If government had knowledge of extraterrestrials would you want to know

[jakeic]

Care to explain why it's illiterate?

I'm simply saying, there's so many damned places out there that could host life, I don't see why there's any reason to think we're the only living beings in the universe.

Because we don't know how life was created here, we also don't know much about our own solar system, and amazingly enough we know even less about systems around other stars. Imagine walking into a giant warehouse full of refrigerators, going into the break room, looking in the fridge and seeing a bunch of food, then thinking to yourself, "with all those other fridges out in the warehouse, there must be all kinds of food here".

It is fine to believe that life exists beyond Earth, it's fine to believe that it exists because there is so much stuff in our universe, but that argument isn't irrefutable.

[Stretchie]

Sure, but I don't think the government should tell people and I agree they should kill or contain any knowledge of it or anything else. People do not have the right to know and there is no obligation to tell them.

The truth is at the end of the day it doesn't matter, and a even greater truth is peoples obsession with the shit is beyond stupid. Knowledge is earned, and anybody who KNOWS a bit that lives long enough to be wise you realize it's not power it's potential power, it's also a burden. and not always important.

I'm struggling to even think of a way to disagree with this more. The government is elected by the people and represents the people. if they know something that affects any citizen whatsoever, the people have every single right I can imagine to know.

[Osmeric]

Care to explain why it's illiterate?

I'm simply saying, there's so many damned places out there that could host life, I don't see why there's any reason to think we're the only living beings in the universe.

The mathematical illiteracy of your argument becomes clear if we try to make it precise.

Let N denote the number of places in the (observable) universe where life can arise, and let p be the probability that life will arise at any one of these places (to be precise, let p be the average probability it will arise at one of these places.)

Then, the expected number of times life arises in the universe is Np.

Your argument is basically: "because N is large, Np is much greater than 1". But this is nonsense, since if we choose (say) p = 1/2N, then Np = 1/2. For any given N we can find a positive p that makes Np as small as we like. So knowing N without having a lower bound on p tells us nothing about the lower bound on Np.

[DeltrusDisc]

The mathematical illiteracy of your argument becomes clear if we try to make it precise.

Let N denote the number of places in the (observable) universe where life can arise, and let p be the probability that life will arise at any one of these places (to be precise, let p be the average probability it will arise at one of these places.)

Then, the expected number of times life arises in the universe is Np.

Your argument is basically: "because N is large, Np is much greater than 1". But this is nonsense, since if we choose (say) p = 1/2N, then Np = 1/2. For any given N we can find a positive p that makes Np as small as we like. So knowing N without having a lower bound on p tells us nothing about the lower bound on Np.

I don't disagree.

However, you don't need to be a jerk, when I am simply saying I think there's life out there. I made my "argument" not in a very serious sense, I simply am trying to say yeah, I think with how many there are, it's probably true there's at least one that has life.

I never said I am being scientific, forgive me.

[Reverb256]

Keeping secrets like this is always sinister. "We know better than the useless eaters uuuhuhuhuhuh"

[Osmeric]

I don't disagree.

However, you don't need to be a jerk, when I am simply saying I think there's life out there. I made my "argument" not in a very serious sense, I simply am trying to say yeah, I think with how many there are, it's probably true there's at least one that has life.

I never said I am being scientific, forgive me.

Even after I explain why you were wrong, you continue to present unjustified beliefs as if they had any evidence. No, you cannot, with any validity, say that "it's probably true". Please stop with the lying.

If you want to say "I'd like to think there's life out there", that would be fine. You are entitled to like whatever you want. But don't turn your personal prejudices into statements about objective facts.

[unbound]

If the government had knowledge of the existence of extraterrestrials to the extent that the extraterrestrials are in fact living among us would you want to know?

As a thought experiment, yes, I would like to know.

Of course, that isn't reality. The likelihood of aliens living among us is about on par with the Battleship movie being a documentary.

[prwraith]

Absolutely. If proof existed that there were advanced alien lifeforms from another planet/galaxy it would seriously challenge any religious theories, especially if they are more intelligent than the average human and have never heard of jesus or allah or whatever other made up sky man people claim to talk to.

This is the main reason I want to know about aliens so I can walk by the various holier than thou church types with a giant foam finger middle finger

[Nihilist74]

I would be pissed if the government was aware of extra terrestrials and they were not using their technology to try and make everyone's existence better.

[cuafpr]

yes very much so but i don't think as a world, humanity could handle it.

[DeltrusDisc]

Even after I explain why you were wrong, you continue to present unjustified beliefs as if they had any evidence. No, you cannot, with any validity, say that "it's probably true". Please stop with the lying.

If you want to say "I'd like to think there's life out there", that would be fine. You are entitled to like whatever you want. But don't turn your personal prejudices into statements about objective facts.

lol okay fine.

I'd like to believe there's life out there.

Literally the point I was trying to make from the start, not looking for a fight over semantics in an off-topic thread on mmo-champion. rofl

Technically, you're being a grammar nazi, and could get infracted, but I don't feel like reporting your posts. I do think correcting incorrect stuff can help some people, when done nicely. You skirted the line, no doubt. I just don't care enough.

Have a pleasant day!