Are We Alone in the Universe?

cynic10508 writes "CNN is running a story about how ours might be a unique solar system. Of the 100+ systems currently known to contain planets, all contain seemingly only gas giants. However, this may be a case of current technology and techniques being unable to detect planets similar to Earth." There are also BBC and Space.com stories.

Comments

Probablility...

[ackthpt]

Yeah, seems the odds of an Earthlike system are so remote that this one probably doesn't really exist and we're all dreaming it while drifting through the clouds of a gas giant. Hm.. I should start a religion based upon this and then sue anyone who threatens to reveal my trade secrets.

Nah, been done before....

Are We Alone in the Universe?

[phyruxus]

Yes. God was drinking at my house last weekend and he 'splained the whole thing to me. He also rated Google stock a strong buy, then turned back into my cat. I love mescal.

Next story, please.

We can always

[foidulus]

just export our lawyers to other planets, then "try" to find them again.
That way we will always know there is life outside the planet, but we will have no desire to find it.

wuh?

[blooba]

this is such a non-story. if i want to read pseudo-science, i'll browse cnn.com.

ET probably won't even care about us

[American AC in Paris]

Y'know, there are times I hope we are alone in the universe. Consider the two most likely scenarios:

Scenario 1: We find life outside our planet, but that life turns out to be nothing more interesting than slightly-better-tasting cattle.
Scenario 2: We find ourselves on the receiving end of Scenario 1.

Let's face it, if the odds of finding intelligent life outside our solar system are astronomical, then consider the odds of that life being even remotely analagous to us, development-wise. We're either gonna be finding some glorified alien algae or uber-beings who don't even blink when their uber-Cuisinarts routinely vaporize solar systems...

Re:And if we are alone?

[flibuste]

"The best proof that there is intelligent life outthere is that they haven't tried to contact us"
Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes)

That is not what we should be concerned about

[Nuttles]

I think that we should be more concerned about who will have the upper hand if we ever do encounter aliens. It would suck to come into contact with a cranky alien civilization bent on being jerks and being some kind of ant under a magnifying glass to them. I would be much more comfortable if We held the magnifying glass. I mean I mean I would feel much more comfortable if we could show an alien civilization the kindness, compassion, and generosity of the human race and our wonderful track record for being that way....yeah yeah that is it

Re:We/they may be better off alone for now

[jyoull]

all those o's reminded me of gooooogle. can we google the universe for life?

Bablefish proves there is no god.

[www.sorehands.com]

The proof of the non-existance of god
The proof of the non-existence of god.
Theory:
God is based on faith, if proof on gods existence exists, the faith is no longer required.
Without faith god no longer exists.
The proof:
Since the bablefish is such a neat construction,
it couldn't evolve by random, god must have created it,
and therefore since god proved his existence god doesn't exist.

In audio

H2G2

[fred_sanford]

HE UNIVERSE:
4. Population

It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.

--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

We are indeed pretty alone

[EachLennyAPenny]

all of us 6 billion human beings. Alone and lost.

Re:We/they may be better off alone for now

[LurkerXXX]

What if the aliens are even more fanatically religous and want to convert us? Can you imagine being invaded by little gray, big-eyed, Jahovah's Witnesses?

hmm, I just had a great idea for a DOOM 3 mod...

Re:religious aspects of the question

[cardshark2001]

I'm not holding my breadth

How would you hold your breadth, anyway? Sometimes I hold my width, especially after eating spicy chicken wings, but I don't think I've ever held my breadth.

Re:We/they may be better off alone for now

[FlopEJoe]

The Universe - some information to help you live in it.... Population: None. It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.

Wow, we are so arrogant.

[xyloplax]

"Gee we don't see anything so far, so I guess we are alone" What kind of crap is this? We have stone-age technology to look at this crap. Large number statistics support life on other planets. Just that they may be 10 galaxies away.