Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

nasa.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 65 posts

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#31

Post by jonah »

PostOnce wrote: post #19
phreeza wrote: post #17

Perhaps a good moment to re-read this: Why I Hope the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Finds Nothing: http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf tl;dr: "Because it means life is not incredibly unlikely (after all, it occurred on two planets in our own solar system); ergo what must instead be incredibly unlikely is the ability for life to progress to the point where it can spread across the galaxy (after all, no…

The other theory being that galaxy-spanning life is incredibly common, it's just that we're too immature/uninteresting to bother coming to visit. How often do you stop and try to communicate with the queen of a particular anthill?

Well, my dad's (tongue-in-cheek) theory is that all these UFO sightings are them coming over and cruising through the slums. ;)

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#32

Post by ANH »

nhebb wrote: post #23

I keep seeing stories pop up here that NASA has some upcoming announcement, but I never remember to follow up on the announcement day to find out what the hubbub was about. I'm starting to get annoyed that a government agency thinks it needs to save "the big reveal" for a press conference. Why not just make the announcement?

* Because they want to make sure people are listening.

* The media outlets can assign people to cover it.

* It's fun for the researchers.

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#33

Post by btilly »

mixmax wrote: post #21
phreeza wrote: post #17

Perhaps a good moment to re-read this: Why I Hope the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Finds Nothing: http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf tl;dr: "Because it means life is not incredibly unlikely (after all, it occurred on two planets in our own solar system); ergo what must instead be incredibly unlikely is the ability for life to progress to the point where it can spread across the galaxy (after all, no…

Or a good moment to remember what happens when a less advanced civilization meets a more advanced one. It never goes well for the less advanced civilization.

Someone should go back in time and tell the Goths that before they make contact with the Romans. Also the Mongolians should have been told to leave China alone.

:-)

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#34

Post by PostOnce »

mikeknoop wrote: post #27
PostOnce wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other theory being that galaxy-spanning life is incredibly common, it's just that we're too immature/uninteresting to bother coming to visit. How often do you stop and try to communicate with the queen of a particular anthill?

But how often are the ants in the presence of another living species? If the ants were to one day take note of the living creatures around them they would most certainly come to the conclusion that they are not alone.

How often do the ants realize they're in the presence of another living species? Do they know humans are alive?

Maybe the aliens have been here all along and we just didn't realize it, heh.

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#35

Post by Benjo »

phreeza wrote: post #17

Perhaps a good moment to re-read this: Why I Hope the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Finds Nothing: http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf tl;dr: "Because it means life is not incredibly unlikely (after all, it occurred on two planets in our own solar system); ergo what must instead be incredibly unlikely is the ability for life to progress to the point where it can spread across the galaxy (after all, no…

See also, essays on the Great Filter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Filter

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#38

Post by Keyframe »

mixmax wrote: post #21
phreeza wrote: post #17

Perhaps a good moment to re-read this: Why I Hope the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Finds Nothing: http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf tl;dr: "Because it means life is not incredibly unlikely (after all, it occurred on two planets in our own solar system); ergo what must instead be incredibly unlikely is the ability for life to progress to the point where it can spread across the galaxy (after all, no…

Or a good moment to remember what happens when a less advanced civilization meets a more advanced one. It never goes well for the less advanced civilization.

It never goes well for the less advanced civilization.

... on Earth. Let's be optimists for a change. :)

Re: NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

#39

Post by Keyframe »

phreeza wrote: post #17

Perhaps a good moment to re-read this: Why I Hope the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Finds Nothing: http://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf tl;dr: "Because it means life is not incredibly unlikely (after all, it occurred on two planets in our own solar system); ergo what must instead be incredibly unlikely is the ability for life to progress to the point where it can spread across the galaxy (after all, no…

after all, no other life form has contacted us

A bit far-fetched, but it could also mean we are the first. If there were/are sufficiently advanced civilizations in the past that could engineer on the scale of star systems or above (singularity hypothesis), there would be a certain probability that we would detect that (so far or in the future), no?

Post reply on HN