Do aliens exist?

[stargazer01]

You know aliens from other planets. Do you think they exist?

I want to believe. But seriously, the universe is a BIG place, I can't believe humans are the only intelligent life in the galaxy or the universe. It seems arrogant.

[TriggerWarning]

I believe there either is or has been life on other planets. The universe is just too big and there are too many planets. I don't believe they are visiting us or ever will in our lifetime.

However its also very possible that entire alien civilizations rose and fell long before mankind came to be.

[myownlittleusername]

Somewhere in the universe? I would not bet against it.

In our own galaxy? Don't think so personally, just too many things that has to fall in place.

[KOSLOX]

I'm inclined to believe given the vastness of space and the billions of system configuration that ET life is likely. I highly doubt they've visited Earth though, and if they do it will be via remotely controlled drones.

[Elmo]

I think all of us are little pieces of data inside a robot that is floating through space

[seismic-2]

There could be a lot of bacteria and algae out there, but not much else. Maybe most planets suffer too extreme climate fluctuations, or too frequent meteorite bombardment, for much else ever to develop. Even if higher life forms do develop on some planets, there's no reason to think that intelligence is necessarily the result of evolution. Life on earth thrived, in fact boomed, for hundreds of millions of years without intelligence. Bring strong and being able to run fast are probably more advantageous assets for a species than intelligence. Even without any such advantages, life can get on perfectly well without intelligence. Grass and trees are <i>very</i> successful life forms.

[babyblob]

There could be a lot of bacteria and algae out there, but not much else. Maybe most planets suffer too extreme climate fluctuations, or too frequent meteorite bombardment, for much else ever to develop. Even if higher life forms do develop on some planets, there's no reason to think that intelligence is necessarily the result of evolution. Life on earth thrived, in fact boomed, for hundreds of millions of years without intelligence. Bring strong and being able to run fast are probably more advantageous assets for a species than intelligence. Even without any such advantages, life can get on perfectly well without intelligence. Grass and trees are <i>very</i> successful life forms.

But grass and trees do have intelligence. Just ask Plantman. If they didnt then his gun to increase the iq of plant life would not work.

[Kirby101]

But grass and trees do have intelligence. Just ask Plantman. If they didnt then his gun to increase the iq of plant life would not work.

I am Groot!

[stargazer01]

I dunno but logic tells me if we humans exist, why can't other intelligent life exist somewhere else in the universe?

Sure, space travel is really difficult. Huge distances, but maybe others have developed more advanced technology.

What about other dimensions?

[Powerboy]

You know aliens from other planets. Do you think they exist?

I want to believe. But seriously, the universe is a BIG place, I can't believe humans are the only intelligent life in the galaxy or the universe. It seems arrogant.

Considering the vastness of the universe, I certainly would not bet against the possibility of the right conditions happening somewhere to cause life to start and evolve. Of course, based on that same vastness and the realities of real physics and the limits of less than light speed, the likelihood of us ever meeting them or even knowing of them are quite literally astronomically against.

[Powerboy]

I dunno but logic tells me if we humans exist, why can't other intelligent life exist somewhere else in the universe?

Sure, space travel is really difficult. Huge distances, but maybe others have developed more advanced technology.

What about other dimensions?

There's also the realities of how the universe works regardless of advanced technology. Let's say there was an advanced civilization at the far end of this galaxy (let alone the odds would be it was many, many galaxies away). Even from the other side of this galaxy and assuming they could advance to the point they could travel at just under light speed, it would still take a hundred thousand earth years to get here and that's assuming they somehow knew of our existence and traveled here in a straight line.

[Moon Ronin]

Somewhere in the universe? I would not bet against it.

In our own galaxy? Don't think so personally, just too many things that has to fall in place.

Our galaxy is huge, there are over 400 billion stars with Alpha Centauri being 4.5 light years away. We have such a limited understanding of the universe and the origins of live its self that it only with in out on observations and experiences. We base life on what it took for it to be created here without knowing if the can be done in other ways. The "things have to be just right" is good for now but only pertains to life as we know it until we can really put it to the test (which may never happen) the prospect of life with in our own galaxy is there. Now the prospect of ever meeting that life is so close to zero it is not worth working out.

[seismic-2]

Back 20 years or so ago, it was assumed that our solar system was pretty much a template for how other planetary systems would look - a bunch of planets all nearly in circular orbits nearly in a single plane, with small rocky planets near the sun and huge gas giants further out and icy worlds at the edge. Now hosts of exoplanets have been discovered, and we have learned that things often - maybe usually - aren't like that at all. There are planetary systems with giant planets very close to their sun, planets in highly eccentric orbits inclined at steep angles to one another, etc. Our solar system may be an anomaly rather than a template. The pattern of things that made life on earth possible may be more nearly "special" than we used to believe it was.

[Celgress]

In all probability given the sheer possible number of planets orbiting other stars, I'd say yes. Now do I believe in Spielberg type aliens who built the pyramids and routinely abduct cows and people to conduct weird-ass experiments, hell no.

[Kirby101]

Back 20 years or so ago, it was assumed that our solar system was pretty much a template for how other planetary systems would look - a bunch of planets all nearly in circular orbits nearly in a single plane, with small rocky planets near the sun and huge gas giants further out and icy worlds at the edge. Now hosts of exoplanets have been discovered, and we have learned that things often - maybe usually - aren't like that at all. There are planetary systems with giant planets very close to their sun, planets in highly eccentric orbits inclined at steep angles to one another, etc. Our solar system may be an anomaly rather than a template. The pattern of things that made life on earth possible may be more nearly "special" than we used to believe it was.

There are an estimated 10 billion Earth like planets in the Milky Way alone.