Pardon if this happens to be a repeat thread, but this question has been burning in my brain much unlike my non-existent money doesn't burn a hole in my pocket. Do you think there is intelligent life on other planets? If you do, why do you think that? If you don't, why?

I personally think there must be intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy. The law of averages, you know. How could it be possible for life to crop up on one--only one--planet and evolve (if that's what you think happened) into intelligent, self-aware beings? If it happened here, it has to have happened on other planets similar to Earth.

Hahaha.

The universe isn't infinite, but nonetheless it is huge enough that there is no way for us to tell if distant planets will support life. We need to take into account that
1. Life everywhere varies. Life on other planets may not need the same kind of environment as life on Earth. We need to know what kind of habitat to look for.
2. To find life on other planets or moons, we'd probably need to send a probe. Considering how far other planets are, that's very unpractical.

Europa most likely has a liquid water ocean, protected from the radiation in space by a thick layer of ice. This is an excellent place to look for life. It probably won't be much more than tubewormish organisms, but that's still pretty exciting.

how do you know?

ive started a thread on this subject in this section. its called "Aliens & Humans". & yes i KNOW they are out there!

It's been a while since I have had to do this.

Amp, I would like to introduce you to my friend the period. He is a little shy, but with a little work, he could be your friend too.

my science teacher say thats the awnser to every thing he doesn't know if he has no clue how to awnser a question in class he says the aliens did it I'm not joking heaven above I wish I was but there probaly life out there some where so lets go find the vulcans using episodes of startrek as our guide!

Life elsewhere in this galaxy...

I'm sure there is other intelligent life in the universe. However, it will be virtually impossible to find because the universe is infinite.

quote:

similar to Earth.

But arent there not any planets similar to Earth?

Don't you think we would have found it by now?

I agree clpo. It seems impossible it could only happen once, earth can't possibly be that special. Now hopefully we'll be able to prove this by finding something, something to let us know we haven't been looking at the stars for millenia and imagining in vain before our sun explodes or our civilization destabilizes and the human race slowly fades away into nothingness.

Is there a chance it could happen in our lifetime? I freaking freaking hope so. That would be amazing...it would be absolutely incredible.