@contradevian Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 http://www.guardian....sian-astronomer Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilisations within the next two decades, a top Russian astronomer said on Monday."The genesis of life is as inevitable as the formation of atoms ... Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years," said Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Applied Astronomy Institute, according to the Interfax news agency. Speaking at an international forum dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, Finkelstein said 10% of the known planets circling suns in the galaxy resemble Earth. If water can be found there, then so can life, he said, adding that aliens would most likely resemble humans with two arms, two legs and a head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Last time I looked none of the known ones resembled Earth (although detection methods find it much easier to find non-Earthlike planets). The rest is pure speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 was there no mention of the value of his house, or the likely value of houses on other planets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 was there no mention of the value of his house, or the likely value of houses on other planets? We would welcome a bail out from them, whoever they are. I would think within my lifetime, some kind of alien entity will be found and confirmed, though it might only be the remains of bugs and microbes. Indeed NASA might already have found this on meteorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy666 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Last time I looked none of the known ones resembled Earth (although detection methods find it much easier to find non-Earthlike planets). The rest is pure speculation. 10% of stars having earthlike planets seems quite high - although even 1% is a lot. Microscopic life probably forms quite quickly (<10,000 years); the main arguments being that it appears as soon as we can see it in the geological record (i.e we do not have any record of a sterile planet), and none of the intermediate stages between simple organics and life appear very stable. You can't just get half way and hang around for 100,000 years. But.. it took perhaps 3 billion years for bacteria to turn into jellyfish. That's a long, long time for a planetary environment to remain stable and habitable. It also took 400 million years to turn frogs into people - i.e. land living creatures into clever land living creatures. Both of those steps appear far harder than the first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lagarde's Drift Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 We would welcome a bail out from them, whoever they are. I would think within my lifetime, some kind of alien entity will be found and confirmed, though it might only be the remains of bugs and microbes. Indeed NASA might already have found this on meteorites. It would be very human indeed to suck other species into our ponzi schemes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thod Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 If water can be found there, then so can life, he said, adding that aliens would most likely resemble humans with two arms, two legs and a head. Prior to the Cambrian explosion (Al Queda?), all manner of body plans existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 was there no mention of the value of his house, or the likely value of houses on other planets? PMSL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 10% of stars having earthlike planets seems quite high - although even 1% is a lot. Microscopic life probably forms quite quickly (<10,000 years); the main arguments being that it appears as soon as we can see it in the geological record (i.e we do not have any record of a sterile planet), and none of the intermediate stages between simple organics and life appear very stable. You can't just get half way and hang around for 100,000 years. But.. it took perhaps 3 billion years for bacteria to turn into jellyfish. That's a long, long time for a planetary environment to remain stable and habitable. It also took 400 million years to turn frogs into people - i.e. land living creatures into clever land living creatures. Both of those steps appear far harder than the first one. True, but it is just as likely that great civilisations rose and died before even our own Sun formed. A friend of mine who does astral journeys was only telling me the other night that millions of other planets had life and that people pretty much looked like us. There you go - sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 True, but it is just as likely that great civilisations rose and died before even our own Sun formed. A friend of mine who does astral journeys was only telling me the other night that millions of other planets had life and that people pretty much looked like us. There you go - sorted. Is that like Thomas Cook - but a bit classier ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 A friend of mine who does astral journeys was only telling me the other night that millions of other planets had life and that people pretty much looked like us. TMT - you've been wandering into EAs offices again haven't you - you know you shouldn't believe all their spin, a wall of alien money isn't about to push house prices up on the Gower, no matter how renowned the local rarebit is in the surrounding valleys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Is that like Thomas Cook - but a bit classier ? You don't have to wory about passport control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 TMT - you've been wandering into EAs offices again haven't you - you know you shouldn't believe all their spin, a wall of alien money isn't about to push house prices up on the Gower, no matter how renowned the local rarebit is in the surrounding valleys Yep, little green martians are about to drive up Gower prices. They are already out of this world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkman Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilisations within the next two decades, a top Russian astronomer said on Monday. "The genesis of life is as inevitable as the formation of atoms ... Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years," said Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Applied Astronomy Institute, according to the Interfax news agency. Speaking at an international forum dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, Finkelstein said 10% of the known planets circling suns in the galaxy resemble Earth. If water can be found there, then so can life, he said, adding that aliens would most likely resemble humans with two arms, two legs and a head. "Finkelstein went on to say the Institute is campaigning hard this year for increased Govt funding & above inflation pay rises in view of their important work....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichB Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Tbh the Russian makes perfect sense. After all, it must be the aliens who keep coming back to top up the intergalactic fuel dump that we call abiotic generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 They must think they'll all become homeowners otherwise it would never have rated a mention. You can be sure wherever they land they'll all be given maps with directions to the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Meh. Been there. Done that. Next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Meh. Been there. Done that. Next. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown: BLEAH!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 We would welcome a bail out from them, whoever they are. I would think within my lifetime, some kind of alien entity will be found and confirmed, though it might only be the remains of bugs and microbes. Indeed NASA might already have found this on meteorites. No doubt the Giant squid would be able to help with any special off balance sheet requirements and if they needed the savior of the universe we could give them Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbonic Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Prior to the Cambrian explosion (Al Queda?), all manner of body plans existed. My favourite mid Cambrain body shape is Hallucigenia.... If we find aliens (or they find us) I'd lay odds that they will look nothing like us. Lizards yes, us no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgoose Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 If water can be found there, then so can life, he said, adding that aliens would most likely resemble humans with two arms, two legs and a head. "They may have different colour skin, but even we have that," he said. I think he has been watching too many sci fi films if he thinks that human development is a stable plateu at the peak of the evolutionary journey. Humanity is just another step, and as biological evolution is very slow, technological evolution is very fast in comparison, and also more durable. Therefore, I would expect to see aliens that are not biological at all - especially given the difficulties of space travel for biological beings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Yeah right, bring it on!! Cmon!! as they say at the tennis. Who gives a ... At any rate the Russians are getting on for 500 years behind the times. Nostradamus predicted all that stuff ages ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHERWICK Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Yeah right, bring it on!! Cmon!! as they say at the tennis. Who gives a ... At any rate the Russians are getting on for 500 years behind the times. Nostradamus predicted all that stuff ages ago. Will they help us with our pensions crisis? (Or make it worse by giving us cures for diseases so we live decades/centuries longer ala 'V'). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I think he has been watching too many sci fi films if he thinks that human development is a stable plateu at the peak of the evolutionary journey. Humanity is just another step, and as biological evolution is very slow, technological evolution is very fast in comparison, and also more durable. Therefore, I would expect to see aliens that are not biological at all - especially given the difficulties of space travel for biological beings. I think you raise a good point. Apart from the expense, and being relatively delicate, humans are just not well adapted for space travel and I think our "computers" will. The danger is being poured out of the spacecraft after being in space any length of time. You would really need to "grow" a new human to cope with the extended space travel, and then grow another to cope with a new environment was encountered at the other end. Suspect it will be automated spaceships with sample DNA taken. Or perhaps our brains go, not sure which. Of course could be completely wrong with huge generational ships being built with gravity and a complete planetary environment to sustain human life, however can't see us ever raising the money to build something like that. As for whether aliens would resemble us, well our body plan has been particularly successful, though I doubt other planets would have had the exact amount of sun, radiation and gravity and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Likely they'll be trying to sell some dud ponzi scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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