• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Will aliens be friendly or hostile?

Will aliens be hostile or friendly

  • Friendly

    Votes: 31 53.4%
  • Hostile

    Votes: 18 31.0%
  • We are alone

    Votes: 9 15.5%

  • Total voters
    58
  • Poll closed .
I apologize if reading comprehension is not your forte.
Again, I said "Every scientific observation so far."

You said:

...I said there could be other life, but in the distances that we can observe there is none...

You are claiming, as a fact, that "other life" is nonexistent within our sphere of the observable universe because we haven't observed it yet. This is a logical fallacy which assumes a premise is true because it hasn't been proven false.

This is akin to saying a box definitely doesn't have a baseball inside it because we haven't seen what's inside the box. Again, it assumes a premise to be true because it hasn't been proven false - this is a logical fallacy.

I'll be as clear as I can:

As far as our telescopes can see, and as far as we can measure the levels of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen on other planets and their distance from stars, there has not yet been an inhabitable planet as far as we can observe.

Just because we haven't observed such a planet does not mean it doesn't exist within our sphere of the observable universe or that we should assume it isn't there.

Thus far, we have only observed 353 extrasolar planets [1]; it is ridiculous to assume that within an observable sphere of 78 billion light years [2] that no life-supporting planets exist. Again, you are arguing from ignorance and using a gap in evidence to support your premise - this is a logical fallacy.

My original point to the OP stands, that is doesn't really matter if there are "aliens" out there somewhere in the universe.

Yes it does. It matters a great deal.

The distance for travel to or from is virtually insurmountable...

Assumption sans evidence. We do not know one way or the other.

...for all purposes related to us in the next several hundred years, as a species it's best to assume we're alone on this tiny blue speck.

Making an assumption without evidence is never the best option.

[1] - Planet Quest: New Worlds Atlas

[2] - BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Astronomers size up the Universe
 
One of its MOONS....:confused:

Even so, there conditions cannot sustain intelligent life forms. Your not seriously suggesting there are other intelligent life forms within our solar system? Thats simply ludicrous.
 
Thanks, but I have enough trouble educating you guys. ;)

You're educating us? Despite the fact your premise was based upon a factually incorrect statement?

E.g.

There may be life on other planets, but for the 5 million or so light years that we can see in every direction, there are none.

Look on the bright side, you were only off by 77.995 billion light years.

:2wave:
 
You are claiming, as a fact, that "other life" is nonexistent within our sphere of the observable universe because we haven't observed it yet. This is a logical fallacy which assumes a premise is true because it hasn't been proven false.

Assumption sans evidence. We do not know one way or the other.

I'm only "claiming it" because the science backs it up. The Scientific method is the evidence. You seem to be saying our powers of observation are very limited. But our ability to measure chemicals and other properties that show a planet could support life are very good, at least for several light years in any direction.

Until science observes magical flying unicorns, I will also take the audacious stance that they don't exist either.
 
Even so, there conditions cannot sustain intelligent life forms. Your not seriously suggesting there are other intelligent life forms within our solar system? Thats simply ludicrous.

No, I agree....I guess I got a little off track and was referring to life forms in general within our solar system which is a far cry from the claim of no life within 5 million light years...
 
I'm only "claiming it" because the science backs it up. The Scientific method is the evidence.

This is false, as I have already demonstrated. Your position is a logical fallacy. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

You seem to be saying our powers of observation are very limited.

I have neither confirmed nor denied such a statement.

But our ability to measure chemicals and other properties that show a planet could support life are very good, at least for several light years in any direction.

Our ability to measure chemicals and other properties? You don't even know what you are saying so just stop talking out of your ass, okay? What's next? Claiming that the observable universe is only 5 million light years in diameter? Oh, wait, you already did that...:doh

Until science observes magical flying unicorns, I will also take the audacious stance that they don't exist either.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
 
I just hope that the girl aliens are hot and ready to party.
 
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkU4t2dUEwk]YouTube - Boondocks - The absence of evidence[/ame]
 
Do you go around being hostile to every bird, dog, cat, and ant? Let me know when you are waging a war on pandas because they are dumber than us. I wish to join. And when we have conquered the species... I shall rule the pandas with an iron fist!

What if the enemy in the cosmos don't kill each other in wars like we do here on earth. Would that prove how intelligent they are?
 
