Meanwhile in Space

[The_Bloody_Nine]

Yep and it's why I'm convinced that there is some sort of intelligent life out there. (not saying we have been visited/contacted by aliens, I'm just saying it's most likely out there... Somewhere).
I find it much harder to believe that we are the only intelligent life out there and a big part of this is due to images taken by hubble telescope and pondering just how big existence really is.

Yes, but the problem is that the earth is relatively young. That intelligent life had billions in advance, they ought to be here by now. Look up Fermi Paradox. Somewhere has to be a filter.

[Sir_Hans]

Yes, but with the caveat: "with our current technology." Remember, a hundred years ago the mere idea of flying to the moon would have seemed completely bonkers.

Right but if were talking about those kinds of what if's...

If one could argue that its probable we will reach a breakthrough in science/technology to allow us to travel to neighboring solar systems... Then one could just as easily argue that we will most likely reach a breakthrough in science/technology to allow us to travel to neighboring galaxies as well even if it was further down the road in our progression.

Say we made a breakthrough tomorrow to allow us to travel back and fourth to a neighboring solar system... Next, some people would be dreaming of traveling to a neighboring galaxy. Words of the skeptics would be met with a similar line "Remember, X years ago the mere idea of flying to a neighboring solar system would have seemed completely bonkers."...

This is all opinion/speculation but to me travelling to nearby alpha centaur is just as plausible/implausible as travelling to a nearby galaxy. I don't see any practical applications life in our galaxy would have over life in another galaxy even if the distances in each scenario differs greatly.

Yes, but the problem is that the earth is relatively young. That intelligent life had billions in advance, they ought to be here by now. Look up Fermi Paradox. Somewhere has to be a filter.

I'm familiar with the Fermi Paradox, and there are multiple reasons, one could speculate, that we would not be aware of a super advanced race of space travelers from another galaxy.
For example: Maybe it is just scientifically impossible to traverse those types of distances in any type of realistic time frame and scientifically impossible to send information back to the origin in any realistic time frame... If that were the case even the most advanced race of intelligent beings would be limited to sending probes to specific locations and maybe the amount of probes they would be able to send limited by the resources on their planet and nearby planets would still have a very very tiny chance of reaching our solar system... Or better yet: Maybe an advanced race of intelligent beings has knowledge of life on earth but is in a galactic pact/agreement that they are not allowed to interfere with primitives like us on earth??? I mean if humans came across primitive intelligent life many would be saying that we should not interfere with them and simply observe for fear of what implications contact would have on their societies.

[Xant]

Like I've mentioned before, I don't think the Fermi paradox is that big of a mystery. There is such a narrow eye of a needle that has to be threaded for a technologically advanced civilization to arise that it's not that shocking to me we haven't seen "anyone else" out there. Life? Life almost certainly exists somewhere else, probably even relatively close to Earth, but that's a far cry from an intelligent and technological civilization. And evolution is full of "dead ends" even for sentient, intelligent species: even if dolphins were as smart as humans, their ability to manipulate objects is too limited to allow them to make space rockets. If you think about it, humans are creepily well suited to be an "advanced civilization", tool-users and makers that are naked without tools but with "clans" that allow them to have generations long memory and other humans to help with projects, etc.

[The_Bloody_Nine]

Like I've mentioned before, I don't think the Fermi paradox is that big of a mystery. There is such a narrow eye of a needle that has to be threaded for a technologically advanced civilization to arise that it's not that shocking to me we haven't seen "anyone else" out there. Life? Life almost certainly exists somewhere else, probably even relatively close to Earth, but that's a far cry from an intelligent and technological civilization. And evolution is full of "dead ends" even for sentient, intelligent species: even if dolphins were as smart as humans, their ability to manipulate objects is too limited to allow them to make space rockets. If you think about it, humans are creepily well suited to be an "advanced civilization", tool-users and makers that are naked without tools but with "clans" that allow them to have generations long memory and other humans to help with projects, etc.

Agreed, I always thought the critical thing is what happened to us to become self-conscious. Somehow this seems to be extremely unlikely to happen.

