Area 51

ICBM

SNAKEBITE said:

Isn't it Jellyfish that is meant to contain DNA that cannot be reasonably explained?

I'm sure it was something like that.

I've not come across that, but I will do some reading...

AustrianJohn

TheMarlin said:

I watched the Bob Lazar documentary.  It was crap. He’s got an interesting story, but this crappy self indulgent documentary was a mess. Don’t bother wasting your time watching it. 

This (although I only got half way through - there's possibly only 2 minutes of content in the first half).

The fact that Lazar can't substantiate his education indicates that his whole story is just that - a story.  Even if (pandering to his delusion) the government had erased all reference to his education, surely he certificates for classes he passed and photos of his graduation. And when the lack of evidence of his education first appeared he was, I think, in his thirties, could he not have found classmates to verify that he had attended university?

If you want more reasons why Lazar is a fraud see this http://www.ufojoe.net/?p=220

LuttiS

VimFuego said:

one of the things I loved about BSG was how empty their universe is, I realise this was probably done mostly for money reasons (it's a lot cheaper not to have to invent alien cultures) and for dramatic reasons (to highlight the lightboat in the middle of the ocean vibe) but it really jarred, in a good way. Most sci fi franchises have galaxies that are teeming with life, which doesn't quite sit right. 

That was contractual
Edward James Olmos had it written into his contract that he would walk if there were aliens..

" Olmos even said he put a cliché-avoidance line in his contract: "The first four-eyed monster I see, I'm going to faint on camera, and you're going to write me off the show." "

ICBM

AustrianJohn said:

The fact that Lazar can't substantiate his education indicates that his whole story is just that - a story.  Even if (pandering to his delusion) the government had erased all reference to his education, surely he certificates for classes he passed and photos of his graduation. And when the lack of evidence of his education first appeared he was, I think, in his thirties, could he not have found classmates to verify that he had attended university?

It's a distinctive characteristic of all conspiracy theorists and fantasists that when evidence that that contradicts them is produced, another layer of conspiracy or fantasy is invoked to 'explain' how that evidence must also be faked. The size of the alleged conspiracy to cover it up and then to cover up the cover-up increases exponentially, making it even more implausible...

AustrianJohn

The Drake equation (a probabilistic argument used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilisations in the Milky Way galaxy) is a collection of very, very large numbers, and very, very small numbers (many of which are guesses). It leads to some interesting discussions, but no real predictions about the likelihood of extraterrestrial life.

TimmyO said:

... there is no evidence yet that a collection of molecules that constitutes life is inevitable...

Interesting comment - what would that evidence look like? (Not disagreeing - genuinely interested.) As we have only explored one solar system - one that does have life - it's certainly not clear that we should expect this to be a unique occurrence. (OK, I know a sample of one is not statistically significant...)

Sassafras

There's no credible evidence that there's intelligent life on Earth let alone other galaxies.

ThePrettyDamned

Wazmeister said:

Watch ‘Unacknowledged’ on Netflix.

When ex US Presidents, ex CIA FBI, Russian leaders, etc etc start saying on record that there are Alien forms and vehicles, its time to start listening...

Are all of those a source of useful information regarding aliens? 

 

VimFuego

LuttiS said:

VimFuego said:

one of the things I loved about BSG was how empty their universe is, I realise this was probably done mostly for money reasons (it's a lot cheaper not to have to invent alien cultures) and for dramatic reasons (to highlight the lightboat in the middle of the ocean vibe) but it really jarred, in a good way. Most sci fi franchises have galaxies that are teeming with life, which doesn't quite sit right. 

That was contractual
Edward James Olmos had it written into his contract that he would walk if there were aliens..

" Olmos even said he put a cliché-avoidance line in his contract: "The first four-eyed monster I see, I'm going to faint on camera, and you're going to write me off the show." "

did not know that. Think the only thing I never understood is why did every planet they put foot on look like Canada in the autumn. 

viz

ICBM said:

Complex life is so vanishingly rare that we are almost certainly the only example. The reason is the sheer odds against the creation of DNA or an equivalent self-replicating molecule, and then the similarly unlikely event of the evolution of multicellular organisms - we know it has only happened once in four billion years on Earth because all lifeforms we’ve ever found are descended from a single common ancestor. 

This is my view too, but we must concede that the LUCA argument does not prohibit life having been initiated more than once; it might have occurred the day after too, but that family may have died out; with such simple organisms there would be no fossil record.

I am of the view that it only happened once, ever, but I also know that 1 is a very rare number on the universe. Things either tend not to happen at all, or they happen more than once. 

VimFuego

personally I find the idea that we are the only intelligent life in the galaxy absolutely terrifying, so I chose to believe there is more out there, mostly cos if we are the only one, we're doing a bang up job about reducing that number by 1.

Jalapeno

They'll organise an Area 51 mass protest, and as band members can attest - maybe 15 people will turn up

VimFuego

well, Kings Langley's a bit far for me to go.

blobb

Nomad said:

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

That'll be your flying teapot

Kilgore said:

Now pass that spliff man.

You don't have to give up hope, and you don't have to give up dope, but you might have to change your ways....

Jalapeno

blobb said:

Nomad said:

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

That'll be your flying teapot

Kilgore said:

Now pass that spliff man.

You don't have to give up hope, and you don't have to give up dope, but you might have to change your ways....

ICBM

VimFuego said:

personally I find the idea that we are the only intelligent life in the galaxy absolutely terrifying, so I chose to believe there is more out there, mostly cos if we are the only one, we're doing a bang up job about reducing that number by 1.

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke

Haych

There's a third possibility: we are alone in the universe but out of it we are not.  Why does life have to be confined to the physical universe just because we are?

SNAKEBITE

ICBM said:

SNAKEBITE said:

Isn't it Jellyfish that is meant to contain DNA that cannot be reasonably explained?

I'm sure it was something like that.

I've not come across that, but I will do some reading...

https://evolutionnews.org/2015/08/the_octopus_gen/

@ICBM it is the octopus, not Jellyfish.

Above is one link, but there is a load more.

SNAKEBITE

I will add that some people do think Octopi are actual alien DNA.

Sassafras

You' only have to look at an octopus to see it's obviously derived from the acid blooded face hugging Alien embryo.
That's all the evidence I need.

VimFuego

never been facehugged by an octopus before, but I have been facehugged by a kitten (them little claws dun half hurt), so maybe cats are extraterrestrial life forms.