Home | Community | Message Board

Out-Grow.com - Mushroom Growing Kits & Supplies
This site includes paid links. Please support our sponsors.


Welcome to the Shroomery Message Board! You are experiencing a small sample of what the site has to offer. Please login or register to post messages and view our exclusive members-only content. You'll gain access to additional forums, file attachments, board customizations, encrypted private messages, and much more!

Shop: Kraken Kratom Red Vein Kratom   PhytoExtractum Maeng Da Thai Kratom Leaf Powder

Jump to first unread post Pages: 1
InvisibleStarchild
Stranger
Registered: 04/22/05
Posts: 77
Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not?
    #4179099 - 05/15/05 04:36 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

With so many great topics in discussion right now here on the shroomery boards, it got me thinking about something. I've always wondered what other people would think but I never asked anyone....anyway here goes.

When people philosophize about life on earth, generally there are two schools of thought. One being that the emergence of life on earth is a unique system of events that has only occurred on Earth and only ever will occur on Earth. The other is that there are probably other life forms on other planets. Personally I think the first scenario is so ridiculously unlikely that I don't even spend time considering it really. Life is simply a bunch of atoms that happened to be in the right place in the right conditions at the right time for the right biological reactions to occur, which can occur anywhere that the correct conditions are present. So, when you know that there are only a small number of atoms in existence.....combined with the fact that there are billions x billions x billions x billions of stars with planets around them, and there are only a limited number of possible environmental conditions on those planets....then it becomes pretty obvious I think that similar conditions have arisen on numerous other planets.

If we believe that there are billions of galaxies like ours throughout the universe that are millions of billions of light years away from us (in some cases), then that means we will never be able to observe or visit those distant areas of the universe. Since nothing made of matter can travel at or faster than the speed of light (excluding wormhole theories  :tongue2:), that means that any other life forms that are present in the universe could never come in contact with us either (for a long, long, LONG time, anyway).

With all that said....isn't it entirely possible that there are literally BILLIONS of other life forms on billions of other planets just as sentient and aware as we are? They're all looking out through their telescopes pondering the same philosophical issues we are. Hell, it's even possible that other humans have evolved elsewhere in the universe, and possibly in multiple places. How messed up is that?! And of course, none of us will ever know for sure either way (until we die....hopefully) :sad:


--------------------
Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleMushmanTheManic
Stranger

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Starchild]
    #4179106 - 05/15/05 04:38 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

I dunno.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleStarchild
Stranger
Registered: 04/22/05
Posts: 77
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: MushmanTheManic]
    #4179116 - 05/15/05 04:39 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

:yawn:


--------------------
Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineDruginduced
Stranger
 User Gallery
Registered: 01/12/03
Posts: 5,139
Last seen: 16 years, 8 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Starchild]
    #4179144 - 05/15/05 04:45 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

What do you consider to be the correct description of life? Where do you cut off the living from the non-living? Is a bacteria living?

If so, then life has already been discovered on other planets. Bacteria (or the proof that bacteria once existed (i forget which)) has been discovered on mars (or a rock that originated from mars).

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Offlinescribble
Stranger
Registered: 04/05/05
Posts: 86
Last seen: 17 years, 10 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Druginduced]
    #4179151 - 05/15/05 04:49 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

I was watching something on TV yesterday about life on other planets and they had Steven Hawking on. He "said" something along the line of "he thinks life is not an uncommon thing because if it was we would not have gotten life on earth so quickly after the planet cooled."


--------------------
Mahayana Buddhist tradition tells how Buddha lived on one hemp seed a day.
This was enough to sustain him during the six steps of asceticism leading to his Enlightenment.
In recent centuries, higher doses have been favoured.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleStarchild
Stranger
Registered: 04/22/05
Posts: 77
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: scribble]
    #4179182 - 05/15/05 04:56 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

I define life as anything living, even single celled organisms. Yes I am aware that there was a small meteorite that landed in antarctica which contained signs of bacterial life from mars (though it was nothing definite, the actual bacteria were no longer there). But I guess I specifically meant more evolved life forms like ourselves. I just think it's amazing how there are probably so many other planets teeming with life. The ultimate experience would be to encounter a sentient being from another planet...just imagine....


--------------------
Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineOldWoodSpecter
waiting
Male

Registered: 02/01/05
Posts: 4,033
Loc: mountains and lakes
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Druginduced]
    #4179201 - 05/15/05 05:02 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

RydawgSupreme said:
What do you consider to be the correct description of life? Where do you cut off the living from the non-living? Is a bacteria living?

If so, then life has already been discovered on other planets. Bacteria (or the proof that bacteria once existed (i forget which)) has been discovered on mars (or a rock that originated from mars).




