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The great filter theory. That no civilization can attain space flight and colonizing other planets before it self destructs and flames out. Scary if true because we are on the cusp of that now.
But there’s no disputing the theory’s impact. The Great Filter was originally proposed by Robin Hanson, a George Mason University economist, back in 1996. It has since become a staple of science-fiction worldbuilding. And for good reason: it’s dramatic. “The fact that our universe seems basically dead suggests that it is very very hard for advanced, explosive, lasting life to arise,” Hanson wrote.
By “explosive,” he’s referring to the possibility of a civilization achieving cheap spaceflight and colonizing a lot of other planets, fast. In Hanson’s theory, there’s something—or a lot of somethings—that prevents intelligent life from thriving on its home planet, expanding to other planets and surviving long enough to make contact with aliens such as us. At least one leading advocate of the search for alien life has no objections to the theory. “I think it is plausible,” Avi Loeb, a Harvard physicist, told The Daily Beast
The great filter theory. That no civilization can attain space flight and colonizing other planets before it self destructs and flames out. Scary if true because we are on the cusp of that now.
But there’s no disputing the theory’s impact. The Great Filter was originally proposed by Robin Hanson, a George Mason University economist, back in 1996. It has since become a staple of science-fiction worldbuilding. And for good reason: it’s dramatic. “The fact that our universe seems basically dead suggests that it is very very hard for advanced, explosive, lasting life to arise,” Hanson wrote.
By “explosive,” he’s referring to the possibility of a civilization achieving cheap spaceflight and colonizing a lot of other planets, fast. In Hanson’s theory, there’s something—or a lot of somethings—that prevents intelligent life from thriving on its home planet, expanding to other planets and surviving long enough to make contact with aliens such as us. At least one leading advocate of the search for alien life has no objections to the theory. “I think it is plausible,” Avi Loeb, a Harvard physicist, told The Daily Beast
It is very possible considering where we are today. But could AI 'evolve' to the point where it would only consider the common good of other AI? AI is based on logic, something that we seem to be lacking. So could it quest for more logic (like V'ger in Startrek the Movie)?
NASA still pushing the standard government line, the old fall-back theory that we are alone in a massive massive universe. It just does not make sense although it is a possibility but becoming more and more unlikely. What happened to scientific examination of the facts presented?
So NASA answer me this - What are people seeing? You have been so quiet for so long, I guess you owe us an explanation now.
NASA still pushing the standard government line, the old fall-back theory that we are alone in a massive massive universe. It just does not make sense although it is a possibility but becoming more and more unlikely. What happened to scientific examination of the facts presented?
So NASA answer me this - What are people seeing? You have been so quiet for so long, I guess you owe us an explanation now.
They do not owe us an explanation if they are creating what we are seeing as a military distraction. If we have figured out how to project images that can fool radar and our enemies so that they are distracted and do not know where their real targets are located, why would they feel obligated to tell the world?
For our sake, I hope we do have real military secrets that can save us during a real conflict. I am sure our adversaries have plenty of their own secrets.
They do not owe us an explanation if they are creating what we are seeing as a military distraction. If we have figured out how to project images that can fool radar and our enemies so that they are distracted and do not know where their real targets are located, why would they feel obligated to tell the world?
For our sake, I hope we do have real military secrets that can save us during a real conflict. I am sure our adversaries have plenty of their own secrets.
Exactly. One cannot take what the general public believes is possible and apply it to sightings that don't seem to make sense. We just have no idea what our military is capable of. Being able to fool radar and people on the ground gives us a huge advantage and probably what is going here.
My gut feeling is that the likelihood of any of these sightings being crafts created by aliens is near zero. Much easier to explain that we and perhaps China and or Russia are behind them. And misinformation and secrecy would be part of that.
Exactly. One cannot take what the general public believes is possible and apply it to sightings that don't seem to make sense. We just have no idea what our military is capable of. Being able to fool radar and people on the ground gives us a huge advantage and probably what is going here.
My gut feeling is that the likelihood of any of these sightings being crafts created by aliens is near zero. Much easier to explain that we and perhaps China and or Russia are behind them. And misinformation and secrecy would be part of that.
I am hoping that it is us creating these sightings. I can also understand why we would use alien disinformation to explain what people are observing. I can also understand that our opponents would also love to get information on our technology if our speculations are correct. That said, it would almost be impossible for us to know the truth.
I am hoping that it is us creating these sightings. I can also understand why we would use alien disinformation to explain what people are observing. I can also understand that our opponents would also love to get information on our technology if our speculations are correct. That said, it would almost be impossible for us to know the truth.
By the time what they are doing now is made public they are already years ahead of that.
1) Great Filter is indeed a real challenge, just ask the dinosaurs. Also, the human race almost died out during the "population bottleneck" 75,000 years ago.
2) Great distances. There is plenty of room out there in the Universe like Centaraus N which is one of the "close" galaxies but it's 12million light years away. They could be 10million years ahead of where we are now, dodged bottlenecks but can't get past speed of light travel and their radio signals are still 2million years from earth.
3) We're morons that know almost nothing. Want to get humbled in a hurry, last century brought us powered flight anti-biotics and a trip to the moon along with nuclear fission and computers. Not to mention a host of other stuff. What we don't know or can't detect is vastly more than what we do. Go back to 1900 and consider what our brightest minds knew about.
Eh, we're either alone or we're not (although I don't believe the former). I only hope that if our fellow denizens of the universe show up for a visit, they're not fond of eating human flesh.
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They could be 10million years ahead of where we are now, dodged bottlenecks but can't get past speed of light travel and their radio signals are still 2million years from earth.
