Explain.

Nope. Technological progress within the laws of physics is well and good, but violating the speed limit? I'll believe it when I see it.

The reverse actually works better, as amply proven and argued for on SMP.
luckyme

I really don't think anyone can choose the first two options

Depends if you're answering the question in the thread title or the question in the actual poll.

Nice catch. "I have no idea" is also a bit strong.

Theres no (legitimate) evidence that aliens have ever visited earth. But more importantly than that, is that it doesn't make sense. Why would aliens visit earth and not give us their technology to insanely efficient solar panels, or their secrets to space travel, or stuff like that. Your answer to that may be, well because they are inherently selfish or mean creatures. My argument to that would be, such a species would lack the social settings necessary to advance their science to a point where visiting distant planets would be possible. A species with the sophistication to space travel must have a cooperative attitude, and therefore they would give us safe and effective technology. There is no evidence that has happened.

Im sorry to say your way of thinking is just very limited and narrow.

I could not disagree with you more. To the question, "do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth", we must first dissect what we mean by "extraterrestrials". Since the word "visited" was also used in the phrasing, its rational to assume that by aliens (extraterrestrials is too long to type) we're referring to some form of cognitive being that had a) the technology to travel here and b) the technology to return from wherever they came. I'm also assuming that we're talking about aliens traveling in a vessel to earth. This would require a level of knowledge exponentially larger than the collective knowledge of all humanity. To acquire such knowledge would require a healthy society. Nobody is simply born with unprecedented knowledge... we learn from each other and progress knowledge together. Capability alone is not a reason for space travel, one must also have incentive. Would you argue that aliens visited earth and merely observed us from a hidden vantage point? Although this is possible, it is unlikely because they would be able to have a great impact on our universal knowledge. Don't get me wrong, i'm not arguing that they SHOULD have an interest in us or anything like that, they could easily not care about us at all. But if they cared about us enough to visit us, it would seem UNLIKELY to not want to participate in the discourse of our planet.

I've simply stated no, firstly because their is no evidence to suggest otherwise (at least in this context). When there is no evidence to suggest otherwise, you shouldn't adopt that given philosophy (or if you do you're by definition, irrational). I've gone beyond that though, i've given a logical answer and supported it with logical reasons. If you are to argue that aliens know no reasons, or have an inhuman thought process and therefore all of my logic is void, then you've created a supertheory than can only be contrived as dogmatic, and is free of any debate.

So, what do you think?

Do you?

I don't believe three-dimensional creatures are capable of space travel beyond their own solar system.
Now if there were four or more dimensional creatures, it would be possible.

?

Yes, I do. I believe there was a massive conspiracy that was initiated in 1947 see "The Roswell Incident".

There is no doubt in my mind the U.S. Government has lied to the public about the existence of extraterrestrials.

To be certain about a given proposition, without evidence, is an extremely dangerous (read laughable) method of thought process.

what about this-
what are the chances that aliens have seen earth and are aware of it? (via telescope etc counts)

If aliens have visited earth and observed us, I could certainly understand why they wouldn't want to make themselves known. Especially if they were around for any of the world wars or if they've seen the middle east.

We really don't know anything about this. And is also one of those discussion where people are generally very influenced by what they want to be true.

So it isn't the most fruitful of issues.

Threshold. The earth is invaded by a multi-dimensional extraterrestrial. Our physical laws don't apply to those guys.

For anyone who believes this crap please go to any book store, pick up the book "Why People Believe Weird Things" by Michael Shermer. Turn to page 88, chapter six titled "Abducted! Encounters with Aliens". Take approximately 10-20 minutes of your time and read this ten page chapter. I think this action alone should cure most people of these silly ideas, and this antidote is totally free.

I think abiogenesis may be exceedly rare because it may be that a lot of uber longshots have to parlay inorder for life to develope. I'm talking about several 1 in a billion shots parlaying. It would not surprise me if we are the only intelligence in this universe.

Stu

Since it happened here on earth, it could happen elsewhere. But what are the odds of intelligent life occurring simultaneously on different parts of the universe? And one species is able to travel to find the other species?

finding life on other planets will probably be one of the last shreds of gossamar that science rips through of religions silly belief that man is everything, and the center of everything.

if religion is still around, much hilarity will ensue when you guys try and figure out a way to convert them. (or darker...kill the godless bastards.)

Well obviously its imposable to be sure one way or the other although my hunch is that it’s unlikely.

It must take a lot of time and effort to travel between stellar systems, its seems surprising that they would turn up then disappear leaving no evidence.

Current models have the universe as being around 14- billion years old, around 4+ billion years for technological life to evolve on the earth leaving 9+ billion years for the earth to be formed. It’s plausible that we have developed relatively quickly and the density of technological life forms is still fairly thin, at a density that makes it unlikely for any given two of them to meet. Still maybe not, but until we stumble across evidence to the contrary the default assumption has to be that no non terrestrial life has reached Earth.

It is unclear whether or not they are fallen, or whether the mode of redemption is through Christ. But you have a point and perhaps we should go with St. Bernard on this one:
and kill them lest we are tempted to learn something from them.

Ahh, but they're probably hiding.

As usual it takes a Brit to find them:

http://www.davidicke.com/index.php/