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thecactus
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 3196
Location: Northern Ireland
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 Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:21 am Post subject: How common is intelligent as opposed to evolved life? |
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Recent finds seem to indicate habitable planets may not be uncommon.
However, looking at our planet's history, reasonable evolved creatures like the dinosaurs did not develop technology in their 150 million years.
So is it perhaps the case that evolved life is common in the universe but technological life is not?
If so, might it suggest that we were not naturally evolved but perhaps are from say alien bacteria on a meteorite?
Also, if technological life is extremely rare, would that change the alien contact question?
(This is something someone on AU brought up today and I thought it was an excellent point, and a possibility I had considered myself before - what do others think) |
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flossy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 4921
Location: UK tyne/wear (geordie land)
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:18 am Post subject: |
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thats a really good point, def something to think about
and whos to say that that other life form isnt just a bug or even bacteria
but i guess we will never know...or will we hmm |
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thecactus
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
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Location: Northern Ireland
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, it occurred to me one day when I was watching one of them dinosaur documentaries; I think it was Planet dinosaur - maybe there is endless life throughout the universe, but life intelligent enough to be technological might just be very very very rare, which would explain why we haven't made contact with ETs yet. |
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D B Sweeney
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:13 am Post subject: |
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Good question Cactus 
I think intelligent life that develops technology to the degree that we have is very rare. I think life itself is fairly widespread throughout the Universe. The issues facing any technologically advanced intelligence are time and distance plus the question of attaining speed of light travel with the complications that arise from the mass gained in doing so.
People massively underestimate the distances involved in interstellar (not to mention intergalactic) travel. They also don't comprehend the physics of space travel over distances and usually defer to some highly theoretical catch all explanation such as 'quantum physics' or 'worm holes' to get around the complexities of getting physical bodies across unimaginable distances.
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thecactus
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 3196
Location: Northern Ireland
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:01 am Post subject: |
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D B Sweeney, I totally agree.
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The issues facing any technologically advanced intelligence
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Although for example, if there was an alien race who were at the technological level we are at now, say 10,000 years ago, we couldn't even imagine what kind of advances they would make in that time.
This is a little off topic, but I was thinking, mammals in general are curious creatures; dolphins, monkeys, dogs, cats and humans - are all curious, we want to explore our surroundings. But reptiles for example, are not - crocodiles, lizards, snakes - they couldn't care less about their surroundings; they are not curious. Basically there could be technological alien races who simply are not curious by nature; they could have absolutely no interest in knowing about us never mind communicating.
I also find it strange that most people believe aliens would be the same form as us - bipedals that stand and walk like us, with arms and a head in the same place. IMO aliens could be of absolutely any shape or size depending on their environment and how they evolved. |
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D B Sweeney
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:57 am Post subject: |
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| thecactus wrote: | D B Sweeney, I totally agree.
| Quote: |
The issues facing any technologically advanced intelligence
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Although for example, if there was an alien race who were at the technological level we are at now, say 10,000 years ago, we couldn't even imagine what kind of advances they would make in that time.
This is a little off topic, but I was thinking, mammals in general are curious creatures; dolphins, monkeys, dogs, cats and humans - are all curious, we want to explore our surroundings. But reptiles for example, are not - crocodiles, lizards, snakes - they couldn't care less about their surroundings; they are not curious. Basically there could be technological alien races who simply are not curious by nature; they could have absolutely no interest in knowing about us never mind communicating.
I also find it strange that most people believe aliens would be the same form as us - bipedals that stand and walk like us, with arms and a head in the same place. IMO aliens could be of absolutely any shape or size depending on their environment and how they evolved. |
I agree completely. In terms of curiosity, the difference between reptiles and mammals is due to the fact that reptiles are cold blooded creatures and cannot afford too much uneconomic movement whilst mammals are not. But you're spot on about us anthropomorphising aliens. There may well be highly intelligent shades of the colour blue out in the vastness of the Universe who have neither the inclination or the dexterity to explore beyond their world.
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