NASA Brings Scientists & Theologians Together To Prepare World For Extraterrestrial Contact

a reply to: JadeStar
I think the reason why pop culture and science fiction is interesting to you is that they use impossible and futuristic scenarios and take them to their logical or illogical conclusions without thought to the scientific world as we know it. The biggest mistake people make when talking about when discussing alien contact is they always assume that the aliens will be the same size as humans. What if the aliens were 50 feet tall? What if they were 1 inch tall? I'll give you a great example. In the British series of Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy a scene showed a massive invasion fleet come to attack earth. But when the camera pulled back the fleet of star ships were no bigger than a fly and a dog promptly ate it. Just keep an open mind ( not that open as your brains fall out, can't remember who said that) because, like science fiction, anything and everything is possible.

a reply to: EA006

...lol....Noice.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: JadeStar

My personal thoughts on the matter is that while some of the older generations may be shocked, it really wouldn't disrupt normal life for most people. We've been slowly fed media, audio and video images of aliens for a long time now, and many of us I suspect would simply go "Huh, well that's one question answered." and go about their day. Now, this is for microbial life of course.

I tend to agree.

I've said this before but when people ask me what I study people around my age (give or take 15 years) inevitably ask: "So where are all the aliens?".

Older generations (like people over 50) usually ask "do you think we're alone?" or "do you think aliens exist".

Intelligent contact and communication would likely have larger social and religious implications, but again I believe many of the younger generations would welcome our new interstellar neighbors with optimism.

I agree. I think it would represent a huge leap forward for the planet and would probably help get us out of this race to the bottom of constant bickering over diminishing resources and environmental damage.

We as a planet would have a goal to shoot for. It would be daunting at first but I think we've already taken the first steps as a baby out of the cradle and begun to stand up in the Milky Way galaxy.

originally posted by: SirKonstantin
a reply to: Tardacus

That is really an interesting idea.

What kind of religion do you think they have? is it spiritual? Nature related?

I would tend to speculate that they [the otherworlders that occasionally visit our planet] would have spiritual ties to there ancestors, with a deep love and respect for nature; along with respect and knowledge of other alien religions on various star systems in our galaxy.

Since it is a given --- as far as I'm concerned --- that the otherworlders who visit our planet in interstellar capable starships --- so it would also be a given that their starships are superluminal capable --- with the most likely method of propulsion: photon power....since photon thrust is the only possible way to break the speed of light barrier on a starship.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: JadeStarhe biggest mistake people make when talking about when discussing alien contact is they always assume that the aliens will be the same size as humans. What if the aliens were 50 feet tall?

Like dinosaurs?

The problem with them was that while they were large in stature their body to brain ratio was such that they had the IQ of a bird.

Its possible there could be some super intelligent 50 ft tall species out there but the conditions it would have to evolve in (a small planet with VERY low gravity but high enough to sustain an atmosphere) would probably be far rarer than planets like the Earth which evolved us.

Or the new class of planets called SuperEarths due to them being more massive than Earth might evolve intelligent beings around 3-4 ft tall (due to higher gravity) and if orbiting a small red dwarf star such being might evolve very large eyes. (sound familiar )

By the way, these "SuperEarths" around dimmer K and M class stars are thought to be the most common habitable planets in our galaxy.

So there, I just made a decent argument for advanced life being smaller than us rather than giants.

What if they were 1 inch tall?

Unless they are some form or machine this is biologically impossible as there is a limit to how small a brain can be and be considered intelligent.

I'll give you a great example. In the British series of Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy a scene showed a massive invasion fleet come to attack earth. But when the camera pulled back the fleet of star ships were no bigger than a fly and a dog promptly ate it. Just keep an open mind ( not that open as your brains fall out, can't remember who said that) because, like science fiction, anything and everything is possible.

Speculation is fine if it is within the laws of chemistry, physics, etc. There ARE physical limits to what is possible and the scene you mentioned in HHGTTG is more sci-fantasy than an valid scientific possibility.

a reply to: Erno86

Great explanation!

I agree with what you said!

a reply to: SirKonstantin

posting to bookmark

wow I am intrigued

a reply to: JadeStar

Damn JadeStar...lol...You just laid out some Data right there!!!lol

Thanks for the informative reply!!!

