Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence

by **Earthling** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 07:58:36

The seti@home project takes radio data collected from a radio telescope and distributes it in the form of a screen saver to those willing to contribute computer time. The analysis of this data over the past several years has not detected identifiable signals as yet. As large as the universe is, it seems that there should be life of some form on a hugh number of planets. Since we leak radio waves into the universe constantly, any other civilizations out there should also be leaking radio waves at least during some part of thier technological development, but none found yet.

The thought crossed my mind that each planet would collect energy from its own "sun" or from some other process as the earth has done in the form of stored oil, gas, and coal, and that if some life form developed the sufficient intelligence to extract that energy, then an advanced civilization would occur as it did here. By the same token, that advanced civilization would eventually delpete its resources as we are doing, at an ever increasing rate as the civilization advanced. (Technology is mostly just a means of using resources faster.) It seems that any advanced civilization on any planet must run a race to see if it can develop sustainable energy sources before it depletes the very resources that funded its advance. If this race is lost, then the advanced civilization is lost and the lifeform that was dependent upon it would certainly face a survival issue.

Maybe advanced lifeforms elsewhere never won the race. Maybe it is an impossible race to win. Maybe that is why the universe is not teeming with leaked radio signals from advanced civilizations. Given the expected life of our own sun and its current age, and how long it has taken for this race to start here, this would probably be a once-in-a-planet's-lifetime race since once the resources were depleted the race could not likely be run again. I would be much more comforted about our own prospects if there were evidence that at least on planets such a race was won.

Just a thought.

by **KiddieKorral** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 15:54:19

I doubt that there isn't extraterrestrial life. Intelligent life? Maybe.[/i]

by **Aaron** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 16:04:44

Let's hope there is intelligent life out there... cause there's bugger all down here on earth.

by **EnviroEngr** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 16:18:00

WHENEVER LIFE GETS YOU DOWN, MRS. BROWN,
AND THINGS SEEM HARD OR TOUGH,
AND PEOPLE ARE STUPID, OBNOXIOUS OR DAFT
AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU'VE HAD QUITE ENOUGH...

Just remember that you're standing on planet that's evolving, and revolving at 900 miles per hour...

by **Skeletor** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 17:11:47

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', 'L')et's hope there is intelligent life out there... cause there's bugger all down here on earth.

by **EnviroEngr** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 20:53:14

I think it may have been a collaboration between Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese.

by **EnviroEngr** » Sun 27 Jun 2004, 20:55:06

... they may have borrowed it from other sources....

by **Guest** » Thu 01 Jul 2004, 01:09:54

I run the SeTi program on my computer, it'll default to a screen saver which I stare at endlessly. I think it is secretly reprogramming my brain. I like your idea; a universe of candles that all burn out before the wish is even made. If SETI does pick up a signal it'll probably be a really cool ad for super high mileage ET-SUVs.

Think of how it would all be different if He had said 'Turn Off when Not in Use" in additon to 'Let there be Light.' :twisted:

by **EnviroEngr** » Sat 03 Jul 2004, 18:18:18

For a really thought provoking read, get a hold of Timothy Ferris' book:
The Mind's Sky

"Each of us occupies two equally mysterious universes, one outside the mind, and the other inside it. In this book, AAAA member and author Timothy Ferris offers a few thoughts on the relationship between mind and science as seen by two innovative fields of scientific research: neuroscience, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI. Through the lenses of these two fields, Ferris shows how the cosmos is partly a construct of the mind itself, and asks whether other intelligences may exist throughout the universe."

by **EnviroEngr** » Sat 05 Mar 2005, 18:39:30

For PMS

by **PenultimateManStanding** » Sat 05 Mar 2005, 23:57:48

That does sound good, enviroman. I was thinking next of getting the Margulis book that Threadbear recommended. Evolution is the topic that that's interesting me now. I'll bet Ferris is in my local library. Threadbear's last recommendation, Daniel Pinchbeck's book Breaking Open The Mind was and it was a terrific read. Say EE, what's your take on intelligence in DNA? My thought was that intelligent DNA would solve the conundrums of Evolutionary theory and replace the Darwinian God, Chance.

by **Specop_007** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 02:57:11

I've always got my towel at the ready.

by **uNkNowN ElEmEnt** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 16:00:37

And I've got my fly swatter.

by **EnviroEngr** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 17:06:03

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'T')hat does sound good, enviroman. I was thinking next of getting the Margulis book that Threadbear recommended. Evolution is the topic that that's interesting me now. I'll bet Ferris is in my local library. Threadbear's last recommendation, Daniel Pinchbeck's book Breaking Open The Mind was and it was a terrific read. Say EE, what's your take on intelligence in DNA? My thought was that intelligent DNA would solve the conundrums of Evolutionary theory and replace the Darwinian God, Chance.

by **PenultimateManStanding** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 17:53:58

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnviroEngr', '
')
Doug posed the question only the reader was left to answer: At what level does 'intelligence' begin to differentially exist? He looks at it from nearly every angle in both GÃ¶del, Escher, Bach and Metamagical Themas. The only thing I can say at this point is that it is inconclusive.

by **PenultimateManStanding** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 18:27:46

Wasn't it Einstein who said that good theories about Nature are beautiful? Not only is the notion that blind chance is responsible for the magnificent pageant of Evolutionary History implausible (for many reasons) it is also unattractive. Far more attractive would be if creative power has been involved all along and causing all the changes. (A creative power emerging from within. I looked up teleology in the dictionary. This is probably a very old idea that might stand to be dusted off and given another go at it with the assumtion that the teleologic agency is DNA itself)

by **EnviroEngr** » Sun 06 Mar 2005, 18:38:56

You might be interested in

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

&

Brian Swimme

in that case.

by **tmazanec1** » Mon 07 Mar 2005, 08:55:57

What I hope is that SETI comes up with new astronomical phenomona...something like we once thought pulsars were ET beacons (and called the first one LGM-1).

by **Ludi** » Mon 07 Mar 2005, 09:01:52

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'g')iven another go at it with the assumtion that the teleologic agency is DNA itself

by **PenultimateManStanding** » Mon 07 Mar 2005, 18:49:15

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'g')iven another go at it with the assumtion that the teleologic agency is DNA itself