Aliens are real???

[Gradius]

I'd like to see where you got your numbers from, and Star Trek doesn't count.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Search for current estimates. Not taking a civilization's ability to communicate with us into account, for intelligent civilizations total there are probably 200 with expected parameters, 2 million with extremely optimistic parameters, and basically none in this galaxy with pessimistic parameters.

[DemolitionSquid]

I'd like to see where you got your numbers from, and Star Trek doesn't count.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Search for current estimates. Not taking a civilization's ability to communicate with us into account, for intelligent civilizations total there are probably 200 with expected parameters, 2 million with extremely optimistic parameters, and basically none in this galaxy with pessimistic parameters.

I'm using the original Drake Equation, but I see no reason why it has been altered at all. We've gotten literally no more relevant data since its inception. We've found extrasolar planets, many gas giants, implyingthat gas giants are common and can protect smaller life sustaining planets, which is a point for me. We've found planets in the Goldilocks zone, but don't yet have the technology to accurately scan them for life or water, so its irrelevant until that point. Also, why would their ability to communicate with us or not matter? Everyone knows that it takes forever for our primitive radio waves to reach from one star to the other, and that the decay rate in signal strength is pretty harsh over a hundred light years. There's the fact sentient civilizations existing right now could range in technology from bronze age to Dyson Sphere builders, and that technological progress doesn't have to follow the same path as it did here on earth, nor even the same form (I predict a couple steam punk space fearing civilizations). Add to all this the possibility of non-carbon based life, and life even existing in non-water environments (which exists even on earth) and your 200 sapient civilizations is a ridiculously low estimate.

I may be a bit optimistic at 20 million, but any less than 10 million is unbelievable to me. Until we find life elsewhere, everything is obviously conjecture, but we know nearly nothing about our universe and frankly, I'd rather highball my estimates.

[TheEconomist]

Gradius, DemolitionSquid's knowledge of the universe is far too comprehensive for us mere college graduates to comprehend. We cannot hold our own in a conversation with him. We must swiftly retreat before we make complete asses of ourselves.

[EvilGenius]

I may be a bit optimistic at 20 million, but any less than 10 million is unbelievable to me. Until we find life elsewhere, everything is obviously conjecture, but we know nearly nothing about our universe and frankly, I'd rather highball my estimates.

And add to this the probability of life existing outside the dimensions that WE can observe (estimates at around 11 currently?) - I'd say you're still low-balling it... I'm going to go with 75 BAZJILLION sentient species.

[TheEconomist]

String theory says 10, the membrane theory says 11, the Function Space Theory, however, says infinite.

So, depends on the theory. I've heard one of Stephen Hawkings latest theories say that, due to the amount of unknown matter ("dark matter"/"blue matter") which gives galaxies their gravity, there has to be 17-30 dimensions. Of course, this theory comes from two to three years ago when the recording of two galaxies colliding with a new form of filtering (which shows matter that we cannot see) showed blue and black auras around them. Hasn't had enough time to be analyzed to debated. But, like most of his theories, they eventually become the dominant theory with sometime

-- Anyone watch the show, The X-Files. I used to watch that show. Haven't seen it in years. This made me want to start watching it again

[TheEconomist]

A bot with a sense of wonder . . .

Skynet must have already launched.

[MasterSlayer]

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/video...IAW66j0ci9k3D7

[Blazur]

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/video...IAW66j0ci9k3D7

Interesting video...yet I still don't believe any of it. These claims are all just hoaxes or military experiments in my opinion. A few can be debunked already:

- Norway Spiral: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_No...spiral_anomaly
- Aztec UFO (FBI documents referring to recovered aliens): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec,_...o_UFO_incident
- Jerusalem UFO over dome: http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2011/...nuary-28-2011/

People love to spread hoaxes.

Also, there's something else which could be accounting for any anomalies in the sky, scientifically. Google HAARP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Fr...search_Program).