Some thoughts on SETI and life elsewhere.

I'm not sure if this is in the right area or not, so my apologies beforehand.

The universe is 15,000,000,000 years old. The earth is 6,000,000,000 years old. Life on earth is about 2,000,000,000 years old. Dinosaurs were around for about 250,000,000 years (and look at their dramatic evolutionary progress). The earliest hominids show up in the archaeological record about 5,000,000 years ago. Homo Sapien Sapien only 100,000 years ago.

We're nothing. Our evolution as an intelligent species probably hasn't even started. 100,000 years in a 15,000,000,000 year history. We're not even a blimp on the cosmic screen.

Civilizations throughout the universe could have already been highly advanced when the formation of our earth took place. Our level of technological advancement and scientific understanding is likely amebic. We've only been around for 1/10th of a million years and we're trying to communicate in an ocean of space 15 BILLION years older then we? Isn't this like an unevolved Triassic period tipulid fly trying to converse with Einstein?

Is it even possible to interact with a species millions of years further along in evolution then us? Could we have an intelligent conversation with Australopithecus afarensis? They didn't even have the intellect to light a fire and this was us only 4 million years ago. What if unification theory is to them what lighting a fire is to us? Is conversation even possible? There's no way in hell we could teach addition or subtraction, or even basic language to Australopithecus afarensis, nevermind advanced physics and mathematics.

What if our scientific knowledge doesn't even amount to basic language in the universe? Can we ever hope for research like SETI to be successful?

Hello Pete,

I think the general consensus is that given the age and immensity of the universe that their should be many civilizations so why not then civilizations with intelligence levels similar to ours, say give or take a thousand years or so. At least I think that is the general belief for believers. I think that if there were many super advanced civilizations out there, we would have signs somewhere. Just my thoughts, maybe the thread will get going.

Paul

Just a few random comments ...

> We're nothing.
I disagree. Why is it necessary to denigrate humanity? To my knowledge, we are the most advanced species to have ever populated this Universe. Perhaps you have different information.

> Our evolution as an intelligent species probably hasn't even started.
It *most* certainly has. And speak for yourself :^)

> We've only been around for 1/10th of a million years and we're trying to communicate in an ocean of space 15 BILLION years older then we?
I don't see what these periods time have to do with communication. Certainly given that we humans do have communication and reasoning skills, a species *so* advanced as the ones everyone seems to pine for should be able to communicate with us. After all, we can get dolphins to punch soccer balls about with their noses and tigers to jump through hoops and they can't add, subtract or light fires.

> Is it even possible to interact with a species millions of years further along in evolution then us?
I would think so. Perhaps you might consider that humans are the one and only rational species on this planet. You cited the dinosaurs' 250 million years -- and what did they accomplish, well, nothing.

So, give us (humanity) a break. Perhaps we're not something to be dismissed as insignificant and inconsequential.

Lou

Folks,

Referencing the originating comment, I think this belongs in the Off Topics Forum.