11 Dec 2015, 11:22 am
DentArthurDent
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Joined: 26 Jul 2008
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,884
Location: Victoria, Australia
11 Dec 2015, 4:42 pm
11 Dec 2015, 5:06 pm
11 Dec 2015, 6:05 pm
frenchmanflats wrote:
People like Carl Sagan has said its a possibility that advanced forms of life exists in the Universe.
And that was based on a Drake's equation decades before we had any idea how many exoplanets might really exist. So while the chances are the same, our calculations have suddenly become far more optimistic.
However as far as we are aware, the known laws of physics that in aggregate *are* our universe by definition must apply everywhere. They may be wrong, they may need adjustment, there may be places where they are...bent but that's due to a lack of knowledge on our part. Several things we hold in exceedingly high confidence however, such as the max speed. Sure, somewhere out there may be a civilization that's been around for tens of millions of years. And their understanding - and ability to manipulate - how our universe works may be vastly advanced. But the chance of them finding us at this moment in our history are exceedingly slim, enough so that we shouldn't wait for them.
11 Dec 2015, 7:22 pm
12 Dec 2015, 12:37 pm
This thread is a testament to how many annoying conundrums and fruitless mental struggles Humanity could save if nerds like Albert Einstein were routinely bullied out of any inclination for science before they could make a career on it and dictate whimsical things like nothing can travel faster than light 
14 Dec 2015, 4:37 am
Spiderpig wrote:
This thread is a testament to how many annoying conundrums and fruitless mental struggles Humanity could save if nerds like Albert Einstein were routinely bullied out of any inclination for science before they could make a career on it and dictate whimsical things like nothing can travel faster than light
There are things that we still do not understand in the Universe. Maybe 100 years from now, in the year 2115, we would have a different understanding of the Universe physical laws. We still do not know what new physical laws might come up. Some may be invalidated. It is lighting a match in a dark room. We can't see what wonders or terrors await us in deep space. Remember 110 years ago, the technology was rather primitive. We were still using the horse and buggy.
14 Dec 2015, 7:22 am
And yet a lot of people would say that technological level was quite enough, thank you very much
14 Dec 2015, 7:23 am
Spiderpig wrote:
This thread is a testament to how many annoying conundrums and fruitless mental struggles Humanity could save if nerds like Albert Einstein were routinely bullied out of any inclination for science before they could make a career on it and dictate whimsical things like nothing can travel faster than light
Are you serious?
14 Dec 2015, 10:18 pm
Spiderpig wrote:
And yet a lot of people would say that technological level was quite enough, thank you very much
I believe by the year 2050 or 2060 we would have the ability to travel out of our solar system. If you are into conspiracies, some people think that we have the technology.
15 Dec 2015, 2:28 pm
15 Dec 2015, 2:55 pm
15 Dec 2015, 3:13 pm
15 Dec 2015, 4:32 pm
15 Dec 2015, 4:55 pm
15 Dec 2015, 6:32 pm
frenchmanflats wrote:
Spiderpig wrote:
This thread is a testament to how many annoying conundrums and fruitless mental struggles Humanity could save if nerds like Albert Einstein were routinely bullied out of any inclination for science before they could make a career on it and dictate whimsical things like nothing can travel faster than light
There are things that we still do not understand in the Universe. Maybe 100 years from now, in the year 2115, we would have a different understanding of the Universe physical laws. We still do not know what new physical laws might come up. Some may be invalidated. It is lighting a match in a dark room. We can't see what wonders or terrors await us in deep space. Remember 110 years ago, the technology was rather primitive. We were still using the horse and buggy.
The pedant in me wants to point out that 110 years ago we were doing 75+ mph & could cross the USA in 3.5-4.0 days. We also were floating about in both lighter and heavier than air craft.
While such an upheaval as you describe might happen a century or five from now, the basic tenets of science require us to grant such wild suppositions the same truth and validity as any other possible future event that has no proof or indication of probability to back it. In other words, it is literally equal in possibility to pigs flying that we may discover how to move faster than light. Note that I'm not saying we won't someday *travel* a distance and get there sooner than light starting at the same instant from an outside time frame...
