We are but one tiny planet on one tiny sun in a galaxy of 100 billion stars. We estimate that there are at least 100 billion other galaxies visible to us in the universe. 100 billion x 100 billion is a bloody lot of stars (of course I'm generalising, the actual figure is probably orders of magnitude higher). Given this evidence, I find it highly unlikely that we would be the only bastion of life in the universe. Quite the contrary, I am confident the universe is teeming with life.
Hrm, that last line seems like a bit of a stretch... I don't think we have enough data to be confident in the teemingness of life in the Universe. But yeah, I think life's out there too.
Now... why is it that laymen seem to think this means that I believe in UFOs?
They do? Really!? Who? Where?
Seems like quite the non-sequitor.
This may not warrant being a topic, but I'm just curious if anyone else has encountered this anomaly, and/or how you would respond to it.
I've never witnessed this anomaly.
My standard response is that, short of some sort of warp-drive technology, the distances are simply too great to travel. To go one step further, even with some form of FTL travel, the immensity of our galaxy alone would make visitation astronomically (literally) unlikely.
I don't think we should limits that alien's technology with our own technological understandings.
To my way of thinking, the idea that we, on this tiny speck of a world, would be visited by advanced extraterrestrial life, presumably for no purpose more nefarious than to watch our television and cuddle up to our politicians, is ludicrous.
I can see that, but there was a UFO really close to my house. I live a short distance east of St. Louis, MO.
Back in 2000, a good friend of mine saw a UFO. He told it about us, like, the next day or so. He said there was a huge black triangle floating in the sky.
Later, the news reports came out and there's websites about it:
When Planets Attack.... (Illinois UFO sighting) - UFO EvidenceIllinois Triangle UFO Sighting (by multiple police officers) - Illinois, United States - January 5, 2000 - UFO EvidenceHighland UFO 2006
They had multiple police departments reporting this thing too. I saw something about it on TV and recognized the dispatcher they interviewed as someone I've met. I don't doubt that there really was a black triangle floating in the sky that night.
Now, I don't think this is proof of alien visitation, but it does seem like a plausible explanation.
What do you think?