Do you believe in aliens?

[slipknotpsycho]

to believe that there isn't some other form of intelligent life in the infinite that is space, is not only ignorant, but egotistical and conceited...

[jamstigator]

I just read something yesterday, about the properties of plasma, and how plasma and electromagnetic forces tend to form DNA-like helical structures, replicate, move, and exhibit other properties one normally associates with life. If there is plasma-based life, then it's probably the most common form of life in the universe, as the universe is comprised primarily of plasma. Wouldn't it be interesting if crude, planet-bound, matter-based lifeforms like those on our planet are the minority?

[xblackdogx]

well, there is definitely intelligence outside of this earth plane.
I would vote, YES!

[Oneironaut]

The Earth is not a plane. It is a sphere.

[burnable]

the earth is just a speck of dust compared to all that exists and all that is possible. It would be absurd and illogical to think that there isn't intelligent life elsewhere. I doubt that we'll be visited by aliens. I'm sure that other civilizations would exploit their resources in a technological race and fuck up their ecosystem and doom themselves back to the stone ages before getting to the point of intergalactic space travel, kind of like how we are doing.

If there were a race of aliens that were capable of contacting us, they would have to be morally superior to achieve advanced technology without killing themselves first, and as such they would probably have moral statutes precluding them from contacting us because we wouldn't be ready and it wouldn't help our productivity. Kind of like the prime directive in star trek.

On the other hand, they might decide that it would be morally responsible to inform us of our inevitable demise, unless they've tried that with other races and no one listens

[xblackdogx]

The Earth is not a plane. It is a sphere.

i'm sure you've considered the way our perception distorts any object. Considering we see our outer reality through the inside of our brains, it is an illusion that the earth is a sphere. When I say the "earth plane" I meant it as the nonphysical boundaries of our experiences.

[CYRAX]

They probably exist in my opinion, all they do is steal corn anyway...

[Oneironaut]

I'm not entirely sure that the aliens wouldn't announce their presence if they stumbled across us in their interstellar travels. If they're really that concerned about our well-being, wouldn't they tell us how to evade the dangers of global warming, nuclear holocaust, and overpopulation? Are they going to wait until the last minute to intervene on our behalf just before we wipe ourselves out? I think they would realize that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that the right thing to do is to come to our aid well before it's too late.

Anyhow, I wouldn't expect the aliens to be morally perfect angels. They may indeed have more advanced moralities than we do, just as we consider ourselves to have more sophisticated moralities than our slave-owning anti-democratic racist ancestors. But I bet they would still get in situations where they acted in their own self-interest rather than out of empathy for others. Perfection, I suspect, is an impossible achievement.

[UTD Toker]

They probably exist in my opinion, all they do is steal corn anyway...

lol, yes they do. Next question please?

[Oneironaut]

i'm sure you've considered the way our perception distorts any object. Considering we see our outer reality through the inside of our brains, it is an illusion that the earth is a sphere. When I say the "earth plane" I meant it as the nonphysical boundaries of our experiences.

It is not an illusion that the Earth is a sphere. Look at any satellite picture. If the word "sphere" means anything, the Earth is clearly an example of one.

And what do you mean by "nonphysical boundaries"? If something is nonphysical, what is it? How can something exist yet not be in the physical universe? I don't understand. It's like trying to imagine a number that's 2 and 3 at the same time. Everything I've ever confirmed as existing has been something physical in the physical universe. I don't see any evidence of the existence of anything nonphysical, or the possibility that there is a way of existing besides physical existence, and I can't even imagine what kind of evidence could possibly be counted as evidence of something nonphysical. Reality = physicality.