To think we can't be alone in the universe

[Ang69]

Are we alone? Is life only to be found on our little planet earth? I've been thinking more and more on this recently after being bombarded by my DS who is 12 and has Asperger's. I initially said that yes I believe we are alone which he found incredulous. With 100 billion planets in our galaxy and at least 200 billion other galaxies with their own planets what do you think?

I think there's life out there, maybe not in our galaxy but there's so many others out there that'll it's entirely possible there's other life out there wondering the same as us.

The most amazing thing is that about 15 billion years ago all matter was compressed in a space smaller than an atom. What became us, mountains, iPhones and those 200 billion known galaxies were all squashed together. It was hotter that the Circle Line at 6pm in mid-July and probably only a bit tighter.

It all stems from the fact that scientists havent managed to find another Earth like planet or any sort of life sustaining planet. I would imagine that Earth isnt unique in anyway.

Tbh, I'm more interested in Planet 9. Does it exist or not?

Sometimes I think it's not too far away that we will be privy to all the goings on in the universe

Only its probably not practically possible to travel beyond our solar system. The idea that warp or FTL drive exists in any practical sense is just sci-fi. Just look at what happened with the manned moon landings, we went there and haven't been back in 50 years because we cant afford it.

What if we are the aliens.
We were accidentally left here after building the pyramids.
This is my nephews theory

Melting my mind 🤯

Yes - but I don't think that life would necessarily be on a scale we could comprehend. It might be too small to be viewed through a microscope, or so large that our whole galaxy could be contained in one of its grains of sand.

We were accidentally left here after building the pyramids.

I quite like that theory. Quite like the Distant Origin theory.

Logic would suggest it’s almost impossible that we would be alone when you fathom the sheer enormity of galaxy beyond galaxy beyond galaxy. But I highly doubt we’ll ever be technologically advanced enough to explore far enough away to confirm it. Sad really!

I'm going to bang on about the Fermi Paradox

www.seti.org/seti-institute/project/details/fermi-paradox

If we are not alone, then where is everybody? Why are we not overrun by sophisticated civilisations? The universe is 10s of millions of years old. The aliens have had enough time to develop the technology to come here. So where are they? Or are we in fact already enslaved by them and just in their zoo? Or have they all died out? Did they invent their own version of the X Factor and their brains eventually turned to mush?

Who was it who said “sometimes I look at all the millions of stars out there and think that we are all alone. Other times I think that’s impossible and there must be life in the universe. Either thought is completely terrifying “. Whoever they were, they were right!

I think we're already enslaved and in their zoo tbh @MabantoMoonface

Actually that's quite a gnostic idea

I think we are probably more likely to destroy civilisation and revert to Stone Age technology in some sort of post apocalyptic scenario, possibly more than once, then develop star-faring ships.

And if other civilisations are similar (who knows, we have a sample of 1) then there could be plenty of solar system bound species out there, with millions of light years between them.

I do believe that there is most definitely some form of life somewhere - whether it's more advanced civilisations or single celled organisms. There's too many galaxies, solar systems and planets in the known universe for the possibility of the earth being the only one to have life forms. I find space infinitely fascinating.

The most amazing thing is that about 15 billion years ago all matter was compressed in a space smaller than an atom.
Well that's the theory, based on present knowledge. But the previous theories were believed too, and there may be others to come as we learn even more.

I want to know what is outside the universe. I mean if it is expanding, what is it expanding into?
I like the pp idea of us being in a petrie dish

Yes Flock me too! I cannot get myself to understand the concept of an edge to the universe because what would be beyond it? 'Nothing' doesn't make sense in my mind.

Lots of interesting theories. DS believes we are here for the benefit of greater beings as in we are their entertainment and we effectively live on a big range where they observe us. He also believes they have programmed us as the intricacies of the human body are so exact he feels that there is no way this came from evolution. How to answer these questions or to even attempt a coherent conversation with a child with such a mind is exhausting but so thought provoking.

I also believe that any other life forms out there are probably just too far for us to have contact. DH truly thinks they are around and do visit but just aren't that fussed. He also thinks it quite possible they were here for things like the Pyramids and other great feats of engineering that can't possibly be explained with the perceived technologies of the time. I was also reading about the animal mutilations that were prevalent in the 1970's. Really hard to explain how these happened as the precision was so fine it does make you wonder...

I do think that long lost civilisations had far greater technologies than us that were lost and as a species we just destroy what we have time and time again.

I do think that long lost civilisations had far greater technologies than us I agree.

Really interesting ideas OP. It's great he's got the Internet to research and speak to others about all his ideas too. There's forums for everything these days.

Yes - but I don't think that life would necessarily be on a scale we could comprehend. It might be too small to be viewed through a microscope, or so large that our whole galaxy could be contained in one of its grains of sand.

Yes. Or in a form that we don’t have the capacity to sense - they could all around us and we’d never know.

Has anything ever been discovered about crop circles and how they come about? Off to Google...

Yes - but I don't think that life would necessarily be on a scale we could comprehend. It might be too small to be viewed through a microscope, or so large that our whole galaxy could be contained in one of its grains of sand.

Yes. Or in a form that we don’t have the capacity to sense - they could all around us and we’d never know.

Exactly what my DH thinks.

Vitalogy - DS is just a typical boy who wants to question everything and loves space. We are lucky to have the technology we have today to help answer our questions. Who knows how long we'll have it though!!

My nephew also watched something on the lost maya (?) cities in the jungle that perfectly aligned with the sun.
He says aliens also.
He says we came, we built, something happened,we could not get home and lost our abilities over time.
( this probably explains why he is not keen on Darwin's theory 😀)

I do love him

DS believes we are here for the benefit of greater beings as in we are their entertainment and we effectively live on a big range where they observe us. He also believes they have programmed us as the intricacies of the human body are so exact he feels that there is no way this came from evolution. How to answer these questions or to even attempt a coherent conversation with a child with such a mind is exhausting but so thought provoking.

Read some basic philosophy like Nigel Warburton as this deals with ideas like the design argument. You will then be able to discuss with your son how life does not need to exist for a purpose, and evolution provides an explanation for the existence of complex, specialised living things. The idea of us being entertainment for other beings could be a point of discussion for how we know things. Explain that beliefs should have supporting evidence.

Also that the size of the universe not only means Earth is unlikely to be the only source of life but also that however unlikely our own existence is, even highly improbable events happen given enough opportunities.