Is Anyone Out There?

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Message 1665798 - Posted: 15 Apr 2015, 22:49:26 UTC
Last modified: 15 Apr 2015, 22:53:44 UTC

Scientists Scan 100,000 Galaxies And See No Signs Of Alien Life. What Do E.T. Hunters Say Now?

Just how realistic is it to believe that humans will someday find evidence of extraterrestrial life?

NASA's chief scientist recently predicted that we'd find signs of life beyond Earth within a decade or so, but a new study by researchers at Penn State -- one of the most exhaustive of its type -- isn't very encouraging.

After surveying tens of thousands of galaxies surrounding our own Milky Way galaxy, the scientists turned up no sign of advanced alien civilizations.

"These galaxies are billions of years old, which should have been plenty of time for them to have been filled with alien civilizations, if they exist," Dr. Jason T. Wright, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the university's Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds and one of the researchers, said in a written statement. "Either they don't exist, or they don't yet use enough energy for us to recognize them."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/search-for-alien-life-100000-galaxies_n_7063232.html?utm_hp_ref=science
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Message 1665824 - Posted: 15 Apr 2015, 23:49:25 UTC - in response to Message 1665798.  

You're right. There's some people that say that Extraterrestrials do exist and that's it's only a matter of time before this is made certain.

But there are some people that say that there is no possible way that Extraterrestrials exist. Also: The S@H project recently has had some trouble with sending workunits...so therefore....

I guess all hope is lost in some people's eyes.

I, for one, am not among the latter group mentioned. I still believe that the search for ET's in every aspect is still worth it. Moreover; every cost I personally have spent on a cruncher and *ALL* of the costs associated with said cruncher (upgrades and monies needed for the increased utility bill); that is, a computer specifically created to participate in the S@H Project for the sole purpose of joining with fellow S@H participants to possibly lend a hand in "the search", is most definitely worth it. Regardless of all the naysayers, I honestly believe that there is something other than the Human race out there somewhere.

That's just a personal belief, and more than enough reason for myself to be a participant. For all those slamming the S@H Project for one reason or another, or even those holding the view that there is no reason to search for ET's as they don't exist, all I can offer is: That's your opinion. I have my own. All I can say is: The search is optional; if you believe it is a futile effort, than feel free not to participate in The Search.
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Message 1665837 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 0:43:51 UTC

The Huffington Post would not be my first choice for science news. This story is listed under the weird science column. The scan was on galaxies and not on solar systems, under the assumption a really advanced civilization would have colonized the whole galaxy and created enough of an energy signal to be detected millions of light years away. There could be millions of aliens on those galaxies and just as many reasons we would not detect them. Dyson's hypothesis itself is on pretty shaky ground never mind the other millions reasons Wise did not detect anything. Lastly absence of proof is not a proof in itself. We still have no idea if there is any type of life on mars. I am having a hard time believing they can decide there is no intelligent life on galaxies that are so far away they boggle the mind.

Keep on Trucking to the galactic service station

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Message 1665876 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 4:24:24 UTC

After reading that and some of the associated links, it seems to me that our little planet's technology usage would not show up under a similar experiment conducted in one of those other far away galaxies.
The mind is a weird and mysterious place
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Message 1665877 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 4:24:59 UTC

We can't even find a missing airliner in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So what makes you think that just because we can't find ET that means they don't exist?
Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.
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Message 1665902 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 7:34:01 UTC

It puzzles me more over than not, why didn't anyone tried to search for strontium-90 and cesium-137 isotopes with alpha gama radiation as a test for inteligence & (lack of) civilization? ;)


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Message 1666062 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 19:26:32 UTC - in response to Message 1665798.  

...
"These galaxies are billions of years old, which should have been plenty of time for them to have been filled with alien civilizations, if they exist," Dr. Jason T. Wright, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the university's Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds and one of the researchers, said in a written statement. "Either they don't exist, or they don't yet use enough energy for us to recognize them."
...

As I see it, that investigation seems to indicate that the Fermi paradox may apply to those galaxies.
                                                                   Joe
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Message 1666120 - Posted: 16 Apr 2015, 21:42:41 UTC - in response to Message 1665798.  

NASA's chief scientist recently predicted that we'd find signs of life beyond Earth within a decade or so, but a new study by researchers at Penn State -- one of the most exhaustive of its type -- isn't very encouraging.

After surveying tens of thousands of galaxies surrounding our own Milky Way galaxy, the scientists turned up no sign of advanced alien civilizations.

You are making the most basic of all mistakes, confusing "life" with "advanced alien civilizations". There is plenty of life around; it is almost accepted as likely that it is probably in our own solar system, which is a real revolution in thinking since I was in college (don't ask).

