[meteorite-list] Alien Contact Predicted

[Meteorites USA]

Thanks Darren for your response.

Sorry in advance for the long email, but I couldn't stop typing... ;)

The alien question is obviously meant to get some discussion going on 
this topic which I feel hasn't been discussed enough on-list. (but who 
am I) I think there are a few reasons why as it's relates so personally 
with some people belief systems. Of which I am respectful.

The biggest question in life is where do we come from. The next biggest 
is why are we here? But those questions are vague and answers would be 
subjective and interpretive at best, based on people's personal and 
religious beliefs. Rather I would ask the question in simpler terms 
related more toward an opinion based inquiry. Though that opinion can be 
scientific and educational in nature.

Having said that I have to disagree with your statement and would like 
to answer your question:

"...What are the chances that, in the near future, you and I will run 
into each other on the street? ..."

Pretty good actually. This is a small planet. We're in the same field of 
science, though maybe not directly related, there are certain locational 
environmental, and educational commonalities. Those are simply,

Location - Earth, name North America and The United States to be 
specific. Don't know what state you're in, but it's not physically far.
Environment - Land. We all and both live on land and our method of 
travel is common.
Education - We're in the same field. Study of meteorites. Whether that 
be scientific or enthusiastic.

Now the only things missing is a meeting place of sorts. It has to be 
somewhere that's of common interest to us both. Hmmm... Where could that 
possibly be? The chances of us passing each other on the street are VERY 
likely considering we both have a shared interest AND there is very good 
likelihood that you would be at an industry related show. The Tucson or 
Denver show perhaps. I'm assuming of course that you might go to the 
Tucson or Denver show. ;)

Now a problem arises from this. I don't know what you look like. So 
technically speaking we "could" pass each other on the street, and I 
would not know you from the next guy. But if we could communicate, or I 
was looking for something that would make it clear it was you I could 
not only locate you, but communicate.

This could be an argument against my own statements but I don't think it 
is, simply because, we don't know what aliens look like either. 
Therefore how would we know when we saw them. We could walk right by, 
and never know it.

This view is also flawed in that it "assumes" extraterrestrial life may 
be intelligent. Which I would like to believe is possible.

If alien life is intelligent, and has equal or greater technological 
advancement and capabilities, we would most likely assume that if they 
are carbon based and have the same understanding of the same physics, 
geology, and chemistry of our universe, maybe just maybe we might meet 
in the middle. It's a long shot but maybe not as long as we think.

It's assuming lots of things. But I can tell you an unarguable fact. We 
exist. That simple fact when viewed from a perspective outside ourselves 
and our known universe, it's very easy to see that the question is not 
IF there is life out there. But that the chances that there is NOT 
intelligent life out there is so infinitesimally small as to be a 
non-issue. There are countless billions of stars (not unlike our Sun) in 
our Milky Way Galaxy alone. 100 billion or more according to some 
scientific estimates.

I cannot fathom that large of a number. 1 billion is 999,999,999 plus 1 
times 100 equates to 100 Billion stars! That's how many stars are 
thought to be in just ONE galaxy in our known universe. There are 
millions of galaxies out there. Our universe is bigger than we ever 
thought.

My argument is two fold.  That life exists here and we are but 1 small 
solar system in a galaxy that has hundreds of millions if not billions 
of solar systems. I don't have the mathematical skill necessary to 
figure the probabilities and the Drake equation is Greek to me. But I'm 
smart enough to figure out, that if we think we're the only intelligent 
life form in the universe, we are the most arrogant and ignorant aliens 
in the universe.

My second point is that I don't NEED to know what you look like to know 
you exist. Your email to me is evidence of life.

It's like a footprint in the sand. If you were traveling the universe, 
and found a footprint on a planet or moon we have never been to, would 
it not be safe to assume that is proof enough that there is in fact life.

The question however wasn't just about evidence. It's about intelligent 
contact. We as human beings can see and hear, we know enough about the 
human body, and millions of other life forms to realize that carbon 
based lifeforms are most likely in our solar system, and quite possibly 
in other solar systems as well. The laws of physics says so.

This is the commonality with our intelligent extraterrestrial 
counterparts. Knowledge...

If the same laws of physics govern the entire universe then those same 
laws govern other life forms. We would most likely be looking in place 
that would be indicative of carbon based life forms first, then in 
environments such as Titan, or other cosmic bodies which we believe 
might harbor some other sort of life that might not be carbon based.

Intelligent extraterrestrial life is they exist may just be as curious 
as we are. And if those same laws of nature govern them, then they will 
most likely know" the same things we know. Therefore they may start 
looking for life in the same places we might. Paths might cross...

The point is I don't need to see, you, or know you, or even communicate 
to you to know you exist. We don't need to know how fast they travel, 
nor do we need to know their level of intelligence so much as we do what 
they actually and most probably know. If we look for life where we know 
life has the most chance to survive and grow, we'll most likely find it 
one day, and in the process we may meet up with our alien friends.

The common place, common knowledge theory suggests (and assumes) alien 
life forms may just be looking for the same thing we are. We have to 
assume that, because of technological and philosophical reasonings. 
Logical knowledge states that if the right mix of chemicals, minerals, 
pressure, temperature, and time come together in the perfect 
combination, it's more likely that life could form.

Then it only becomes a matter of numbers, commonalities, and knowledge. 
There's way too much out there for us to assume we're the only ones in 
this universe. If we assume we're the only intelligent life in the 
universe, that's akin to aus believing the Sun revolves around us.

Oops... Wait a second... We already thought that didn't we?

And in case you're wondering what this has to do with meteorites. It's 
directly related to them, because they can tell us about whats out 
there. It's the only thing on this planet that allows us to literally 
touch the outer reaches of our solar system with our bare hands. The 
knowledge gained from these rocks is priceless! Scientifically and 
intrinsically speaking.

Meteorites are portals to the realm of cosmic knowledge that is our 
universe.

Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA

Realm Of Cosmic Knowledge (TM) = ROCK!

Now that's pretty cool... Every pun intended of course!

;)







Darren Garrison wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:42:34 -0700, you wrote:
>
>   
>> Who here believes that sometime in the near future we will discover, or 
>> be discovered by another life form?
>>     
>
> Utterly unknowable.  
>
> Let's rephrase the question in a more Earthbound way.  What are the chances
> that, in the near future, you and I will run into each other on the street?  To
> make a reasonable prediction about that, you would have to know how far I live
> from you, know how often I travel and to where, know what I look like, etc.  You
> know none of those things, so you have no way whatsoever to make any sort of
> meaningful prediction-even within orders of magnitude-- of the chances of you
> and I running into each other.  We know nothing about where other intelligent
> species might be.  We have no idea how or how fast they travel, if they are
> around and do travel.  And we don't even know what communications from an alien
> would look like if we saw it-maybe aliens ARE beaming interstellar messages, but
> we either lack the technology to sense them or the knowledge to recognize them.
>
> It is an angels dancing on the head of a pin question.
>
>
>
>   
>> Do you believe that extraterrestrial life will be intelligent or non 
>> sentient microbial lifeform?
>>     
>
> Life on Earth for most of its history has been microscopic.  I would bet finding
> germs is more likely than finding Germans (or space Sweeds, your choice.)
>
>   
>> Carbon based or some other unknown form of life?
>>     
>
> Carbon molecules are the most versatile and stable at temperatures in which Life
> As We Know It lives.  Silicon based life would be much less likely (but possibly
> more likely at low temperatures.)  Check out Peter Douglas Ward's book "Life As
> We Do Not Know It." 
>
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