The Truth Is Out There. Or It's Just Fake

[VidKid]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2136617,00.html

[Thundergod]

I heard about that a few days ago, I remember watching that.  Not really surprised that it was all a fake.  Who knows how many things out there are fakes or conspiracies...  *cough cough* 911...  I didn't say that...   

[Dave Gray]

This was known to be a hoax from way back when.  I saw a bit by bit breakdown of everything aobut it was bogus.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I believe that there are probably other life forms out there. It's a big universe after all. However, we have not been contacted by any of them yet. All of the "evidence" is pure garbage, especially the Roswell crash in the 40's.

[Frimp]

Think about it...Using us as the template for advancement, what are the odds that anyone alive today will see someone from another planet? We've only been able to leave the planet for 50 years or so.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Sounds like the prelude to the movie Independence Day. 

[ADeadSmitty]

I believe that there are probably other life forms out there. It's a big universe after all. However, we have not been contacted by any of them yet.

I think this is right. There are just too many stars in the universe for there not to be at least a few with Earth-like planets orbiting them. Even if there aren't any, there almost certainly are stars with orbiting planets that have some other kind of life on them, life that doesn't need Earth-like conditions to thrive.

But I don't think we'll ever be able to contact any of them. We've only been beaming radio signals into space for about seventy years. That means even the earliest man-made electromagnetic frequencies are only seventy light-years away. That's only far enough to reach the nearest few stars, which we already know from observation don't have any planets that can support life. The most promising stars are millions of light years away -- which means our signals won't reach them for millions of years, assuming they are even set up to receive signals from Earth, which would itself be an amazing piece of luck.

So basically, I think there are actually probably lots of other civilizations in the universe, but we'll never be able to contact them.

[run_to_win]

I heard about that a few days ago, I remember watching that.  Not really surprised that it was all a fake.  Who knows how many things out there are fakes or conspiracies...  *cough cough* 911...  I didn't say that...   

It's just a massive government conspiracy to take attention away from the truth. 

911 a conspiracy?  It would take thousands of people to pull it off yet, every theory has been debunked ad naseum, yet there are still people who believe it.  Coincidentally, many of them also belong to the Flat Earth Society.

[run_to_win]

I think this is right. There are just too many stars in the universe for there not to be at least a few with Earth-like planets orbiting them. Even if there aren't any, there almost certainly are stars with orbiting planets that have some other kind of life on them, life that doesn't need Earth-like conditions to thrive.

But I don't think we'll ever be able to contact any of them. We've only been beaming radio signals into space for about seventy years. That means even the earliest man-made electromagnetic frequencies are only seventy light-years away. That's only far enough to reach the nearest few stars, which we already know from observation don't have any planets that can support life. The most promising stars are millions of light years away -- which means our signals won't reach them for millions of years, assuming they are even set up to receive signals from Earth, which would itself be an amazing piece of luck.

So basically, I think there are actually probably lots of other civilizations in the universe, but we'll never be able to contact them.

Even with conservative values entered into the Drake equation, it is estimated that there are hundreds of technologically equivalent civilizations in our own galaxy (which is estimated to be 12,000 lightyears across and contain 100,000,000,000 to 400,000,000,000 stars).

Click here to read more about the Drake Equation.

[TonyB0D]

It's just a massive government conspiracy to take attention away from the truth.

911 a conspiracy? It would take thousands of people to pull it off yet, every theory has been debunked ad naseum, yet there are still people who believe it. Coincidentally, many of them also belong to the Flat Earth Society.

actually, this is not true.  only a small number of people would be aware of the entire picture; thats how our gov't and militaryt operate....super compartmentalized so no one knows the whole picture. 

and as far as it being debunked, no one has actually successfully debunked any of the conspiracies (or at least the major important questions)

[Househead]

Regarding life on other planets, if discovered, I would be curious to see how the church/religious people will incorporate (manipulate) that concept into their belief system.  After they have somehow justified the alien existence, the next thing they will probably do is to send monks to such planets to indoctrinate the aliens, not much unlike we did 500 hundred years ago with the Indians. 

Sorry, for going a little off-topic.

[run_to_win]

and as far as it being debunked, no one has actually successfully debunked any of the conspiracies (or at least the major important questions)

Right, it's kind of a "hear no truth, see no truth, speak no truth" type of thing.  All you have to do is dismiss any evidence that debunks the theory as part of the government coverup.

For example, most people will look at the picture below and see a commercial airliner.  Conspiracy theorists will see a small windowless commuter jet full of high explosives.

[run_to_win]

Regarding life on other planets, if discovered, I would be curious to see how the church/religious people will incorporate (manipulate) that concept into their belief system.  After they have somehow justified the alien existence, the next thing they will probably do is to send monks to such planets to indoctrinate the aliens, not much unlike we did 500 hundred years ago with the Indians. 

Sorry, for going a little off-topic.

Isn't there already a religion bashing thread?

[VidKid]

See, but that is the point with all rumors and conspiracies. They can't be 100% debunked cuz there is always something. Someone will find something to keep it alive. Ask Joe about the moon landings 

[Sunstroke]

Even if there aren't any, there almost certainly are stars with orbiting planets that have some other kind of life on them, life that doesn't need Earth-like conditions to thrive.

But I don't think we'll ever be able to contact any of them. We've only been beaming radio signals into space for about seventy years.

So basically, I think there are actually probably lots of other civilizations in the universe, but we'll never be able to contact them.

I have to disagree, because your point hinges on our communication technology not advancing past the point it is right now. I think we will not only make contact with an alien species (or, more likely, they will make contact with us), but I believe it will happen in most of your lifetimes (not mine...see deathclock thread). Technology is evolving so ridiculously fast right now that things we would have considered physically impossible 50 years ago are commonplace today. Who's to say what jumps in communication technology will occur in the next 50 years??