14 Sep 2009, 8:15 pm
15 Sep 2009, 4:46 pm
Prof_Pretorius
Veteran
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Age: 68
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,520
Location: Hiding in the attic of the Arkham Library
16 Sep 2009, 8:19 am
16 Sep 2009, 10:18 am
16 Sep 2009, 5:48 pm
ruveyn wrote:
The best we will be able to do is detect the existence of water and carbon on other planets. This means it is quite possible for life to exist or have existed there. Unless aliens come to us and we see them plainly, it is unlikely that we will ever be able to go them (if they exist at all).
So you're discounting the possibility of silicon based lifeforms?
16 Sep 2009, 6:35 pm
gbollard wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
The best we will be able to do is detect the existence of water and carbon on other planets. This means it is quite possible for life to exist or have existed there. Unless aliens come to us and we see them plainly, it is unlikely that we will ever be able to go them (if they exist at all).
So you're discounting the possibility of silicon based lifeforms?
It is a stretch. Silicon does not quite have the right chemistry. Silicon does not like to form double or triple bonds to the extent that carbon does. I assume if silicon life forms exist, they conditions under which they came to be would be much different from our planet.
ruveyn
18 Sep 2009, 6:29 am
18 Sep 2009, 9:43 am
Prof_Pretorius wrote:
There are no aliens.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
The great John W. Campbell, late editor of Astounding Science Fiction and its successor, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, was asked to define "intelligent alien". Such an alien, in Campbell's words, "thinks as well as a human - but not like a human."
In short, we are the aliens.
18 Sep 2009, 3:18 pm
DeaconBlues wrote:
Prof_Pretorius wrote:
There are no aliens.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
The great John W. Campbell, late editor of Astounding Science Fiction and its successor, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, was asked to define "intelligent alien". Such an alien, in Campbell's words, "thinks as well as a human - but not like a human."
In short, we are the aliens.
John Campbell had a rule for -Astounding-. There were to be no stories in which aliens are smarter than humans.
ruveyn
18 Sep 2009, 4:12 pm
ruveyn wrote:
DeaconBlues wrote:
Prof_Pretorius wrote:
There are no aliens.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
We are alone.
Get used to it.
The great John W. Campbell, late editor of Astounding Science Fiction and its successor, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, was asked to define "intelligent alien". Such an alien, in Campbell's words, "thinks as well as a human - but not like a human."
In short, we are the aliens.
John Campbell had a rule for -Astounding-. There were to be no stories in which aliens are smarter than humans.
ruveyn
The terms 'as well' and 'smarter' can be understood as not equal. I think his rule was: smarter in the sense of "the humans always win". I have haven known many people with a possibly 80 IQ that were more fundamentally practical than people with 140 IQ. I take 'as well' to mean: achieves the same technological level. Both sides have space ships, guns, et cetera.
Do we both agree that a work horse beats a race horse over long distance? A race with an average IQ of ninety and a singular dedication would beat the pants off a goal deficit race with an IQ of 130.
Does your pragmatic mind agree? Possession is nine tenths of the law, and effort is 90% of success.
19 Sep 2009, 7:09 pm
Just noticed; it's extra terrestrial; no hyphen. They just mean more of what's already here...
19 Sep 2009, 7:28 pm
19 Sep 2009, 8:45 pm
20 Sep 2009, 7:23 am
25 Sep 2009, 10:37 am
Well, by "we", I meant us Aspies - we do, generally, "think as well as a human, but not like a human."
More confirmation - Martian permafrost!
25 Sep 2009, 4:14 pm