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Good conversations going, right!

You can say goodbye to speculative Hollywood alien films after we make contact.
a reply to: SirKonstantin

a reply to: prevenge

HA!!! Love it!!! I didn't even think of that as well!!!

What do you think would be the new movie type replacing what aliens are like?
Time travel?...until that is possible too!lol

Regards,

--> The arguement from scale... Really?

It's not because the universe is insanely large, and has an insanely big amount of stars and planets, that that means that there is life out there, or that the chances for it are higher.

We simply do not know how life started, and where it started, so we can not dertermine the likelyhood of it being anywhere, but on earth ;-)

Just my 2 cents

a reply to: IWasHereEonsAgo

God some of you people are so simple and single minded in your blind hatred of others' beliefs...

The Pope's statement is not about ALIENS and what THEY would think. It is about the people that are adherents to Catholicism...

I myself am NOT religious, but I understand that if it were announced tomorrow that we were in contact with Intelligent life and there wasn't a means of religious leaders calming their believers, it would be total anarchy...

Which is something that needs to be looked at. How hard would it really be to create a false contact with modern technology with the intent of causing global panic making it easier to get people to consent to abhorent losses of liberty to protect them???

Jaden

a reply to: JadeStar

Me thinks you need to rethink what you are stating considering that one of the highest measuring intelligences IS a bird with a physically SMALL brain...

Jaden

a reply to: IWasHereEonsAgo

Everyone is entitled to follow and believe what they want. Its called freedom. Furthermore who are you to say that any extraterrestrial life that comes here would not want to be baptised? Im not saying that they will, but how do you claim to perceive what these beings think or want? That is a human trait that has caused so many problems in society with people making decisions on the basis they know whats for the best.

Think about it.

Great thread OP

I suspect we will discover ET in a slow process, i.e. extremophile, fossil, living, possibly something bigger than an extremophile in our Solar System. Next would be exo-atmosphere research, then a signal. A non-terrestrial satellite, drone, or space ship sighting would be great, as well as an archeological discovery of ancient non-terrestrial visitation.

Here are some relevant threads on this subject:

SEPT 24th 2014

MAY 25th 2014

MAY 9th 2013

DEC 5th 2013

Yeah, you're right, I don't know you. I don't know if you're ignorant or just stupid. If you're ignorant, there's hope, that can be fixed (sometimes). On the other hand, if you're stupid, that will probably be a lifelong handicap. I do know your type though. You don't think that history began until the day you were born. I can assure you, most of the important stuff happened long before that. An old Spanish philosopher once said, "Those that ignore history are destined to repeat it." a reply to: EA006

Well, this is just bad timing because, apparently, the cold war was just restarted



Can someone please tell the aliens to wait 3-4 decades? perhaps via crop circle?

a reply to: SirKonstantin

It's definitely not new thinking that there is life elsewhere in the universe. With the universe said to be at least somewhere in the range of 14 billion years old and the Earth 4-6 billion years old then it's almost a certainty that there is life elsewhere and that it very well may be more advance that us humans. Like billions of years advanced.

a reply to: SirKonstantin

I LOL at the Catholic church and Jewish church who wont admit that the raw translation of the Torah states that our Planet is among a group of planets chosen for terraforming and seeding.

I LOL at the Islamic church too. What does the beginning of the Quran say:

In the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds,

Oh, and for good measure from the Septuagint, Isaiah 13: Lift up a standard on the mountain of the plain, exalt the voice to them, beckon with the hand, open the gates, ye rulers. 3 I give command, and I bring them: giants are coming to fulfil my wrath, rejoicing at the same time and insulting. 4 A voice of many nations on the mountains, even like to that of many nations; a voice of kings and nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts has given command to a war-like nation, 5 to come from a land afar off, from the utmost foundation of heaven; the Lord and his warriors are coming to destroy all the world.

Sounds a hell of a lot like: From another Planet, in Outer space.

I'm pretty sure if they come they'll be baptising the planet, not the other way round...and probably a baptism akin to being burned and eaten alive.