Comments: Another answer to Fermi's paradox
All of these 'calculations' are based upon a sample size of one. We simply have no evidence of any life on any other planet, much less sentient life. Probability then becomes nothing more than guesstimation.
Frankly, I doubt the age of the universe provides enough time for us to have developed based on a process of random mutation and selection. I further doubt that this process, commonly called evolution, can provide any reasonable explanation for the development of the human mind and consciousness unless we presume it was already baked into the cake from the start.
Posted by Thomas Dahlgren at October 6, 2014 7:03 AM
Thomas: You're alluding to the possibility of "God," in which case you will be suspended, sent home, and not be allowed to graduate with the rest of the class.
Posted by DonRodrigo at October 6, 2014 7:17 AM
“If we need an atheist for a debate, we go to the philosophy department. The physics department isn’t much use.”
–Robert Griffiths, winner of the Heinemann Prize in mathematical physics.
Posted by plus.google.com/104841162830331053592 at October 6, 2014 7:26 AM
"After all, someone has to be first and there is no scientific reason it wasn't us."
Well, we haven't actually succeeded in space travel yet, and it's looking more and more doubtful that we will succeed before the next round of cultural nightfall come.
Waidmann
Posted by Waidmann at October 6, 2014 8:28 AM
"...it's looking more and more doubtful that we will succeed before the next round of cultural nightfall come."
Fermi's Paradox tends to ignore one detail: from a purely statistical standpoint, out of all the planets around all the stars in all the galaxies in all the the universe(s?), even if a space-faring race exists with the capability to "reach any point in the galaxy", it's just not very likely that we would encounter a race capable of interstellar travel, even if there is one out there.
But aside from statistics, this observation - re: rounds of cultural nightfall - might also help explain the lack of hard, accessible evidence that any extra-terrestrial race has achieved advanced, interstellar space travel.
Just possibly, any organism with the cognitive ability necessary to achieve such a feat must also go through millenia of natural selection required to root out any suicidal behavior at the macro level that may also be peculiar to any organism with such an ability.
Looking at homo sapiens' series of self-destructive eras, there's no reason to believe that such selection is necessarily ultimately successful at producing a result that survives long enough to achieve interstellar travel in any particular case. Could be that any humanoid (or other) organism with the cognitive ability necessary for interstellar travel renders itself extinct - through abuse of that same cognitive ability - long before such travel is realized.
Outside all of that, I guess I've always equated the idea of "Humanity 2.0" and "Son of Man", in what some more religious folks might consider a rather iconoclastic way, i.e., the latter being humanity's next major evolution, as exemplified by Christ.
Posted by AGoyAndHisBlog at October 6, 2014 9:41 AM
The idea that man is alone in the universe raises his significance exponentially. It cannot be considered a scientific argument, or at least what scientific argument once was.
Posted by james wilson at October 6, 2014 9:56 AM
reasons.org
Posted by tscottme at October 6, 2014 12:58 PM
What makes us think, believe, that there is intelligent life on Earth? Are deadlier and deadlier wars evidence of species intelligence, as science, philosophy, and religion have developed?
I recall some science-fiction writer years ago positing a story wherein Earth was the dumping ground for the criminally insane minds of all species, imprisoned in human dna systems. The evidence of our present world supports this possibility.
As Brother Theodore, of yore, said, "If I hadn't been insane, I'd have gone mad long ago."
Our prey-fullness exceeds by far our prayerfulness. Where's the intelligence in that?
Posted by Stug Guts at October 6, 2014 3:49 PM
Perhaps there is *something else* out there somewhere that is not anywhere close to the order that we are. IOW, what if we are paramecium in a universe scale?
Posted by ghostsniper at October 6, 2014 7:52 PM
What if space aliens came around earth, just looking around, and decided: "Uh uh, we ain't going there, they're all screwed up."
Calling us smart monkeys would be describing us generously.
Posted by chasmatic at October 7, 2014 1:01 AM
I don't think much of Fermi anyway. He can't tell us how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
Answer to that one is: all of 'em.
People of Faith have a logical idea of what Life is all about.
Posted by chasmatic at October 7, 2014 9:57 AM