Are we alone in the universe? Poll

[IM3CPO]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I appreciate your input and you have valid points as well.

And I appreciate yours as well! I do have a point I will get to later, but I am glad you dont see my responses as threatening or ill willed. Being challenged helps figure out flaws (if there are any) and moves everyone forward.

Originally Posted by PHC1

However, throughout all of your answers I still fail to see any evidence that our planet is unique in any particular way that would allow it to harbor life while countless others that we have found so far that fall under the same criteria as “habitable” and relatively speaking “nearby” to us, since we can not see very far nor go there explore them, are not....

The evidence you fail to see has actually been repeated by me constantly. There are no signs of life on other planets. Earth has life. There are tons of other "unique" differences too but there isnt much point in going past the most obvious..

Originally Posted by PHC1

We have only started looking and they are there next to us (relatively speaking). If these “Goldilocks” planets are there and are highly suspect for supporting life, it doesn’t necessarily mean “there is” intelligent life on them but it also doesn’t mean “there is not”.

Yes, I 100% agree with this in theory.

Originally Posted by PHC1

Now, if science finds that unique ingredient and it doesn’t exist elsewhere, we can probably stop looking. That won’t happen, we are not unique.

This wont ever happen because there is never a time one can stop looking for something that changes over time. For example, has there been an update to the messages in this thread? (its 10:57pm as I type this) How about now? (its 10:58 pm as I type this). As soon as you check to see if the thread has been updated, you need to check again as checking the thread took time and the thread may have been updated in the time it took to check. The only way to stop checking is to remove the ability for the universe to change, and that will only happen when it doesn't exist anymore, which kind of defeats the whole thing to being with.

Originally Posted by PHC1

We are nothing more than the ordinary basic elements that exist throughout universe and carbon based life of which there is countless variety of. Judging by our planet alone, the variety of living organisms on only one planet and surprisingly only one tree of life, (yes we are distant cousins of mushrooms and toads and birds and fish, etc), imagine the variety that can potentially exist throughout the universe.

This again is something that I think is slipping you up. If you want to say that carbon based complex elements are not unique, then I would agree with you. There is the notion though that with some things, the sum is greater than its parts. This refers to times when the relationship and interaction between complex individual things creates something new and more complex than the original. Humans and life in general (not to mention literally millions of other practical thingsl), clearly falls into this category.

Here is the big reveal:

Everything you have stated here (even your poll questions/responses) would have been validated if you had used the word "believe". Do *you* "believe" life exists on other planets? Do *you* "believe" life is unique to Earth? Ironically, your whole point of view is based on faith. Faith in your beliefs.. There is nothing wrong with that. Coincidentally, the ability to have faith and beliefs is also what makes you human. Animals dont have that capability/capacity. Its a "uniquely" human trait.

Science should not be used in belief and faith based situations though. The scientific method is more along the lines of "Ask a question, do research, construct hypothesis, test hypothesis with experiment, analyze data, draw conclusions from the data", etc. None of the things you are talking about with respect to aliens, and the uniqueness of life fall into this schema.

You have every right to believe whatever you want. But you do yourself a disservice trying to convince yourself of your beliefs using the methods you are using. Just go with your beliefs and you will be much better off (in my opinion).