[meteorite-list] Alien Contact Predicted

From: Meteorites USA <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:06:03 -0700
Message-ID: <4A93470B.1020402_at_meteoritesusa.com>

Thanks Darren for your response.

Sorry in advance for the long email, but I couldn't stop typing... ;)

The alien question is obviously meant to get some discussion going on
this topic which I feel hasn't been discussed enough on-list. (but who
am I) I think there are a few reasons why as it's relates so personally
with some people belief systems. Of which I am respectful.

The biggest question in life is where do we come from. The next biggest
is why are we here? But those questions are vague and answers would be
subjective and interpretive at best, based on people's personal and
religious beliefs. Rather I would ask the question in simpler terms
related more toward an opinion based inquiry. Though that opinion can be
scientific and educational in nature.

Having said that I have to disagree with your statement and would like
to answer your question:

"...What are the chances that, in the near future, you and I will run
into each other on the street? ..."

Pretty good actually. This is a small planet. We're in the same field of
science, though maybe not directly related, there are certain locational
environmental, and educational commonalities. Those are simply,

Location - Earth, name North America and The United States to be
specific. Don't know what state you're in, but it's not physically far.
Environment - Land. We all and both live on land and our method of
travel is common.
Education - We're in the same field. Study of meteorites. Whether that
be scientific or enthusiastic.

Now the only things missing is a meeting place of sorts. It has to be
somewhere that's of common interest to us both. Hmmm... Where could that
possibly be? The chances of us passing each other on the street are VERY
likely considering we both have a shared interest AND there is very good
likelihood that you would be at an industry related show. The Tucson or
Denver show perhaps. I'm assuming of course that you might go to the
Tucson or Denver show. ;)

Now a problem arises from this. I don't know what you look like. So
technically speaking we "could" pass each other on the street, and I
would not know you from the next guy. But if we could communicate, or I
was looking for something that would make it clear it was you I could
not only locate you, but communicate.

This could be an argument against my own statements but I don't think it
is, simply because, we don't know what aliens look like either.
Therefore how would we know when we saw them. We could walk right by,
and never know it.

This view is also flawed in that it "assumes" extraterrestrial life may
be intelligent. Which I would like to believe is possible.

If alien life is intelligent, and has equal or greater technological
advancement and capabilities, we would most likely assume that if they
are carbon based and have the same understanding of the same physics,
geology, and chemistry of our universe, maybe just maybe we might meet
in the middle. It's a long shot but maybe not as long as we think.

It's assuming lots of things. But I can tell you an unarguable fact. We
exist. That simple fact when viewed from a perspective outside ourselves
and our known universe, it's very easy to see that the question is not
IF there is life out there. But that the chances that there is NOT
intelligent life out there is so infinitesimally small as to be a
non-issue. There are countless billions of stars (not unlike our Sun) in
our Milky Way Galaxy alone. 100 billion or more according to some
scientific estimates.

I cannot fathom that large of a number. 1 billion is 999,999,999 plus 1
times 100 equates to 100 Billion stars! That's how many stars are
thought to be in just ONE galaxy in our known universe. There are
millions of galaxies out there. Our universe is bigger than we ever
thought.

My argument is two fold. That life exists here and we are but 1 small
solar system in a galaxy that has hundreds of millions if not billions
of solar systems. I don't have the mathematical skill necessary to
figure the probabilities and the Drake equation is Greek to me. But I'm
smart enough to figure out, that if we think we're the only intelligent
life form in the universe, we are the most arrogant and ignorant aliens
in the universe.

My second point is that I don't NEED to know what you look like to know
you exist. Your email to me is evidence of life.

It's like a footprint in the sand. If you were traveling the universe,
and found a footprint on a planet or moon we have never been to, would
it not be safe to assume that is proof enough that there is in fact life.

The question however wasn't just about evidence. It's about intelligent
contact. We as human beings can see and hear, we know enough about the
human body, and millions of other life forms to realize that carbon
based lifeforms are most likely in our solar system, and quite possibly
in other solar systems as well. The laws of physics says so.

This is the commonality with our intelligent extraterrestrial
counterparts. Knowledge...

If the same laws of physics govern the entire universe then those same
laws govern other life forms. We would most likely be looking in place
that would be indicative of carbon based life forms first, then in
environments such as Titan, or other cosmic bodies which we believe
might harbor some other sort of life that might not be carbon based.

Intelligent extraterrestrial life is they exist may just be as curious
as we are. And if those same laws of nature govern them, then they will
most likely know" the same things we know. Therefore they may start
looking for life in the same places we might. Paths might cross...

The point is I don't need to see, you, or know you, or even communicate
to you to know you exist. We don't need to know how fast they travel,
nor do we need to know their level of intelligence so much as we do what
they actually and most probably know. If we look for life where we know
life has the most chance to survive and grow, we'll most likely find it
one day, and in the process we may meet up with our alien friends.

The common place, common knowledge theory suggests (and assumes) alien
life forms may just be looking for the same thing we are. We have to
assume that, because of technological and philosophical reasonings.
Logical knowledge states that if the right mix of chemicals, minerals,
pressure, temperature, and time come together in the perfect
combination, it's more likely that life could form.

Then it only becomes a matter of numbers, commonalities, and knowledge.
There's way too much out there for us to assume we're the only ones in
this universe. If we assume we're the only intelligent life in the
universe, that's akin to aus believing the Sun revolves around us.

Oops... Wait a second... We already thought that didn't we?

And in case you're wondering what this has to do with meteorites. It's
directly related to them, because they can tell us about whats out
there. It's the only thing on this planet that allows us to literally
touch the outer reaches of our solar system with our bare hands. The
knowledge gained from these rocks is priceless! Scientifically and
intrinsically speaking.

Meteorites are portals to the realm of cosmic knowledge that is our
universe.

Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA

Realm Of Cosmic Knowledge (TM) = ROCK!

Now that's pretty cool... Every pun intended of course!

;)







Darren Garrison wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:42:34 -0700, you wrote:
>
>
>> Who here believes that sometime in the near future we will discover, or
>> be discovered by another life form?
>>
>
> Utterly unknowable.
>
> Let's rephrase the question in a more Earthbound way. What are the chances
> that, in the near future, you and I will run into each other on the street? To
> make a reasonable prediction about that, you would have to know how far I live
> from you, know how often I travel and to where, know what I look like, etc. You
> know none of those things, so you have no way whatsoever to make any sort of
> meaningful prediction-even within orders of magnitude-- of the chances of you
> and I running into each other. We know nothing about where other intelligent
> species might be. We have no idea how or how fast they travel, if they are
> around and do travel. And we don't even know what communications from an alien
> would look like if we saw it-maybe aliens ARE beaming interstellar messages, but
> we either lack the technology to sense them or the knowledge to recognize them.
>
> It is an angels dancing on the head of a pin question.
>
>
>
>
>> Do you believe that extraterrestrial life will be intelligent or non
>> sentient microbial lifeform?
>>
>
> Life on Earth for most of its history has been microscopic. I would bet finding
> germs is more likely than finding Germans (or space Sweeds, your choice.)
>
>
>> Carbon based or some other unknown form of life?
>>
>
> Carbon molecules are the most versatile and stable at temperatures in which Life
> As We Know It lives. Silicon based life would be much less likely (but possibly
> more likely at low temperatures.) Check out Peter Douglas Ward's book "Life As
> We Do Not Know It."
>
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Received on Mon 24 Aug 2009 10:06:03 PM PDT