What if humans are the first and/or only civilization in the galaxy?

[Techno-Druid]

I watched this video a few days back and it's a pretty interesting take on the Fermi Paradox and what the galaxy would look like if humanity ever becomes a true spacefaring species in the event there are no other civilizations in the galaxy.

Basically the video talks about the concept of human speciation through natural evolution, genetic engineering or cybernetic enhancement and the possibility of us creating other alien civilizations by uplifting animal or alien species.

So, do you think this is a likely scenario? Humans diverging to the point of being unrecognizably humans and possibly not even realizing their origins on Earth (think how many people still react aggressively towards the Out of Africa Theory).

[Seranthor]

I think its the height of arrogance to think that we are the first or the only sentient species in the galaxy.

[Stelio Kontos]

If we're the first, I feel bad for anyone less developed we come across.

We *definitely* won't be some benevolent "First Ones" to shepherd the younger races.

[Radaney]

I doubt we're the first, our brains can't even comprehend the amount of Stars and Planets out there.

We haven't even had 'significant' technology for that long, couple hundred years so why would we even find anything in that time. Just arrogance at this point.

Hell maybe those cringe-fest alien programs on the history channel are right. Aliens visited us and we drew them as a bunch of chariots coming out of the sky on a pyramid wall. Hell would we know.

I for one, eagerly await for the lightspeed travelling space whale to pass through and incinerate our planet in an instant by accident.

[Dead Moose Fandango]

We aren't. All the others were just murdered by the undead And their bodies combined into giant undead moons that travel the universe for more living.

[kenthovind]

I watched this video a few days back and it's a pretty interesting take on the Fermi Paradox and what the galaxy would look like if humanity ever becomes a true spacefaring species in the event there are no other civilizations in the galaxy.

Basically the video talks about the concept of human speciation through natural evolution, genetic engineering or cybernetic enhancement and the possibility of us creating other alien civilizations by uplifting animal or alien species.

So, do you think this is a likely scenario? Humans diverging to the point of being unrecognizably humans and possibly not even realizing their origins on Earth (think how many people still react aggressively towards the Out of Africa Theory).

We were created by the biblical God. No other non human entities have ever been in contact or ever will be in contact with humans other than the angelic higher dimensional beings that the bible and book of enoch, sumerians and babylonians talked about.

I know it's fun to entertain the belief that some physical aliens are visiting us in their metallic spaceships, but if you use your brain, you'll realize it's nonsensical, as I did in 2009 when I was a hardcore atheist.

[Osmeric]

I think its the height of arrogance to think that we are the first or the only sentient species in the galaxy.

Basically this is an ad hominem argument. "If you disagree with me, you are a bad person."

Stick to valid logic, please.

[Realitytrembles]

I'm a fan of the Rare Earth hypothesis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesis


I think that the vast majority of worlds are inhospitable to life.

Then there's probably a good number of them that support simple , single celled life and are unsuitable for anything else.

Then a rare few worlds that develop multicellular life.

Then of those a handful where one of those species achieves sentience.

Then of those a handful that survive their technological adolescence and become spacefaring civilizations.

So by the time you get through all those reducing steps, there's probably only a bare handful of species (maybe a half dozen) in the lifetime of a galaxy that get all the way to space travel.

Then consider that they may develop far apart from one another not just in space, but also in time, separated by perhaps hundreds of millions of years.

Do I think humans are the only sentient species in the universe? Nope, not at all. Do I think we may be the only sentient species in our galaxy right now? Very possibly.

We were created by the biblical God. No other non human entities have ever been in contact or ever will be in contact with humans other than the angelic higher dimensional beings that the bible and book of enoch, sumerians and babylonians talked about.

I know it's fun to entertain the belief that some physical aliens are visiting us in their metallic spaceships, but if you use your brain, you'll realize it's nonsensical, as I did in 2009 when I was a hardcore atheist.

Proof? Not appeals to emotion, not some "gut feeling", or unverified tales from the Bronze Age. Hard, verifiable proof please.

I won't hold my breath.

[Osmeric]

I doubt we're the first, our brains can't even comprehend the amount of Stars and Planets out there.

This is also a bullshit argument, albeit a very commonly made one.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

We were created by the biblical God. No other non human entities have ever been in contact or ever will be in contact with humans other than the angelic higher dimensional beings that the bible and book of enoch, sumerians and babylonians talked about.

I know it's fun to entertain the belief that some physical aliens are visiting us in their metallic spaceships, but if you use your brain, you'll realize it's nonsensical, as I did in 2009 when I was a hardcore atheist.

So by using my brain I somehow believe in god over aliens? Am I getting that right?

[Dudenoso]

I think its the height of arrogance to think that we are the first or the only sentient species in the galaxy.

Why would arrogance matter on that one?

[Osmeric]

Why would arrogance matter on that one?

Didn't you know that if believing something makes you a bad person, then it can't be true? This is basic forum logic 101.

[Raptor With a Saber]

We are either not or alone or alone which makes us a mistake

[Sunseeker]

The only logical answer is to build up the biggest and most powerful space force first.

[cparle87]

I think its the height of arrogance to think that we are the first or the only sentient species in the galaxy.

Every sci-fi continuity has the stereotypical precursor race. You know, older than time, first to cross the stars, seeded life throughout the galaxy kinda thing. Would be majorly messed up if that was US irl.

[Seranthor]

Basically this is an ad hominem argument. "If you disagree with me, you are a bad person."

Stick to valid logic, please.

More like there is no evidence to support the claim that we are the first or the only ones. Do you have any evidence that we are? I sure dont. Hell, we cant even determine that we are the only sentient species to ever live in this solar system.

[Techno-Druid]

One thing that isn't really widely explored in fiction that would be a big point of evolutionary divergence would be conditions on other planets, moons and terrestrial bodies. Luna, Mars, the Jovian moons and Mercury all have less gravity than Earth and depending on location in the case of Mars, Venus and Mercury are respectively further and closer to Sol than Earth.

So assuming you terraformed these planets and had no significant genetic modifications, you would likely end up having taller humans on Mars with significantly less muscle mass, weaker hearts and larger eyes to take in more sunlight, which would still be a significant divergence from any form of diversity in modern humans on Earth.

[Osmeric]

More like there is no evidence to support the claim that we are the first or the only ones. Do you have any evidence that we are? I sure dont. Hell, we cant even determine that we are the only sentient species to ever live in this solar system.

Far IR observations indicate no more than 1 in 2000 galaxies (and probably much fewer than that) host Kardashev Type-3 civilizations (those that have harnessed at least 1% of the energy output of the galaxy for their own ends). The evidence is consistent with no such civilizations existing anywhere.

This means space colonization -- which we know is technically feasible, on long enough time scales -- hasn't led to population-saturated galaxies, as far as we can tell.

The absence of obviously colonized galaxies suggests intelligent life is unlikely to arise even once in a typical galaxy.

[Gref]

We were created by the biblical God.

if/when some aliens visit earth and simply say;

-We were riding around the galaxy then we made a stop here and took a piss. Then life started on Earth.

I really would like to see the faces of all those believers. Humans are actual alien sperm coming from aliens dick piss, thus the life started in water. roflmao.

[Techno-Druid]

More like there is no evidence to support the claim that we are the first or the only ones. Do you have any evidence that we are? I sure dont. Hell, we cant even determine that we are the only sentient species to ever live in this solar system.

I wouldn't say anyone's really claiming we're (one of) the only civilization to arise in the galaxy, rather just throwing it out there as a possibility and a pretty reasonable one at that.