Our ability to measure chemicals and other properties? You don't even know what you are saying so just stop talking out of your ass, okay? What's next? Claiming that the observable universe is only 5 million light years in diameter? Oh, wait, you already did that...:doh.

Sorry I thought I was dealing with a more rational and somewhat educated person.

The Spitzer Space Telescope has been measuring temperatures, atmospheres and orbits of planets light-years from Earth since 1993:
Spitzer Space Telescope

and To some extent so does the Kepler, Chandra X-ray telescope, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory , and of course the Hubble telescope.

For those that want more information in science's search for life and habitable planets:

PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration

Exoplanet Exploration Program
 
Last edited:
What if the enemy in the cosmos don't kill each other in wars like we do here on earth. Would that prove how intelligent they are?

Well, I would hope they would have a spirit that would lean toward embracing cultivation. For if they wanted to destroy us I think it would be easy for a superior entity to make an enemy we could not battle. (i.e.trillions of self recycling nanobot ants two-hundredth the size of our smallest ant)
 
Sorry I thought I was dealing with a more rational and somewhat educated person.

The Spitzer Space Telescope has been measuring temperatures, atmospheres and orbits of planets light-years from Earth since 1993:
Spitzer Space Telescope

and To some extent so does the Kepler, Chandra X-ray telescope, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory , and of course the Hubble telescope.

For those that want more information in science's search for life and habitable planets:

PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration

Exoplanet Exploration Program


Are you aware of the limitations the planet-search currently labors under? They mostly find large or massive worlds due to their search methods, limited by our current technology. The astronomers admit that finding worlds about the size and mass of Earth is almost impossible right now...but within a few years it may be much more feasible.
 
Are you aware of the limitations the planet-search currently labors under? They mostly find large or massive worlds due to their search methods, limited by our current technology. The astronomers admit that finding worlds about the size and mass of Earth is almost impossible right now...but within a few years it may be much more feasible.

Of course, that's why I speculated that we've looked at possibly 5 million light years worth because the various telescopes have different objectives; some are constantly changing fields of view and some are focused on one spot but more deeply.

I know it will take a virtual eternity to map and measure the entire observable universe.

Again, my point to the original post was always: even if life were one single light year away, the distance is too great for us to travel to anytime soon, so we better take care of what we have here.
 
Again, my point to the original post was always: even if life were one single light year away, the distance is too great for us to travel to anytime soon, so we better take care of what we have here.

That depends. There are scientific hypothesis already on potential methods for travelling in a quasi-"FTL" manner. (see Alcubierre Warp Drive). All it would take would be one genius on the order of Einstein to come up with something new, and a good engineer to turn it into hardware. Might not happen for centuries, but it could happen next week.
 
Sorry I thought I was dealing with a more rational and somewhat educated person.

The Spitzer Space Telescope has been measuring temperatures, atmospheres and orbits of planets light-years from Earth since 1993:
Spitzer Space Telescope

and To some extent so does the Kepler, Chandra X-ray telescope, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory , and of course the Hubble telescope.

For those that want more information in science's search for life and habitable planets:

PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration

Exoplanet Exploration Program


You are aware that GRO splashed nine years ago, aren't you?

AXAF isn't all that accurate for planet finding work.

What hasn't been launched, thanks to the Columbia oops, is SIM, since it was designed for a shuttle launch as a simply supported beam in the shuttle's low-thrust cargo bay and it's proven damned difficult to convert the structure to the cantilever-style high gee-launch environment of your typical flaming telephone pole. Not sure when or if SIM is ever going to launch, or even if the project is still being funded.
 
the interesting evidence to note is that just looking around with your own eyes you can see that the solar system has never been visited by aliens; not in the last quarter-billion years or so.

It's not like the possibility of an alien invasion is remotely likely now.

How can I say that?

I can put gasoline in my car.
 
There are no aliens, at least none that we know of.

There may be life on other planets, but for the 5 million or so light years that we can see in every direction, there are none.

1) The Milky Way Galaxy, a perfectly typical barred spiral galaxy, has a disc radius of approximately 50,000 light years, and thickness of less than ten thousand.

2) Within "5 million light years" are hundreds of galaxies, in none of which can we discern anything as small and dim as a planet.

