Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

Prof Cox we are alone

starnut

By starnut
in The Astro Lounge

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 47
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Tomjo59

Tomjo59

Posted
Posted

Now that's sad, I think it would be great for mankind if there were someone else in this vast space.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Science/article147593

There again, it means we have the entire galaxy to explore, without the risk of impinging on anyone else's territory. Now, if only we could find a way of getting around that speed of light limitation...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dave Lloyd

Dave Lloyd

Posted
Posted

Yeah, what's the point of an infinite universe if we're the only ones in it? Do we never learn. From a geocentric to a heliocentric universe to a small star in a remote spiral arm in an ordinary galaxy and we still think we're all there is?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Moonshane

Moonshane

Posted
Posted

I doubt that there's a 'point' to anything. we are either alone or not and until we have evidence we have to assume one or the other. if we assume ourselves to be intelligent, then we have not managed to send messages throughout the entire Universe yet either so why assume other races/species would/could have done?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Scooot

Scooot

Posted
Posted

I liked the point he made that not only is the universe so vast, but that the time a civilisation survives is so relatively small. So being in the same place and time of another civilisation is extremely unlikely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Treeden

Treeden

Posted
Posted

My take on his comments is that he is not saying "we are alone" in the universe,but "we are alone in being the only technologically advanced species in the universe". Cant argue with that really. He is doing a bit of fence sitting.

There is very little fence sitting going on.  He is saying that we are alone, not just in the galaxy, but in the universe.

When you consider that we are only beginning our journey of discover and understanding, that does seem a strange position for someone like him to be adopting?

Then again.... he's only human. :smiley:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mad Taff

Mad Taff

Posted
Posted

Erm!!! I just think he's wrong. I heard somewhere there were were more stars in the universe than grains of sand on every beach in the world. Planetary systems seem to be common place. No way are we alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Treeden

Treeden

Posted
Posted

Even if there are millions of civilisations in the Universe, if we are unable to contact them, as seems likely, then we might as well consider ourselves "alone".    :sad:

That is another question entirely, and one that is a whole lot easier to understand and agree with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan

Posted
Posted

Dont you just love it when eminent scientists pontificate outside of their field ?

and another thing ,

21cm hydrogen line, just about the most horrendously noisy place to put out a "we are here" signal.

Ok if you do want to keep yourself buried unheard in all the noise, but you can say "well we did our bit" !

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gazabone

Gazabone

Posted
Posted

I wonder if this will be his last BBC sponsored outing as a result?

Would be a shame, like him or not, he's sparked debate and almost certainly brought more people into astronomy and cosmology that may not have considered getting interested otherwise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan

Posted
Posted

I'm normally a fan of him,

but this series was just so questionable in so many ways,

was he just fed a duff script ? Or did he just not take the time to vet it !

Apart from the 21cm thing ( that was just so 100% Frank Drake era )

the latest thinking on the Easter Is. is that they did not war themselves to extinction after causing an ecological disaster, that they were doing very well with stone-mulch ag. (It was probably ebola or something !)

Was there not a BBC prog on rubbishing this recently ?

Nice jollies if you can get them, he could have gone even further, Australia, to do the stromatolite bit, that is where they are usually done from !

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

Posted
Posted

If Mr. Cox wants to think we're all alone - let him. But I will continue to crunch numbers for the Seti project at Berkeley. If you'd like to get involved, here's a link to Seti:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/index.php

In fact, my computer is crunching their data from Arecibo as I type this.

Clear Skies,

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.