Alone again?

[geordief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=899Wypv4rd0

 

There are very many planets that are capable of creating life forms but far fewer that have stable enough conditions to create sophisticated life forms.

Is it possible that the life forms and civilization we have presently on this Earth  could be the only such example anywhere in the observable universe?

 

If that was to become apparent ,what lessons/revelations** could we draw from such an understanding?(would it be a deeper conclusion than from that there were other civilizations/cultural edifices elsewhere in the  observable universe?)

 

**not in any religious sense

[mathematic]

It is too soon to say.  There are about 100 billion stars in the milky way.  Only an infinitesimal number has been explored to determine whether life supporting planets exist.

[geordief]

3 hours ago, mathematic said:

It is too soon to say.  There are about 100 billion stars in the milky way.  Only an infinitesimal number has been explored to determine whether life supporting planets exist.

Yes ,too soon to make any such assessment but my question is whether we can  say what such an assessment ,if it ever became compelling (never provable of course) might imply .

 

If we could ever  say to ourselves that ,in all likelihood no matter how far we looked that the only civilised life that ever had or ever would exist  emanated from this Earth....supposing all that ,what lessons might we draw from that understanding?

 

It is  a sort of "suspension of disbelief" question as I ,personally am inclined to believe that other "alien" civilisations are there to be discovered whether or not we will ever  actually do so.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by geordief

[beecee]

13 hours ago, geordief said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=899Wypv4rd0

 

There are very many planets that are capable of creating life forms but far fewer that have stable enough conditions to create sophisticated life forms.

Is it possible that the life forms and civilization we have presently on this Earth  could be the only such example anywhere in the observable universe?

 

If that was to become apparent ,what lessons/revelations** could we draw from such an understanding?(would it be a deeper conclusion than from that there were other civilizations/cultural edifices elsewhere in the  observable universe?)

 

**not in any religious sense

With the near infinte number of stars and planets, and the near infinte extent of the universe, and the fact that the stuff of life is found everywhere we look, it is imo reasonable to assume that life has arose elsewhere, most probably basic fundamental life forms, some more advanced and maybe even to near our stage of evolution. In saying all that, as yet we do not have any evidence of life off this Earth.

When we do find examples of ETL ( and some suggest that will be in a couple of decades), It may cause some consternation among highly religious people, but I suggest, it will just add to our encyclopedia mind of knowledge. 

If we are shown to be alone, I would be far more surprised. 

Time and distance are the two barriers to interplanetary contact.

Edited November 22, 2021 by beecee

[geordief]

13 minutes ago, beecee said:

If we are shown to be alone, I would be far more surprised

Same here ,but what if we  ever did come to that assessment?

How we we react psychologically to this finding?

 

In the past when we assumed that we were the only civilisation it was a belief aided by  gross ignorance of the physical  universe

 

Now our physical knowledge is greater and ,if we ever  again decided that we  really are alone ,as an intelligent civilisation  in the universe it would perhaps be a different  grander "aloneness" than our previous "aloneness" (which was really just a hybristic anthropocentrism that must now have had its day)

 

[beecee]

2 hours ago, geordief said:

Same here ,but what if we  ever did come to that assessment?

We could never really come to that assessment, that's the crux of the matter...near infinite content, near infinite extent...we could never really know with any certainty. 

[geordief]

4 hours ago, beecee said:

We could never really come to that assessment, that's the crux of the matter...near infinite content, near infinite extent...we could never really know with any certainty. 

Well we  could  be convinced of it  (because it was so strong a case)  even if we could not prove it.

 

How might that affect us?

[beecee]

14 minutes ago, geordief said:

Well we  could  be convinced of it  (because it was so strong a case)  even if we could not prove it.

 

How might that affect us?

It would probably have our religious brothers claiming it is proof of God creating us and the universe around us, although I would ask the question answered this way by Elly's Father in "Contact" if we are alone, it seems like an aweful lot of wasted space. Me personally, surprised as I previously said, then go on about my daily life.

[geordief]

8 minutes ago, beecee said:

It would probably have our religious brothers claiming it is proof of God creating us and the universe around us, although I would ask the question answered this way by Elly's Father in "Contact" if we are alone, it seems like an aweful lot of wasted space. Me personally, surprised as I previously said, then go on about my daily life.

Well ,my reaction would first be to conform to the general acceptance and to build my own castles in the air around it.

Not substantial castles  perhaps but they would be castles that would reinforce my own sense of importance and  the need to protect the "sceptered isle" that we had.

 

It wouldn 't  need to suggest any deity since we could see what was (not) out there,but if that was the general acceptance then there would be less fascinating  astronomic discoveries to make me question that if the purveyors of religious  ideologies were not too invasive or overbearing.