Alien life on another planet
is a statistical certainty. Whether it's life you or I would consider sentient or even recognise is a whole other ball game. As for little grey men with big black eyes that like to fly around our backwater planet interfering with hillbillies? Not so much.

I'd totally be up for colonising other world, too. I wouldn't wan tto live in space, though. I like to have me an atmosphere I can rely on.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:23, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

It's only a statistical certainty if the universe is infinite
if it isn't then it's just a statistical very very likely.

In fact even in an infinite universe I'm not sure it's a true certainty
(Bazongaloid, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:24, Reply)

I won't argue
as I'm thick where maths is concerned. I was just trying to say that I wouldn't bet against infinity.

Edit: In that I believe the universe is infinite, I mean. Misread you slightly, there.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:26, Reply)

Anything possible is certain in a infinate universe.
And since we're here it's possible.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:27, Reply)

Yes, but that's the point, we are here
which means that it happened once, but it doesn't mean it will definitely happen again. I'm sure it's almost certain, but I don't think it's probability is actaully 1.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:31, Reply)

In an infinate universe it won't just happen once it'll happen an infinate amount of times.
Anything infinate has this knock on effect to anything related to it.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:33, Reply)

This would be more convincing
had you spelled infinite correctly.
(berk, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:34, Reply)

it was hurting my brain

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:35, Reply)

I'm not trying to convince you.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:37, Reply)

what a 'suprise'

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:03, Reply)

Hmmmm
that makes sense. I might still break your glasses though.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:35, Reply)

it's not infinite though is it?
90-odd billion light years across or somesuch
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:32, Reply)

So roughly the size of your mum?
Oh yeah.
(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:34, Reply)

you think that's air you're breathing?

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:34, Reply)

^ha!

( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:38, Reply)

What's around it?

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:35, Reply)

Depends who you ask but most people say it curves round on itself so doesn't have an "around"

(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:36, Reply)

alternatively
if you subscribe to the multiple universe theory, it's a torus, which, with a load of other toruses (torii, or (john) torodes?) to make up further toruses and so on
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:38, Reply)

Oh god
I'm overwhelmed!
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:43, Reply)

wait till someone mentions hyperspheres

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:44, Reply)

Or hypercube
The sequel to Cube, that's not worth watching.
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:49, Reply)

or gleaming the hypercube
with added Christian Slater and skateboards.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:51, Reply)

yeah it is

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:51, Reply)

I didn't rate it so much, although the ending was alright.
I preferred Cube Zero.
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:54, Reply)

cube zero is ok
I liked the ending of that.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:59, Reply)

I'm starting to feel anxious and depressed
We'll have to leave it here I'm afraid.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:52, Reply)

More universe
:D
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:36, Reply)

GOD
Jeebus and the angles.
(Zoz prayed for twink on, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:41, Reply)

Yeah, well "visible universe" but if the big bang happened then it isn't infinate.
because it's expanding.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:35, Reply)

Red Shift certainly implies that it is expanding.

(Bazongaloid, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:36, Reply)

Yep, and that's the best evidence we have about the universe expanding.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:39, Reply)

It's this part where my brain starts to hurt
if it's expanding, what's it expanding into? There's supposed to be quite literally nothing other than the universe, but if there's nothing, how can the universe be expanding into it? If there's something, then what?
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:42, Reply)

There is nothing apart from the universe but it's not expanding into anything.
it's just expanding.
Think of a balloon being blown up, you're inside the balloon.
and the balloon is the only thing there is.
and no one is blowing it.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:44, Reply)

My poor, three-dimensional brain
the balloon's expanding, yet there's nothing there for it to expand into. No matter, no gas, no physical anything, not even vacuum, literally nothing. If there's literally nothing there, it can't be expanded into.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:46, Reply)

the universe is everything
and it is getting bigger

why does it need to be expanding into anything?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:47, Reply)

How can it be getting bigger
unless there is something for it to be getting bigger into?

The concept of something getting bigger relative to nothing except itself is difficult for me to grasp.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:49, Reply)

that's because you are within the universe
along with everything else.

For all we know the universe itself could be staying the same size and everything in it shrinking at the same rate and in the same way so it looks like the universe is what is getting bigger.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:51, Reply)

The worst thing about all this
is that I'm actually quite bright. Just apparently rather linear.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:54, Reply)

you can't much more mind-boggling than what we are discussing
I just happen to like wrapping my mind around this sort of thing.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:56, Reply)

Ok, how about thinking about it as there's no more stuff in the universe, that stuff stays the same
but that stuff is getting further apart.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:00, Reply)

that's a better way of looking at it
the universe doesn't have outer limits, it goes on for ever, and everything that is in it started in the same place and is spreading out.

I foresee a "but how can it be infinite?" question coming on
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:03, Reply)

what's outside the balloon?
I appreciate I am struggling with this basic concept but how can somethign expand into nothing??????
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:47, Reply)

you aren't going to get a better explanation than "because it can"
we don't and very probably will never know what is outside the universe. Nor does it have any bearing on anything.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:48, Reply)

it must be God
your logic and science have turned me to religion! I hope you are happy you fucks.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:52, Reply)

this whole thread is making my brain cells bang into each other
like when you're hungover and walk into doorframes
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:05, Reply)

"finite but unbounded"
At the risk of sounding like Doc Brown, it's difficult for us to think sufficiently-dimensionally. Here's the analogy I first heard.

Imagine beings who can only perceive two dimensions, living on the surface of a large sphere, so to them the world appears flat, but however far they go, they never fall off the edge. Strange.

We, on the other hand, are able to appreciate the fact that there's a third dimension. So we know what's really going on.

Just add a dimension or two, and you have us, and our appreciation of the Universe.

I think. (Though it makes my brain hurt.)
(BrianHequator was stretching owls, on, or around, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:08, Reply)

I read that explanation again very recently
it's a good one.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:14, Reply)

I think I'm going to be sick
I just can't handle stuff like that. I think I might be inbred or something.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 16:15, Reply)

Really?
That's very nearly as big as my cock.
( Kroney, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:36, Reply)

You are assuming that it is straight sided and of three dimensions.
If it is a sphere, torus or saddle, it could be infinite, as in having no boundaries.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:44, Reply)

GIven sufficient time, it is likely that life on another world will evolve as it does on ours.
The physiology will be different, but intelegance should still be a successful evolutionary trait, and being able to see at wavelengths given out by the supporting star will be good too. Life, when found should be recognisible to humans. Basically anything from Star trek/ wars will be on the cards.

Except Jarjar Binks. No self-respecting planet would support life as annoying as that.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:41, Reply)

Great display of 'intelegance', Bartles...

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:47, Reply)

I'm on the fly and my spelling is crap anyway.
Not whimsical like Gonzo's
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 11 Aug 2010, 15:48, Reply)