Re: Fermi Paradox in the news

From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Oct 23 2000 - 18:13:40 MDT


Doug Skrecky wrote:
>
> > From: "Darin Sunley" <rsunley@escape.ca>
> > Subject: Fermi Paradox in the news...
> >
> > It's interesting to see these issues gradually percolate into the public
> > consciousness. Of course Mr. Dyer doesn't mention the most probable cause
> > (IMHO) of the silence, which is that the aliens are using very precisely
> > aimed low powered signals, compressed sufficiently to be indistinguishable
> > from thermal noise, even if we did happen to be in the line of sight of one
> > of them, which we probably aren't. Oh well :)
> >
> This is the same sort of argument fanatics give to prove the existance
> of god. Since there is absolutely no positive evidence in favour of either
> ETs or god, the simplest and most plausible explanation of this fact is
> that neither ETs nor god exist. This is a brutally obviously argument to
> any rational individual.

Please be careful who you call a "fanatic". It can be seen as fanatical
to label all who believe differently than you or who you think believe
something you don't with insufficent evidence as "fanatics".

Especially in the case of ETs the above is not "brutally obvious" in the
leas and trying to prejudge the conclusion any "rational" individual
will come to is a mug's game. It is one conclusion that matches the
evidence to date. The trouble is, from what we know so far of the
universe, it is a very difficult explanation to take seriously. In a 13
billion ly space-time bubble how easy is it to believe we are the only
intelligent life? How easy is it to believe this for even just this one
galaxy?

- samantha



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