Where are the Space Aliens?!

[Tenley Nadine]

In which Hank takes on the Fermi Paradox. Why, if there are so many stars in our galaxy, have we not heard from inhabitants of other galaxies. Hank honestly believes that it is because we're stupid to think that civilizations communicate the way we do, think the way we do, or act the way we do. And if they do act in any of those ways, they probably won't do it for very long, because we probably won't do it for very long either.

[EagleSpectre]

I strongly believe in the possibility of there being life out there amongst the billions of other stars in our galaxy, and I have a few reasons of my own that I think support this notion. For one thing, if we believe we are the only advanced civilization not only to exist, but also to have ever existed and will ever exist, well, that's just selfish. Like there's ever going to be a time where we'll be able to teraform and inhabit every in^2 in the universe, as well as our galaxy for that matter. Secondly, if we were the only advanced, intelligent life forms to exist ever, imagine how boring it would be to finally reach the ability intersteller travel and all that we find is nothing. As humans, while we fear that which we do not understand and tend to blow it up one way or another, we need some kind of tangable means by which we can comppare itself. And let's face it, we're not gonna get very far by only having ourselves to compare ourselves to as we eventually intermingle to the point where there is no defined ethnicity, culture or language, resulting in a race of true Earthlings that all look strikingly similar in our everlasting struggle to be like oneanother.
Am i saying that we need another species of intelligent life with which we can interbreed and by the process of genetic difusion create a hybrid race of pangalactic hyperintelligent beings? No. That would be nasty and possibly result in abominations, but now that I mention it, that would be very interesting to observe from behind a protective barrier of space, time and 6.022x10^23 mile thick plates of glass.

Loved the Jesus-Jedi shirt, btw.

[Bite [bɪt]]

It's an interesting and repeating concept that humans tend to take; all that is not understood is made anthropomorphic. Not understand gods? Give them human qualities. Give Mickey Mouse a voice and pants. I think the same thing we do with life outside of our planet. If we ever find life out there, they probably won't have five fingers or toes in each extremity. They probably won't even have the same way of thinking as we do. We're looking for a life unknown, not looking for humans.

Having said that, I think there is life out there, but not at all human-like.

[schnabeldame]

I don't think the question is whether they are peaceful - I think we won't be. We humans tend to be so very scared of things that we don't know or that seem foreign and strange, we don't have to go beyond our planet (that we should be comfortable with) to create conflict. This mad fear of anything muslim is a good example, preemptive wars, "peace missions" that turn out to be wars, terror - all these illustrate our inability to see each other just as people who want to live a life on this earth. What makes us think finding a civilization in outer space would be any different?

[Jordan Crosby]

I personally think that the universe is too large to inhabit only us, humans as we are cannot be the "supreme" life form, we're too imperfect.I also think that when they decide to reveal themselves they will (in the words of John Lennon) Give Peace a Chance.

[Abocreature]

If every civilization developed the same way, much like if humans were the same, then the universe would be orderly. We know that, even from our tiny perspective, that the universe likes to be chaotic. For all we know, they could be using gamma waves to send signals, being a species that isn't as heavily affected by it as us. Or maybe they're using something less powerful than a radio wave. Or maybe they aren't using radio at all, and possibly pushed wireless aside because it was "too clumsy and unstable", and instead use some hyper-evolved fiber optic cabling.

Honestly, we aren't looking for the right things. If what I'm saying is correct, then we can't look for them at all, worrying about natural interference.

Intelligent races are, get this, smart. We tend to broadcast everything out everywhere, and I'm sure they've picked up on it already.

[Dimitri Jednogvic]

In a way you are right. Space aliens would not communicate with normal radio or conventional equipment but might use large High Q wave lasers or possibly a form of tachyonic communication. (these are two of many ideas)