I think that has been debunked


--------------------
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibletrendalM
J♠
Male User Gallery

Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada Flag
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Starchild]
    #4179525 - 05/15/05 06:34 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

ith all that said....isn't it entirely possible that there are literally BILLIONS of other life forms on billions of other planets just as sentient and aware as we are? They're all looking out through their telescopes pondering the same philosophical issues we are. Hell, it's even possible that other humans have evolved elsewhere in the universe, and possibly in multiple places. How messed up is that?! And of course, none of us will ever know for sure either way (until we die....hopefully)

Here's a thought that consistently blows my mind:

What if the way Life has evolved on Earth is the only way that Life can evolve (at least in a general sense)?

Wouldn't it be strange if the first planet we happen upon, once we get into space, turns out to look like and be populated by almost the exact same "types" of Life as we have here on Earth?


--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibletrendalM
J♠
Male User Gallery

Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada Flag
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: OldWoodSpecter]
    #4179529 - 05/15/05 06:35 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

I think that has been debunked

Any proof of this?

As far as I know, even NASA still isn't quite sure.


--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineOldWoodSpecter
waiting
Male

Registered: 02/01/05
Posts: 4,033
Loc: mountains and lakes
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4179595 - 05/15/05 07:00 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Well all I know is that I've used it as an argument on these forums once, and someone toled me it turned out it wasn't true


--------------------
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineOldWoodSpecter
waiting
Male

Registered: 02/01/05
Posts: 4,033
Loc: mountains and lakes
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4179600 - 05/15/05 07:02 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

trendal said:
ith all that said....isn't it entirely possible that there are literally BILLIONS of other life forms on billions of other planets just as sentient and aware as we are? They're all looking out through their telescopes pondering the same philosophical issues we are. Hell, it's even possible that other humans have evolved elsewhere in the universe, and possibly in multiple places. How messed up is that?! And of course, none of us will ever know for sure either way (until we die....hopefully)

Here's a thought that consistently blows my mind:

What if the way Life has evolved on Earth is the only way that Life can evolve (at least in a general sense)?

Wouldn't it be strange if the first planet we happen upon, once we get into space, turns out to look like and be populated by almost the exact same "types" of Life as we have here on Earth?




Star Trek revolves around that kind of thinking, every planet has a stage of humanoid development


--------------------
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Invisiblespud
I'm so fly.

Registered: 10/07/02
Posts: 44,410
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4180078 - 05/15/05 08:53 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

It's been debunked for years now.

http://www.spacedaily.com/mars/features/life-97d.html

Quote:

Los Alamos - Jan 16, 1998 - Organic material contained in a meteorite heralded as bearing signs of previous life on Mars is actually from Earth.



Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleDiploidM
Cuban

Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 01/09/03
Posts: 19,274
Loc: Rabbit Hole
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4181310 - 05/16/05 04:40 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Wouldn't it be strange if the first planet we happen upon, once we get into space, turns out to look like and be populated by almost the exact same "types" of Life as we have here on Earth?

There goes my patent for a Universal Translator.  :smirk:


--------------------
Republican Values:

1) You can't get married to your spouse who is the same sex as you.
2) You can't have an abortion no matter how much you don't want a child.
3) You can't have a certain plant in your possession or you'll get locked up with a rapist and a murderer.

4) We need a smaller, less-intrusive government.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
OfflineJacquesCousteau
Being.
Male User Gallery

Registered: 06/10/03
Posts: 7,825
Loc: Everywhere, Everytime.
Last seen: 1 year, 10 months
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4181414 - 05/16/05 07:13 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

trendal said:
Wouldn't it be strange if the first planet we happen upon, once we get into space, turns out to look like and be populated by almost the exact same "types" of Life as we have here on Earth?




The really weird thing would be if we started finding exact duplicates of Earth... not necessarily at the same point in time. Say 50 years prior... then we start getting into the concept of a dimensional universe...

This could, theoretically, be perceived as a form of time travel.  :wink:

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Offlinejcldragon
Stranger
 User Gallery

Registered: 05/09/05
Posts: 117
Loc: Los Angeles
Last seen: 13 years, 1 month
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Diploid]
    #4181436 - 05/16/05 07:28 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

You may have noticed that life on Earth is very tenacious. We find life in the oceans, on land, in the air, very, very deep at the bottoms of oceans, and even in volcanoes. AND, note that we've explored just a fraction of what is here on Earth. Life doesn't even have to be carbon-based. Diatoms are an example of silicon-based life.

So we know very little about what might be out there in the incredible vastness of the universe, yet in almost every place we have looked, we have found something. That ought to be a hint.

Note also, that our sun, Sol, is a third (or perhaps fourth) generation star. It is composed of the hydrogen & dust of other stars that have gone before it. Our solar system is rather young in the scheme of things, and our understanding of the principles underlying the structure of the universe, really are just in their infancy. Time & again throughout our history, people have believed that they understood all that there was to know, only to find out later on, that things really weren't exactly what they believed them to be.

