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BlueVeins · 22-25
I think it's likely that we're the only highly-intelligent life in the universe. The probability of a planet existing with our exact environmental conditions, without which we could not exist as a species, is absolutely mind-boggling. The universe is an extremely vast place, but the vast majority of its regions simply can't harbor life as we know it, and life as we know it appears to be the least unlikely form of life.
BlueVeins · 22-25
@SW-User An extraplanetary civilization arising in the first place would seem to be prerequisite to the existence of space aliens, no?
SW-User
@BlueVeins
who's to say that an extra planetary civilization hasn't arisen somewhere in the universe ?
When we leave the earths atmosphere and enter space we are aliens to any other species who would encounter us
Its arrogant to think that ours is the highest form of intelligence in such a vast universe
Life exploits whatever building blocks are available
who's to say that an extra planetary civilization hasn't arisen somewhere in the universe ?
When we leave the earths atmosphere and enter space we are aliens to any other species who would encounter us
Its arrogant to think that ours is the highest form of intelligence in such a vast universe
Life exploits whatever building blocks are available
BlueVeins · 22-25
@SW-User The fact that there exists a region of the Earth that is as sterile and barren as the Atacama Desert in Chile proves that there are "building blocks," so to speak, that life is either entirely incapable of exploiting or unlikely to exploit. If you study the physical properties of the chemicals on Earth, specifically water and carbon, it becomes very clear very fast that these chemicals are the most likely to form the basis of complex life. Homeostasis is on some level prerequisite to survival, and water's high heat capacity makes that 100x more doable. It's also polar, which makes it form weak bonds to most materials, which helps keep organisms physically contiguous. Carbon is cool because it can form bonds with 1-4 other atoms without issue. The list goes on.
The vast majority of the universe is occupied by intergalactic space, and the vast majority of what remains is interstellar space. The vast majority of stars are too close to their respective galactic centers for sufficient stability to be maintained, and the vast majority of stars are far too dim to provide abundant energy like our very own Sun. There's a huge laundry list of stuff that has to go right for civilization to take hold, and we hit the lottery. That doesn't mean any other planet did the same by any stretch of the imagination.
The vast majority of the universe is occupied by intergalactic space, and the vast majority of what remains is interstellar space. The vast majority of stars are too close to their respective galactic centers for sufficient stability to be maintained, and the vast majority of stars are far too dim to provide abundant energy like our very own Sun. There's a huge laundry list of stuff that has to go right for civilization to take hold, and we hit the lottery. That doesn't mean any other planet did the same by any stretch of the imagination.