WASHINGTON (April 21) – Famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has been thinking a lot about the cosmic question, “Are we alone?” The answer is probably not, he says.If there is life elsewhere in the universe, Hawking asks why haven’t we stumbled onto some alien broadcasts in space, maybe something like “alien quiz shows?”Hawking’s comments were part of a lecture at George Washington University on Monday in honor of NASA’s 50th anniversary. He theorized that there are possible answers to whether there is extraterrestrial life.One option is that there likely isn’t life elsewhere. Or maybe there is intelligent life elsewhere, but when it gets smart enough to send signals into space, it also is smart enough to make destructive nuclear weapons.Hawking said he prefers the third option:”Primitive life is very common and intelligent life is fairly rare,” he said, then quickly added: “Some would say it has yet to occur on Earth.”So should you worry about aliens? Alien abduction claims come from “weirdos” and are unlikely. However, because alien life might not have DNA like us, Hawking warned: “Watch out if you would meet an alien. You could be infected with a disease with which you have no resistance.”The 66-year-old British cosmologist, who suffers from ALS and must speak through a mechanical device, believes “if the human race is to continue for another million years, we will have to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
See that? It’s so clear now. Stephen Hawking IS Christopher Pike!OK So seriously. Life on other planets? Yes. Extraterrestrial life here? No. Why? We are too far from everything. Your thoughts?
Deepdiver,
Ahh, ok. I don’t remember that thread.
alex… bad news dude….
http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/Phoenix_local_news_042108_new-lights-sightings.895be60f.html
sorry
Seeker
Oh don’t get me started on Rand. Maybe on another more appropriate thread?
It took me a while to piece together your breathtakingly specious logic. You conclude that because I refuse to take a stand on the existence of life on other planets I must believe there is none. That’s “you’re either for me or agin’ me” reasoning. My point, the one that sailed over your head like a low flying biplane, was that I join the great Carl Sagan in having no opinion at all. I was merely saying I don’t want *your* opinion ramrodded down my throat. I choose to have no position until more facts are in. The non-existence of life on other planets (for reasons that aren’t altogether clear to me) is part of the agenda of the religious. The existence of life on other planets (see above) for atheists is that there is. I have no agenda.
You aren’t diving very deeply, DeepDiver.
thx1138:
Forgive me. Your post to Alex appeared like you had no tolerance to someone believing in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and comparing that belief to gods. I do not see him ramrodding anything down your throat, anyone else. A fundamentalist does not look at evidence and Alex does. There for the comparison is nowhere close.
Sorry, multitasking there. But you get my drift.
If a pilot claims to see a Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) that pilot will be FAA revoked due to psychosis. The funny thing is that the very FAA will never revoke a license to someone kneeling and praying before a flight at the very ramp in an airport. Even airports have churches for who ever feels to get in touch with their gods for a safe journey. That’s crazy.
Kosher
What if you reporting seeing images of jeebus in the contrails?
What
*laugh* it has happened before, believe it or not! After seen something like that the whole vision falls into the ‘miracle’ category; it can be accepted as a “religious matters” for the FAA.
Have you ever heard or read the book “God is my Co-pilot” a 1945 book by Gen. Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAF (ret)? In aviation we get confused and call it ‘Dog is my Co-pilot’
It is a very psychotic book nevertheless.
I’d like to respond to What’s analogy. We know that certain conditions on earth have produced amino acids (Miller and Uray). Therefore the white cup produced its own red ball, making it possible that other white cups could produce a red ball. So, it is acceptable to say that there is increased probability with larger numbers that the white cups may have red balls under them under the same conditions.
Augustine
Deterministically. So chance and large numbers do not come into play. Probability is a measure of ignorance. It does not cause.
Kosher
I have seen the bumper stickers of god and dog variety. I did not know about the book. Thanks.
Augustine
I should have said thanks for the response. Thanks!