3) Within the short radius of our own galaxy we can reach, we've found a few hundred solid bodies orbiting stars. Because the nature of the search, ie, seeking the periodic displacement of stars, either astrometrically or spectrally, is weighted towards planets with large masses relative to their star, the majority of extra-solar bodies found are similar to Jupiter, but usually bigger, and usually orbiting very close to their primary, a fact that's giving the planetary formation scientists fun nights and parties.

If for some reason they were able to use worm holes or dimension-skip to get here, there'd be no reason for them to hide their presence, as it's not like we have anything close to the technology to follow then back.

Science fantasy.
 
Some astrophysicist speculate that because of the enormous size of the universe and the almost infinite possibilities of types of life forms out there that it is likely that some species are expanding like a bubble consuming and utilizing every available resource that is increasingly within their reach. They only have the proliferation of their own species in mind.

Great idea.

We should get moving to make sure our bubble is the biggest.
 
The same math is also saying the universe has literally millions of advance civilizations.

And a trillion galaxies, which means the chance of any one galaxy having two technological civilizations is on the order of trillion divided by a million, which, since we're all used to dealing with trillions in the Messiah Nataion, is roughly a million to one.

All the evidence of past visitation of aliens to the Earth suggests that this galaxy has only one technological civilization at this time.
 
Logic would dictate that any alien beings with the ability to traverse intergalactic space would be very advanced technologically. Logic would also suggest that such beings would send surrogate investigators rather than engage in travel themselves.

If our own experiences with knowledge and technology is indicative, such beings would also have had to have learned how to survive the pitfalls of advanced knowledge and technology. I suspect that they would therefore be friendly and inquisitive generally and perhaps even ambivalent, but not intrinsically violent and destructive.
 
If our own experiences with knowledge and technology is indicative, such beings would also have had to have learned how to survive the pitfalls of advanced knowledge and technology. I suspect that they would therefore be friendly and inquisitive generally and perhaps even ambivalent, but not intrinsically violent and destructive.

They are probably are friendly by nature. But like the Americans, they could could arrive and wipe us natives out. Its evident now earth is unique in the sense planets like ours are not easy to come across. Maybe so special, they will wipe us out and preserve our planet to support there own populations. Such advanced beings will play us if they out advance us by thousands of years. Watch "The day the earth stood still" (2008) KEANU REEVES.
 
One other problem is how we human will deal with the fact that their are aliens that are way superior to us and control the galaxy, and even if they are friendly want to quaranteine humans to our solarsystem.

That if you see how human stoneage tribes have dealt with contact with more advanced human societies, it have often went badly for the stoneage tribe even if they have been treated in a non hostile way. That they have often lead to depression, alcholism and stagnation amongst the stoneage tribes.

That we humans like to want to feel superior, in control and possible to advance. Maybe just realising that we are "barbarians" that live under the control of another more advance species can be enough to hurt our societies even if the other specie are friendly.
 
Logic would dictate that any alien beings with the ability to traverse intergalactic space would be very advanced technologically. Logic would also suggest that such beings would send surrogate investigators rather than engage in travel themselves.

If our own experiences with knowledge and technology is indicative, such beings would also have had to have learned how to survive the pitfalls of advanced knowledge and technology. I suspect that they would therefore be friendly and inquisitive generally and perhaps even ambivalent, but not intrinsically violent and destructive.

Yes, but how would they react to our hostility? Remember when Reagan pined for aliens to come so the world could unite against them? Think about it. If the aliens don't believe in a higher power, noticeable segments of humankind will be hostile.

If aliens could investigate us, I am sure they would opt to not introduce themselves to us. The only logical reason to do so would be to enslave us and/or to take our resources.
 
Yes, but how would they react to our hostility? Remember when Reagan pined for aliens to come so the world could unite against them? Think about it. If the aliens don't believe in a higher power, noticeable segments of humankind will be hostile.

If aliens could investigate us, I am sure they would opt to not introduce themselves to us. The only logical reason to do so would be to enslave us and/or to take our resources.
Do you actually believe that humans could pose a credible threat to beings who can travel amongst the galaxies? Do you imagine that they had not considered primitive hostility and neglected to devise a benign means of defense? Do you believe that beings who have developed intergalactic travel have any need of human bondage or require possession of our meagher resources?

I'm dumbfounded :shock:
 
Back
Top Bottom