We've been rather egotistical in that way, haven't we? If anything at all, we ought to realize by now that assumptions always get us into trouble. I've read that early in the 20th Century, that the guy who was in charge of the US Patent Office, noticed a long lull for a few months in the applications for new patents. He concluded that everything that might be invented, had pretty much already been invented, so he suggested that the US Patent Office be closed. I'm sure you've noticed that *just a few* things have been discovered since then.

So I would suggest that that process is going to continue. We had Newtonian Physics, and it certainly does explain phenomena on a very local basis, but it doesn't explain everything. Einstein came up with Relativity, and we've worked with Particle Physics for some time, too. It certainly does explain quite a few more things, but we know it isn't complete either. Currently, advanced scientists are exploring Wave Theory, and that is about to revolutionize all of our concepts about everything.

So is there life out there in the universe somewhere that we don't know about? Heck! We haven't even figured out just what constitutes life here yet. As a species, we need to become a bit more humble, and not imagine that we are the center of everything. There is one thing that we CAN safely assume, and that is that we must always be asking questions...


--------------------
The Soul exists simultaneously throughout all of Time.
The Ego merely exists now.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibletrendalM
J♠
Male User Gallery

Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: jcldragon]
    #4181487 - 05/16/05 08:06 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Diatoms are an example of silicon-based life.

Diatoms are still carbon-based life, as they are still based on the same DNA molecule as the rest of Life on Earth.

They use silicon for their exoskeleton. Calling them "silicon-based life" would be like calling humans "calcium-based life" because our bones contain a lot of calcium.


--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleeMotionALLmotion
DivineeMotive....

Registered: 02/28/05
Posts: 759
Loc: The Symphony of Lights......
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Starchild]
    #4181510 - 05/16/05 08:17 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

Starchild said:
I define life as anything living, even single celled organisms. Yes I am aware that there was a small meteorite that landed in antarctica which contained signs of bacterial life from mars (though it was nothing definite, the actual bacteria were no longer there). But I guess I specifically meant more evolved life forms like ourselves. I just think it's amazing how there are probably so many other planets teeming with life. The ultimate experience would be to encounter a sentient being from another planet...just imagine....



.
Encountering (an)other (friendly)being(s) would be very cool, but I am sure would pale in comparison to the experience of seeing all the stuff in the skies, and seeing how they live, n' stuff....  :sun:


--------------------
Uni-VersALL      MasterPeace
eMotive  :sun: Divinity NowThere Infinity :sun:  eMelody

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleSwami
Eggshell Walker

Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: trendal]
    #4181958 - 05/16/05 11:41 AM (18 years, 10 months ago)

See Frog's thread: "Diatoms are a girl's best friend"...


--------------------



The proof is in the pudding.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleVeritas
 User Gallery
Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,089
Re: Life: A Unique occurrence on Earth or not? [Re: Swami]
    #4182180 - 05/16/05 12:36 PM (18 years, 10 months ago)

:rotfl:

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Jump to top Pages: 1

Shop: Kraken Kratom Red Vein Kratom   PhytoExtractum Maeng Da Thai Kratom Leaf Powder


Similar ThreadsPosterViewsRepliesLast post
* Mastery of A Sentient Conscious Universe
( 1 2 3 4 ... 14 15 )
JasonVira 8,951 290 10/20/09 07:51 AM
by JasonVira
* The telescopic nature of the evolutionary paradigm
( 1 2 all )
exclusive58 5,031 26 02/16/06 04:39 PM
by Annom
* Who has a telescope
( 1 2 all )
Ripple 3,262 29 02/23/03 02:00 AM
by falcon
* Humanity truly a sentient species? Randolph_Carter 1,066 11 12/02/03 01:13 PM
by Phred
* A sentient universe shroommachine 545 2 11/13/05 09:05 PM
by Moonshoe
* On the ethically-minded meat eater's "appeal to sentient plants" daytripper23 579 1 05/16/08 02:14 AM
by Sleepwalker
* Terence McKenna's beliefs about time-telescoping
( 1 2 3 all )
question_for_joo 5,761 44 07/25/05 03:46 AM
by alsey
* I'm getting my telescope out
( 1 2 3 all )
Kid 2,798 40 01/13/02 11:38 AM
by mm.

Extra information
You cannot start new topics / You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled / BBCode is enabled
Moderator: Middleman, DividedQuantum
1,305 topic views. 2 members, 7 guests and 16 web crawlers are browsing this forum.
[ Show Images Only | Sort by Score | Print Topic ]
Search this thread:

Copyright 1997-2024 Mind Media. Some rights reserved.

Generated in 0.031 seconds spending 0.007 seconds on 14 queries.