists, whereas science does.

 

[Visbek]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet?

Yes.

Do we require proof of that?

Proof of the possibility? No, not really. There are probably around 50 sextillion habitable planets in the universe.

If you're going to assert actuality, then you will need proof.

 

[blackjack50]

Yes, I think it does. But then religion doesn't require observable evidence to believe God exists, whereas science does.

Alright. So essentially then...would this mean that any claim linking Science and atheism is bunk? That Atheism is rejection? Agnostic would be the correct scientific position? My understanding of atheism is that it is a rejection of God or a deity. A rejection would seem that it requires a failed experiment on deities.

 

[the_recruit]

We don't know that life exists outside of our solar system. We don't know that life does not exist outside of our solar system. We don't know. Period.

So we don't know, but if you want our best guess, then our current scientific understanding of the origins of life and the nature of the universe suggest to us that it's likely life exists elsewhere.

 

[ChezC3]

Is it possible that life exists beyond our planet? Do we require proof of that? Scientifically speaking...there is NO life beyond this planet. Am I correct in that presumption? We have no evidence to make a claim, therefor life does not exist beyond our planet. But life COULD exist beyond our planet, and mathematically speaking it really should. Planets would be more common than stars, and moons even more common than planets.

Godel's Incompleteness Theorem

 

[Visbek]

Godel's Incompleteness Theorem

Gödel's theorem doesn't have much, if anything, to do with calculating probabilities. It illustrates how a formal logic that is capable of generating arithmetic will either be consistent or complete, but cannot be both.

 

[ChezC3]

Gödel's theorem doesn't have much, if anything, to do with calculating probabilities. It illustrates how a formal logic that is capable of generating arithmetic will either be consistent or complete, but cannot be both.

I was actually speaking to the 2nd theorem regarding undecidable statements. It deals with it quite rightly.

 

[rhinefire]

It is important to include here the possibility of more than one universe was created at the big bang and most agree the likely hood is substantial. The fact that water is abundant on the moon Europa has to push one to at lead accept the possibility of life elsewhere. We don't need to find intelligent life, only life forms as once was the only life here on earth. Also, like our earth we have to accept the possibility there was life on a planet but that planet perished just like our earth will in the future. Time has to be a factor in discussing life in the universe.