But as I have argued elsewhere, intelligence is probably not at all common. And our current generation of radio telescopes are more or less hopeless at finding it. Apparently the people who are experts at science don't think much about RF engineering and how much power is going to be transmitted in a given direction (and on a useful frequency, and with a recognizable modulation, etc.) so that we can detect it. It seems to be a problem of over-specialization, not to mention the question of motivations. The people who run SETI don't exactly fall all over themselves to stress the limitations of their current technology.

Maybe "we" will find it in a 1000 years, but that assumes our civilization lasts that long, which is the real problem at the moment.
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Message 1688755 - Posted: 7 Jun 2015, 0:30:40 UTC - in response to Message 1666120.  

Prof Lord Rees told the Cheltenham Science Festival the first contact with aliens will be through robots


Astronomer Royal: If we find aliens, they will be machines

Alien contact is likely to come from machines living on other worlds outside of the solar system, the astronomer royal Martin Rees has said.

Prof Lord Rees, 72, told the Cheltenham Science Festival ‘I’m not holding my breath’ for signs of extraterrestrial life, but said if a signal was picked up it would not be from organic life, like humans.

He said that most space exploration would be carried out by machines, which would not constrained by the physical difficulties of existing in space or on other planets.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/11657267/Astronomer-Royal-If-we-find-aliens-they-will-be-machines.html
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Message 1688836 - Posted: 7 Jun 2015, 7:28:47 UTC

There are roughly 2000 stars at a distance of up to 50 light-years from the Solar System[4] (64 of them are yellow-orange "G" stars like our Sun[5]). As many as 15% of them can have Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones.[6]


Considering Seti@home has only been looking for about 16 years any signals are still on there way here so i think it's a bit early to say there is none out there .

Even if N.A.S.A and scientists have been looking for bit longer it's still way to early to say "yay " or "nay"

If they can travel to other planets then there tech may have cleaned up there Atmosphere's so we might not find them looking for a particular isotope in there Atmosphere's .

Unless the problem of pollution is as far as most intelligent life gets and they suffocate from high levels of Co2 or other Chemicals
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Message 1688894 - Posted: 7 Jun 2015, 12:19:22 UTC

I will always think "they" are out there. In our galaxy and many others. Some are too far away to detect and most likely many don't want to be detected by creatures like us.
Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.
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Message 1689033 - Posted: 7 Jun 2015, 22:22:49 UTC

I 100% believe that "they" are out there and someday we will find each other. My one hope is that "they" will treat us better than we have treated other races on our own planet and secondarily, will not look at us as a good food source.
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Message 1689119 - Posted: 8 Jun 2015, 7:56:46 UTC - in response to Message 1665798.  

Scientists Scan 100,000 Galaxies And See No Signs Of Alien Life. What Do E.T. Hunters Say Now?

Just how realistic is it to believe that humans will someday find evidence of extraterrestrial life?

NASA's chief scientist recently predicted that we'd find signs of life beyond Earth within a decade or so, but a new study by researchers at Penn State -- one of the most exhaustive of its type -- isn't very encouraging.

After surveying tens of thousands of galaxies surrounding our own Milky Way galaxy, the scientists turned up no sign of advanced alien civilizations.

"These galaxies are billions of years old, which should have been plenty of time for them to have been filled with alien civilizations, if they exist," Dr. Jason T. Wright, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the university's Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds and one of the researchers, said in a written statement. "Either they don't exist, or they don't yet use enough energy for us to recognize them."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/search-for-alien-life-100000-galaxies_n_7063232.html?utm_hp_ref=science

problem with the todays headlines & papers is that the most important science FACTS are not given...especially in HUFFINGTON POST!

so look here:
http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2015-news/Wright4-2015
quote
Roger Griffith, a postbaccalaureate researcher at Penn State and the lead author of the paper, scoured almost the entire catalog of the WISE satellite's detections -- nearly 100 million entries -- for objects consistent with galaxies emitting too much mid-infrared radiation. He then individually examined and categorized around 100,000 of the most promising galaxy images. Wright reports, "We found about 50 galaxies that have unusually high levels of mid-infrared radiation. Our follow-up studies of those galaxies may reveal if the origin of their radiation results from natural astronomical processes, or if it could indicate the presence of a highly advanced civilization."

;)


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Message 1690465 - Posted: 12 Jun 2015, 12:46:05 UTC

problem with the todays headlines & papers is that the most important science FACTS are not given


+1, too many mainstream media who don't know what they are talking or writing about.
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Message 1690483 - Posted: 12 Jun 2015, 13:50:55 UTC - in response to Message 1690465.  

problem with the todays headlines & papers is that the most important science FACTS are not given


+1, too many mainstream media who don't know what they are talking or writing about.

