Do you believe we are alone in the universe?

The universe is far, far, far too big and ancient a place to reasonably rule out life elsewhere. Even if the galaxy is currently lacking intelligent life other than our own (and I'm not convinced it is - our expectations of what intelligent life should be doing with itself is, obviously, prejudiced toward our own ideals), I don't think it was nor will be. I'm also much more optimistic about FTL.

 

[Maxperson]

Obviously they should take more, but don't forget that they had extinctions overnight due to problems with the atmosphere, they had a lot of problems with oxygen levels. If something like that happens again in Mars it will kill all of the pollinators again it doesn't matter if they are few or a plenty.

True, but the problems were in large part due to Earth factors. The failure of the first attempt doesn't show that there would be failure on mars, even with the same set-up. It was an extremely flawed attempt.

I wonder if the self-sufficiency and the constant influxes of fresh air are somehow connected.

We don't know one way or the other.

 

[Shasarak]

It's harder than that, Biosphere 2 was a total failure, and the team behind it had plenty of access to plants, animals and microorganisms. All of it in a quite small space relative to a planet. If we can't do a simulation in "easy mode", what hope do we stand to do it for reals?

Is that not a good reason to keep doing it in easy mode until we can get it right?

I always love the Thomas Edison quote about developing the light bulb “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

 

[Shasarak]

"just an engineering problem" How wonderfully dismissive of how hard engineering is!

Please "wonderfully dismissive".

1700 years to go from steam power to a 10-horsepower engine and then how many years after that to get a rocket so powerful that we could launch ourselves into space with it?

This is not asking Engineers to break the laws of physics and come up with a teleportation machine, the theory work has been done and now it is an Engineering problem.

 

[Terry Mullins]

I think that life will be relatively common, but intelligent, technological life is rare. Also, space is really big. An intelligent race could be 500LY from us, and they wouldn't even have noticed us yet, if they are of comparable Tech. Light speed is a nasty limiter in this.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think time and distance s the problem. For example the universe is 1 billion years old (roughly) and the Earht is arounf 4.5 billion years old. Thats means assuming a similar rate of evolution a potentially intelligent race evolved 9 billion years ago.

We have had radio for less than 100 years, radio telescopes for half that (?). We would need intelligent life to have a similar level of evolution and technology and be reasonably close to Earth (less than 25 light years) to detect them.

Also leaning towards no FTL travel which basically excludes interstellar travel.

 

[Aeson]

Since we have only searched a small portion of space. I think it's funny aliens could be standing in our blind spot doing bunny ears. We wouldn't even notice. I know the odds are low but I'm easily amused.

 

[dragoner]

I just read an astronomy paper on arvix that has the chance of Earth type planets around Sol type stars at 20-30%, which is very high, and means there are a lot of Earths out there. For the 'where are they' question about aliens, time and distance is the answer, the universe is big and old; though my pet answer is that we are an academic wildlife study, so they do watch us, and keep others from interfering.

 

[MoonSong]

I think time and distance s the problem. For example the universe is 1 billion years old (roughly) and the Earht is arounf 4.5 billion years old. Thats means assuming a similar rate of evolution a potentially intelligent race evolved 9 billion years ago.

We have had radio for less than 100 years, radio telescopes for half that (?). We would need intelligent life to have a similar level of evolution and technology and be reasonably close to Earth (less than 25 light years) to detect them.

Also leaning towards no FTL travel which basically excludes interstellar travel.

Not likely. The universe is indeed old. But it hasn't always been as it is now. The early universe had only hidrogen and it takes a few generations of stars for heavier elements like carbon and oxygen to form. Even if we accept that more exotic bichemistries exist, all of them require a variety of elements to form. The we need a few billion years for a host planet or moon to propperly form and cool Then it takes time for life to go from micro to macro and eventually into something with intelligence. (Which can actually never happen at all, since evolution is all about adaptation and survival not based upon a goal like intelligence)

 

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[Zardnaar]

Not likely. The universe is indeed old. But it hasn't always been as it is now. The early universe had only hidrogen and it takes a few generations of stars for heavier elements like carbon and oxygen to form. Even if we accept that more exotic bichemistries exist, all of them require a variety of elements to form. The we need a few billion years for a host planet or moon to propperly form and cool Then it takes time for life to go from micro to macro and eventually into something with intelligence. (Which can actually never happen at all, since evolution is all about adaptation and survival not based upon a goal like intelligence)

IDK would conditions have been right say 4 billion years ago?

I have seen theories saying we are the 1st.