Do 'GI's' believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life?

Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), July 28, 1999

Answers

Are you for real?

-- Rockslide (noemail@this.place), July 28, 1999.

We believe in you don't we????

snoozin'...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 28, 1999.

[Taken from: http://www.luminet.net/~tgort/drake.htm]

THE DRAKE EQUATION N = R* W fp W ne W fl W fi W fc W L

Dr. Frank Drake, currently the president of the SETI Institute, developed the above equation as a tool for estimating the number of civilizations that would have the ability to communicate with us. The scientific community uses this equation to examine the factors that go into determining what that estimate may be. The variables are as follows:

N = The number of communicative civilizations

R* = The rate of formation of suitable stars.

fp = The fraction of those stars with planets.

ne = The number of "earths" per planetary system.

fl = The fraction of those planets where life develops.

fi = The fraction of life sites where intelligence develops.

fc = The fraction of planets where technology develops

L = The lifetime of communicating civilizations.

Although recognizing that the probability of receiving a signal from one of these hypothetical civilizations is low, the scientific community has a plan of action in place in case such a signal should ever be detected.

* * *

Dear Andy Ray,

Using the above formula, which is widely accepted in the scientific community and the basis/rationale for the ongoing support of the SETI project, it has been CONSERVATIVELY estimated that as many as 10,000 other civilizations may exist in our galaxy right now. Trouble is the galaxy is mind-boggling huge, we may never meet any of them given our present technology level.

So YES... I am a Y2K GI who also believes that E.T. life COULD exist (note I didn't say that that E.T.s DO exist, for I have no proof of that, I merely say -- as an OPEN-MINDED person -- that they could).

That, I hope, puts your ignorant question (and weak attempt at belittling those who are capable of entertaining an original idea) to rest.

If you insist on acting like an ass, sir, perhaps you should do it in another forum. A forum where people enjoy mindless slander and innuendo. A forum for people who have long since abandoned the pursuit of anything strenuous... like THOUGHT.

Very sincerely yours,

-- M.C. Hicks (mhicks@greenwich.com), July 28, 1999.

As discovered recently in material ejected from Mars millions of years ago and discovered here on Earth life has not only existed "out there" but within our own Solar System.

The question of "if" there is extraterrestrial life has been answered.

The question of "what form" is extraterrestrial life is more appropriate.

-- Buy a clue (or buy @ ticket out of here.com), July 28, 1999.

Extraterrestrial life? Certainly. In our own solar system? Perhaps in Martian permafrost or inside Europa.

Panspermia theories of life's evolution? Perhaps. Some "molecular clock" dating methods place life to be far older than our own solar system. Also, some microbes in spore form can survive the hostile environment of space, if trapped deep within a rock. Also, some other star systems and/or interstellar planets (planets with no stars) could have come within fairly close distance to our solar system during its 4.6 billion years of existetnce, allowing transfer of material between worlds.

Intelligent life? I have no idea. It seems possible. It also seems possible that matter can pattern itself and process information in ways that do not rely on carbon. Life as we don't know it, as they say. Who the heck knows?

-- coprolith (coprolith@rocketship.com), July 28, 1999.

I don't, never did, never will.

-- Army Girl (aGirl@ag.com), July 28, 1999.

Army Girl,

Never? I wonder how many people said they'd never believe the world was round, either?

Did you know that the relatives of Marconi, the guy who invented the radio, had him placed in a mental institution when he claimed he could send messages thru the air? Fortunately for us, he proved them quite wrong.

Never is a long time.

Open-mindedly yours,

-- M.C. Hicks (mhicks@greenwich.com), July 28, 1999.

I do ! I was just on a business trip to south Florida and they were landing everyday. Of course they call them Cubans......

-- Capt. Dennis (capden@hotmail.com), July 28, 1999.

It's a fact Andy. Extraterrestrial life is exists. They are among us even now.

-- Alien Hunter (aliens@your.house), July 28, 1999.