Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Are they a danger? And yes, potentially. We are defenceless if they meant us harm, any moment they might reveal themselves. It can be at any time but in that case would have been long ago already. At the drop of a hat. I don't believe there is “cover-up” neither are there “conspiracies”, or fabricating evidence or deliberately denying their presence and by no means, it is our ignorance at worst and their own subtlety.

Existence of other intelligent life

Of course my discussion and speculation is of intelligent life, intelligent beings with knowledge and science far surpassing ours, machines and technology, transport and surveillance.

With real dedication work and  facts as stated are reality the baby shouldn't be thrown out with bathwater. Objective critical thinking will separate the chaff from wheat. Honestly all this cannot simply be dismissed there is an overwhelming body of evidence. It cannot be conveniently ignored and there does exist a lot more material. We should consider carefully instances and known facts. All the same, one can not deny to admit but the body of evidence is overwhelming and cannot be conveniently just ignored.

Is there material evidence?

The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is a worldwide collaboration a very “concrete” effort but so far after decades no results analysing signals from radio telescopes worldwide. Some people take it very seriously. Indeed people like Erich von Däniken can provide actual concrete “evidence” for their theories and a great deal more imaginative too. Von Däniken's following is of cult status by now.

If you then want to go that way germs could have come from outer space riding on little pieces of rock comets or asteroids and dust. That could even be the true origin of life and not Earth. However the germs would of course not count for “intelligent life forms”. But it could even be that far more advanced organisms are “seeding” the stellar planetary systems.

Viruses can survive thousands of years they're more like chemicals, as crystals of genetic material. It is very sophisticated poison then in a way. Suspended between living and unanimated lifeless to last indefinitely and reviving in a suitable host. To qualify for “life” then is ability for self-replication which strictly speaking viruses cannot.

And of course for known primitive live forms there are many candidates, together with such as  algae and bacteria and very primitive parasitic organisms think of malaria and bilharzia, tuberculosis and saprophytes such as fungus.

Modern metaphysics

Modern physics as quantum mechanics is counter intuitive and even bizarre and how about relativity theory? Or the Book of Revelations is the fashion again these days. Nostradamus was a disappointment too supposed to be a prophet, always turning out an authority of hindsight. His predictions were based on Astrology? It is a very strange thing this.

Stephen Hawking author of the famous popular paperback “Brief history of time” elsewhere speculated on life in outer space as well and whether it could exist. He considered the question as of great importance and profound meaning. He had some interesting views and of course always widely regarded as an authority. He is no expert at all, no one is, and mainly self-proclaimed, this business is just speculation too.

Not in his popular books where of course his personal beliefs are disguised and not advertised just the usual clever stories and although not apparent I think Steven Hawking was an atheist and not a respectable or reliable authority in any case.

Where it began …

The possible points of origin are purely guesswork and seem very convenient. It depends are you speaking of the real origin in other words the very beginning of the other life form? Or the direct past? From far as distant galaxies to nearby as Solar planets. We are speaking of the real origins in other words the very beginning of a life form as independent and completely unique.

Have there been “close encounters”? Could events as accidents and serious problems in also commercial missions space exploration have to do with extraterrestrial activities? I think for instance of Apollo 13 and the space shuttle explosions and more recently forty satellites of Space X destroyed. Although I am not sure of the facts. There was some story about an Apollo astronaut seeing an alien space ship or even an alien? And a Mars explorer that crashed? Anyway all-in-all we surprisingly do have a very good track record.

Are “they” a threat? Rather than that there is none, all is just chaos and bezerk and is out of control.
This idea is much more scary, that there is no influence that controls Earth and mankind. Much preferred is the idea of alien activity steering the history of our world. Of course there are many other viewpoints in such as religion.

It might be consolation rather, and hope, method in madness. On the other hand if they are a danger we have already lost so that their presence would probably be friendly.

Is there any concrete proof?

Are they hiding, could it be they are “shy”? It might even be possible also that if there are extraterrestrials perhaps that live in a sense parallel to us our Sun and Solar system meaning we cannot physically communicate or influence each other in any way ever, that it is physically not possible. Never the twain shall meet. But in that case it doesn't matter if either exists or not, does it?  It is of no consequence. The one cannot know the other, for instance in relativity theory considerations as time light cones or the event horizon of a black hole.

Life on Mars

There are theories that life actually originated on Mars. In such theories in the early Solar system asteroid impacts and meteorites from Mars carried the seeds of life to Earth. Mars was very different long ago in geological age, with running water, canals and an atmosphere more similar to Earth at the time and warmer too with a brighter Sun. There have in fact been meteorites found on Earth identified as of from the red planet.

Conducive to life in the geological past was thus the much denser atmosphere, surface water and a generally warmer climate. When I was in school it was heresy to say that Mars has canals and or any water at all the ice caps just carbon-dioxide, our Moon also was believed as totally barren devoid of any water. We now know water occurs commonly in the the Solar system. It was the realm of Science Fiction.

It sounded like the professors on the radio the other day said it is now commonly accepted and has been proved that Mars has or had microbial life in the past. If so, then the first question would be answered. It appears chances are very good many scientists already believe it. Some conditions as proof all pointing to a planet that could support primitive life forms, one strong indicator is the presence of traces methane.

There have been Mars landings and small radio controlled robotic vehicles and still operational, taking samples carrying out experiments and gathering scientific data sending information of the Mars atmosphere and surface. There are your Explorer probes, Rover, Curiosity and from the first Viking landings and beautiful photographs.

The newest now is boring and drilling into the ground for samples and they have a “drone” helicopter as well everything is powered by sunlight. The explorations have been very successful mostly and exceeding the designed life.

Fact and fiction

If so, if there is microbial life on Mars and in the Solar system, if that is the case then it means there is extraterrestrial life. Even as close as our next door neighbour. It could then be that in fact outer Space might be teeming with life and you could actually expect intelligent life forms in the Universe at places through a process of evolution. Obviously in the big picture time isn't a factor.

There are planetary star systems, other stars that have planets of which thousands are now known and then they talk of a band or window a “goldilocks zone”. Indeed many such candidates have been discovered. With new astronomical methods these days we can observe planets orbiting distant stars. A basis zone with essential conditions believed to be necessary like bands or intervals such as for atmospheric constituents temperature extremes and surface water. There are many such known goldilocks planets already identified. The idea is that a planet and star system has to satisfy all the criteria. The astronomers clearly take these things very seriously.

Suppose then other life in Space does exist, or, that it does not. In principle if so, it would be possible to prove that however improbable, extraterrestrial life does exist, but you cannot prove it doesn't. This is just ordinary logic and however seemingly unlikely. In fact, actually the same goes for the existence of God, for the benefit of our budding young enthusiastic atheists.

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There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation.

–Herbert Spencer