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.

 

[mips42]

I do not believe that we are alone, that does not mean that I think there is intelligent life anywhere (including here).

 

[Maxperson]

There's a sci-fi story where the aliens are butterfly like and use wing flaps, faster than human perception, to communicate. Would we even notice they are intelligent? Would they notice we are?

Yes, they would notice that we are intelligent, and we would notice that they are. How? Technology. We know for the most part what is natural and what isn't, so when these butterflies show up in something unnatural, we will know that it's unnatural and they are intelligent, regardless of whether or not we can communicate, or comprehend HOW they are intelligent. And they will be able to look at us and do the same.

 

[Umbran]

As I understand it (and this is not my area of expertise so forgive me if I am wrong), the currently accepted model is that the universe is finite.

As noted earlier, no, it isn't. Current theory recognizes that we do not know, and does not require it to be finite. Also, current measures of curvature and expansion suggest it is apt to be infinite, as the major way to have it be finite calls for curvature we do not observe.

What is finite is the *visible* universe, but that's merely a lightspeed limitation on what we can image with telescopes, not a limit on the space. Though, as the current expansion goes, we will never see or communicate with anything outside the current visible universe unless FTL travel is involved, for the same lightspeed barrier reasons.

 

[Jester David]

Both.

Aliens exist. The universe is too vast for there not to be.
But the distances between systems are so unbelievably vast we might as well be alone.

 

[Yaarel]

We are alone in the universe. Someone has to be first − and we are them.

I assume there is life on other planets, but no intelligent life. Look at all of the species of life on this planet − millions − and our species alone is intelligent. The probability of intelligent life is extremely unlikely.

Moreover, we humans are ancients of this universe. The universe itself is roughly 14 billion years old − and our own planet is roughly 10 billion years old. Our home is among the first to evolve life anywhere.

We humans are the ancient race of this universe.

 

[Imaculata]

Look at all of the species of life on this planet − millions − and our species alone is intelligent.

I have looked and concluded that there are plenty of other life forms on this planet that are intelligent to some degree.

[video=youtube;cbSu2PXOTOc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbSu2PXOTOc[/video]

 

[Yaarel]

I have looked and concluded that there are plenty of other life forms on this planet that are intelligent to some degree.

Language as mode of cognition, as well as math and technology, remain less than sufficient in the nonhuman species.

 

[Yaarel]

Also consider how technology escalates exponentially − on an upwards ‘curve’.

Even if an intelligent species was merely a thousand years older than us humans, that species would already be many magnitudes more technologically advanced than we are. Nevermind millions of years early than us. Presumably such a hypothetical species would already have overcome any technological challenges for communication and transportation.

We would already have met them.

We humans are alone − the first intelligent life in this universe.

 

[Yaarel]

Believing in aliens today is identical to believing in elves and trolls during medieval times.

It is a human thing to do, to project the archetypes of our own brain onto our interpretations of our experiences of the universe around us.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We are alone in the universe. Someone has to be first − and we are them.

I assume there is life on other planets, but no intelligent life. Look at all of the species of life on this planet − millions − and our species alone is intelligent. The probability of intelligent life is extremely unlikely.

Moreover, we humans are ancients of this universe. The universe itself is roughly 14 billion years old − and our own planet is roughly 10 billion years old. Our home is among the first to evolve life anywhere.

We humans are the ancient race of this universe.

Actually, Earth is @4.5B years old, not 10.

Also consider how technology escalates exponentially − on an upwards ‘curve’.

Even if an intelligent species was merely a thousand years older than us humans, that species would already be many magnitudes more technologically advanced than we are. Nevermind millions of years early than us. Presumably such a hypothetical species would already have overcome any technological challenges for communication and transportation.

We would already have met them.

We humans are alone − the first intelligent life in this universe.

That presumes the technological challenges of spanning the gulf of light years is solvable. AND that they’re close enough that if they did, they would come here. If they’re not even in our galaxy, then fuggedaboutit.