Also I never thought the Fermi paradox to be shocking, but I think it is an extremely convincing thought. There are way too many earth-like planets existing billions of years before earth. And if there has been any kind of intelligent life comparable to humans they must be either extinct or all over the place.

[Kafein]

Throughout the whole history of evolution on Earth, intelligence has always increased with time in every species. "self-consciousness", whatever that means, is merely a product of a dense brain. There is no reason to believe life on an earth-like planet does not converge towards one or more species becoming civilized, bar specific environments. Maybe one in two planets with life ends up with engineers, that doesn't make a huge difference at all.

Yes, but with the caveat: "with our current technology." Remember, a hundred years ago the mere idea of flying to the moon would have seemed completely bonkers.

Our current knowledge of the world also rules out a lot of the stuff that can be imagined in science-fiction. Regardless, the problem of the Fermi Paradox isn't even travel. It's communication. We've been sending sending very specific radio signals into the void for years now, and listening too. Yet we haven't found aliens doing the same thing.

To me, that leads to the conclusion that civilizations enter the era of radio communications and then somehow quit it later down the line. Either because all civilizations collapse brutally, or because the aliens completely lose interest in meeting other aliens, which is an amusing thought. Maybe self-awareness and technological comfort naturally leads to the pursuit of hedonism, neglecting the interests of the tribe. What if the last alien died on drugs? Even more weirdly, what if all alien civilizations avoid deliberately broadcasting easily interpreted messages, because they are too scared of what and who would find them? Note that this is basically the situation we're in. As it stands, aliens would have to live in our backyard to find our TV signals with technology comparable to what we have to find theirs.

[Xant]

"self-consciousness", whatever that means, is merely a product of a dense brain.

Source?

There is no reason to believe life on an earth-like planet does not converge towards one or more species becoming civilized, bar specific environments.

There's no reason to believe life on an earth-like planet converges toward one or more species becoming civilized, either...

Our current knowledge of the world also rules out a lot of the stuff that can be imagined in science-fiction. Regardless, the problem of the Fermi Paradox isn't even travel. It's communication. We've been sending sending very specific radio signals into the void for years now, and listening too. Yet we haven't found aliens doing the same thing.

I wasn't, and I don't think Hans was either, discussing the Fermi Paradox when talking about space travel. Separate issues.

[Kafein]

Source?

Evidence in earth species that we consider to be "self-conscious".

There's no reason to believe life on an earth-like planet converges toward one or more species becoming civilized, either...

We are the evidence. Other chimps are even better evidence. Even those spoiled by nature have steadily developed their intelligence.

[Xant]

Evidence in earth species that we consider to be "self-conscious".

That's not a source.

We are the evidence. Other chimps are even better evidence. Even those spoiled by nature have steadily developed their intelligence.

One evolutionary path is not evidence that all evolutionary paths converge toward something...

[The_Bloody_Nine]

At next spacex launch currently scheduled on the 17th they will try to land again on their drone ship. Let's see how many rockets they can get back safely this year...

[Vibe]

Lagoon Nebula:

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NGC 1300 (barred spiral galaxy):

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Huge resolution: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1601/ngc1300_hst_6637.jpg

[Molly]

I can just repeat myself. Seeing a picture of a galaxy and then discovering in the background even more galaxies is kinda mind blowing.

[Xant]

For all that we have done, as a civilization, as individuals, the universe is not stable, and nor is any single thing within it. Stars consume themselves, the universe itself rushes apart, and we ourselves are composed of matter in constant flux. Colonies of cells in temporary alliance, replicating and decaying and housed within, an incandescent cloud of electrical impulse and precariously stacked carbon code memory. This is reality, this is self knowledge, and the perception of it will, of course, make you dizzy.

[Leshma]

http://www.sciencealert.com/rumours-fly-as-physicists-hint-at-the-first-ever-observations-of-gravitational-waves

[The_Bloody_Nine]

I wonder what it will be to play drums on mars, probably you'd need much heavier sticks to make use of any rebound. Also I wonder how big the differences in sound are and if you will just get accustomed fast so it will be 'normal' again.  :P

[The_Bloody_Nine]

so close :)