We are insignificant in the big picture
Feb 15, 2020 15:30:21 #
burkphoto wrote:
The odds actually favor other life. The latest res... (show quote)
Well said. We don't know if other life exists but certainly if we exist there is room for other life to exist as well.
Dennis
Feb 15, 2020 15:58:47 #
burkphoto wrote:
The odds actually favor other life. The latest res... (show quote)
Yup, the distance between potential stellar civilizations is measured in light-years. That is probably a very good thing for us? Homo sapiens are a very slowly advancing species in the overall scheme of things (with many steps backward for the few steps we take forward). I suspect a goodly number of alien species would consider us about as significant as an ant; squish!
Yes, Proxima Alpha Centauri is a mere 4.24 lights away. At present our technology considers 10% the speed of light travel to be almost doable which means a 42+/- year trip to the nearest star. Our sister galaxy, Andromeda, with its 500 billion to a trillion stars, and probably an excellent candidate for intelligent life, is merely 2.5 million light-years distant. Even with technology to travel at a significant percentage of light speed, it would take an 'Andromedian' millions of years to reach Earth, assuming of course he/she/it even knew Earth existed; which is highly unlikely considering we only discovered radio waves 125 years ago and they would have only traveled 125 light-years into the void. But I guess someone or something might be listening for the development of intelligent life in our neighborhood and decide to check us out? Whether this is a good thing is open for debate...
If an intelligent entity has the technology to visit Earth, it probably also has the technology to remain totally unknown to us and a policy of non-contact, i.e.: Star Trek rules for first contact.
Just my wanderings...
Feb 15, 2020 16:07:00 #
newbie147
Loc: Manchester UK
cochese wrote:
Humans like almost every life form that has graced the face of tbis planet will eventually become extinct. Either by natural means or by our own doing. It is a cycle on this planet that has continued for billions of years.
Unfortunately it will more than likely by our own doing.
Feb 15, 2020 16:14:48 #
foathog wrote:
It's one of my favorites.
It does have a nice flow to it. I’ve got to work it in to more coversations.
Feb 15, 2020 16:36:47 #
newbie147 wrote:
Unfortunately it will more than likely by our own doing.
Or one good-sized asteroid we can't nuke in advance...
Feb 15, 2020 17:48:28 #
Feb 15, 2020 17:58:48 #
Gasman57 wrote:
Who say's we have intelligent life on this planet?
They probably saw who are world leaders are and figured we are STILL very primitive and on our way to extinction anyway.
Feb 15, 2020 18:34:05 #
foathog wrote:
They probably saw who are world leaders are and figured we are STILL very primitive and on our way to extinction anyway.
They being?..
BTW your, are world leaders should be, OUR world leaders.
Most likely any advanced civilization would see the inability of many people to read/write English and give up on us anyway.
Dennis
Feb 15, 2020 23:56:50 #
Gasman57 wrote:
Who say's we have intelligent life on this planet?
Sure don't see it in the House of Representatives, do you? lol
Feb 16, 2020 00:20:11 #
Feb 16, 2020 00:44:56 #
tomcat wrote:
Sure don't see it in the House of Representatives, do you? lol
This is not solely a US problem! Canada's current Federal government is probably far worse. At present they can't even decide what to do with crippling environmental protesters and blockades on road and railways!
bwa
Feb 16, 2020 00:57:58 #
bwana wrote:
This is not solely a US problem! Canada's current Federal government is probably far worse. At present they can't even decide what to do with crippling environmental protesters and blockades on road and railways!
bwa
bwa
Run over them and plead that it was an "accident" and that you were "distracted when you sneezed"
Feb 16, 2020 01:09:54 #
samantha90 wrote:
in this image from Voyager 1 – acquired 30 years ago on February 14, 1990, from a distance slightly past the orbit of Saturn – Planet Earth is visible as a bright speck within the sunbeam, just right of center. Earth appears softly blue. It occupies less than a single pixel in this image
The mark of a good image is one that tells a story or compels one to respond in thought. You scored big with this image.
Feb 16, 2020 01:58:04 #
True, but we are significant in the small picture.
Nice to see some one young like you, have an interest in astronomy and photography .
Nice to see some one young like you, have an interest in astronomy and photography .
Feb 16, 2020 03:24:12 #
foathog wrote:
No they are just lugubrious.
Sorry for your misunderstanding, I have only been depressed a couple of times at the loss of a special friend. I only want stir up people and turn the light onto serious consequences that confront our society. I have a solid education in Biology, Geology and History. I studied economics briefly, but failed to understand how you can successfully spend more than your income. I guess our politicians figured it out. I live a positive and happy life and I am too old to experience most crises that are so obviously developing, but I am concerned for my grand children and yours. We have for the most part lost touch with our roots and the web of life around us. Actually I guess most are just beginning to understand the importance of those roots.
The UHH web site exposes us to life we might never have been aware of. The more you know about animals and plants the more they become a treasure.
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