They aren't schooled enough to know, and that is the story.
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Message 1690612 - Posted: 12 Jun 2015, 22:56:44 UTC
Last modified: 12 Jun 2015, 23:28:29 UTC

Watch some YouTube videos and listen to the stories of ordinary people.

Are our assumption that we are alone in the universe perhaps premature when it comes to our current knowledge or thinking?

Who should give the answer to this question? Are we supposed to be relying or believing in the work being carried out by scientists, or should we better look back at our history and realize how we came to be?

Is our mind and the possible perception of the invisible or unexplained perhaps a blindfold to what may be the real truth behind certain things?

Should we perhaps seek advice from religious thinking and belief or should our perspective or notion of nature be seen from a context of spirits and minds?

Religion is one thing. Philosophy is another thing. Different things means different opinions when it comes to thinking. Therefore more or less the same thing could be approached from different angles in the hope of giving an explanation of certain events as they happen.

Right now we think that the universe was created by means of the Big Bang. It perhaps was created by some random event, or maybe by coincidence, but whether or not the reason behind it, all such reasons and the logic behind it are based on natural laws.

Is a random or coincidental event easier to explain than some other event which is likely to be predicted in advance?

Are all laws of nature based on mathematical or physical principles which are hard to give a full explanation for?

Typically some things or events are easily explained. The position of the planet Mercury was found to be 43 arc seconds off its predicted position based on the laws of Isaac Newton. This discrepancy can now be explained and in fact it is as the result of mathematics and not something else.

If something may be found or observed in nature, are you ready to perhaps make a laugh of it, or does it perhaps warrant a closer scrutiny at times?

For now the UFO phenomenon is being accepted as being reason for scientific research because there happen to be just to many well documented cases, some of which has yet to be fully explained.
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Message 1690634 - Posted: 13 Jun 2015, 0:55:44 UTC - in response to Message 1690612.  

happen to be just to many well documented cases


A well documented case would include an artifact. There is not one.
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Message 1690637 - Posted: 13 Jun 2015, 0:58:41 UTC

Or, better.

Right now we think that the universe was created by means of the Big Bang. It perhaps was created by some random event, or maybe by coincidence, but whether or not the reason behind it, all such reasons and the logic behind it are supposed to be based on natural laws.

"God is not supposed to be playing with dices", Albert Einstein.
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Message 1690640 - Posted: 13 Jun 2015, 1:05:54 UTC - in response to Message 1690634.  
Last modified: 13 Jun 2015, 1:14:12 UTC

Posted the previous before reading William Rothamel's response here.

Is it not the fact when something of the ordinary is happening, you may perhaps approach such a thing or event in at least two fashions, or directions?

One, out of curiosity, because something is perhaps happening.

Next, say no to the whole thing. "I really do not believe in what is happening".

You know, carrying out science is supposed to be returning or yielding results more or less all the time. If you are not able to succeed in what you are doing, you probably know you stumbled across the wall.

You may return to what you were doing at a later time, but there happens to be times as well where certain theories about given things eventually become dismissed or rejected. Definitely there have been some great discoveries being made by science over time, but one should never forget those assumptions or thinking which in the end lead nowhere.
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Message 1690642 - Posted: 13 Jun 2015, 1:23:03 UTC
Last modified: 13 Jun 2015, 1:45:20 UTC

Also, because in the late night I am catching the possible negative attitude of William Rothamel, science is supposedly better being carried out by means of believing.

That means believing in what you are supposed to be doing.

I guess you did not see or know everything I happen to see.

Science is not supposed to be about religion, but our notion of God is supposed to be prevalent. The same goes with the Devil, but at least you are supposed to believe in God and not the Devil.

Our notion of God and perhaps the Devil as well is all about religion and the spriritual. Possibly subjects like moral and ethics, or norms, may be likely be important factors and influencing our thinking process as well.

Which of course is all about religion again. Are you supposed to perhaps be able to explain the Big Bang in another way? At least there may be a difference between ants and humans, but sticking with the original thread title, there may reason to believe that some explanations for given things may better be found by means of metaphysics and that does not necessarily imply religious thinking or belief. At least not vorshipping, getting tired of mentioning this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics

You certainly know that I typically am not mentioning the subject of UFO's here, even though this may now be a legal subject and worth a scientific scrutiny. For now we do not happen to know about yet another Carl Sagan pointing his telescope towards Earth from Tau Ceti in the hope of picking up a possible intelligent signal, or transmission.

Enough, good night!
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