breaking - Is there Intelligent Life Out There?

Just came across this recent article published in The Guardian UK, Didn't see it posted here on ATS for further discussion, so here we go!

www.guardian.co.uk...

Intelligent extra-terrestrials almost certainly exist on distant planets beyond our solar system, leading British astronomers told the government yesterday.

and

"You can be pretty sure that if there's life out there, we've a good chance of being able to say so," said Glenn White, head of astrophysics at the Open University and a scientist on the Darwin project.

www.guardian.co.uk...



Edit: cap title


[edit on 6/7/2007 by kinglizard]

Oh...Oh what a warm and fuzzy feeling that article gave me. Thanks, promomag, for bringing it to our attention.
At last a serious article, in a serious newspaper, that's taking the possibility of extraterrestial life seriously. Joy upon joy.

But 'seriously' wasn't it refreshing to read? No poo-pooing the idea of non-terran life, just a straight forward "YES, we're going to find them" said by mainstream scientists who have complete faith in their discipline, and who are willing to voice a concept that was usualy the cause of professional suicide.

"If there's intelligent life out there, they sure as hell know we're here," said Michael Perryman, an astrophysicist at the European Space Agency.

And there's another ground breaker. No, he's not saying there is life beyond our solar system, but is obviously open to the possibility. (The last quote in the article where he refutes it may be a miss quote. That, or he actually hasn't made up his mind!)

The time just can't go quickly enough until the new European telescope array is set in place.

Just imagine what headlines and articles we'll be treated to then.

Oh, come on you people! How naive are we really are?
Surely the majority of us believe that there is Intelligent life within the Universe outside the confines of Earth?
Just because the World Governments keep telling us that there are no such things as UFO's and Aliens doesn't make it the truth.
The Scientists have known the truth for years now. Wasn't it their community that carried out the various, genuine, autopsies around the World at the behest of various Governments and Security Agencies?

Originally posted by VISITING

The Scientists have known the truth for years now. Wasn't it their community that carried out the various, genuine, autopsies around the World at the behest of various Governments and Security Agencies?

Why did you capitalize "The Scientists" like it's a formal noun, implying that the world's scientists are all part of the same official organization - a kind of "them" that "we" are against? And what genuine autopsies? Is this part of your belief system or something that scientists are really up to? I don't recall reading about this in the news, nor do any of my scientist friends (and I have a number of them) know anything about this.

But I suppose you think the fact that they don't tell me is even MORE evidence of a coverup..


[edit on 6/7/2007 by Sophismata]

Originally posted by VISITING

Oh, come on you people! How naive are we really are?
Surely the majority of us believe that there is Intelligent life within the Universe outside the confines of Earth?
Just because the World Governments keep telling us that there are no such things as UFO's and Aliens doesn't make it the truth.
The Scientists have known the truth for years now. Wasn't it their community that carried out the various, genuine, autopsies around the World at the behest of various Governments and Security Agencies?

Naivety doesn't comes into it.

There are thousands upon thousands of members on ATS who staunchly believe in extraterrestial life, and have come to this brave conclusion through amateur study of scientific findings coupled with some hard evidence from the UFO phenomena. We're the open-minded ones. Seeing this kind of rational, balanced, mainstream article is a godsend for each and every one of them (including myself).
It doesn't say there is life but indicates, from an orthodox viewpoint that there more than likely is.

It might seem selfish, but reading the article made me realise it could well have been worth suffering years of name calling and sneering, self righteous ridicule because of having the 'weirdo' opinion that we are not alone.

This Guardian report, hopefully, is just the start of making that struggle all worthwhile.

[edit on 7-6-2007 by Beamish]

Lets not get carried away, folks. This article says nothing that most scientists and astronomers haven't been saying for years, if not decades. Any self-respecting scientist is going to admit that its a virtual certainty that some form of alien life exists somewhere in the universe. Most have always been willing to acknowledge this.

The point of contention has always been the question of whether that alien life is currently visiting earth, not whether it actually exists.

Yhea, OK. They are getting good at spotting candidate planets that could support intelligent life. But unless they are vastly more evolved than us we have little hope of conformation of intelligence for many years.

Sure you can start directing radio or light signals, but they wont arrive for how ever many light years away the planet is, then they got to figure out what we are on about and send a return message, that is one serious satellite delay. As our techno stands at the moment that is the most we can expect to manage on our own.

If they have already spotted our radio waves up to 80 years ago, there may well be a message on the way - hope we don't miss it!

A 'quantum telephone' may eliminate the communications delay - two problems here, they don't exist outside of pure thought and as I understand the principle, the units have to be made together, and one unit physically transported to the new location. Mind you instant communication over light years bet you'd still have to wait in a call queue.

Yes there is......proof is that none of it has tried to contact us.

I personally feel that overall the human race is way to primitive to be taken seriously by any 'advanced' lifeforms.

What makes you think that they are from somewhere else>?
Where would yo live in times of global catastrophy?

Originally posted by VISITING
Just because the World Governments keep telling us that there are no such things as UFO's and Aliens doesn't make it the truth.

If you keep spreading such misinformation, its not going to help
Govt never told that there is no such thing, they only say that there is not enough evidence. Any sane and smart person would say so, instead of making a true/false statement when there is nothing to back it up.

The Scientists have known the truth for years now.< snip >

There is no such thing as 'truth' in science, there are only falsifiable hypotheses. 'Truth' is the domain of personal knowledge or religion. As soon as you say something is 'true' it automatically becomes unscientific. No surprise that scientist refrain from making such statements.

[edit on 7/6/2007 by rocksolidbrain]

The seven scientists, who included Ian Stevens, head of extrasolar planets at Birmingham University, and Suzanne Aigrain, of Exeter University, all believed that life existed elsewhere. Only Dr Perryman believed humans to be the sole intelligent beings in the universe.

Cool. Hopefully this is a sustained trend.