If intelligent beings lived on other planets, they'd have visited us by now

[Mr Natural]

Maybe they’ve been here and we weren’t yet.

 

[Concerned American]

Can you prove extra-terrestrial intelligent beings exist?

Better question, can you prove they don't? Given the vast nature of the universe, I would say that their existence is more likely than not.

 

[Concerned American]

That's long enough to say someone should have visited us by now,

You don't know that they haven't nor if they are among us.

 

[Blackrook]

The atheists demand proof of God. I tell them there's plenty of proof, but whenever I show it to them they always have reasons why my proof doesn't count.

I'm not going to be as unreasonable as an atheist. However, I will say that I have never seen one bit of proof to convince me that intelligent life exists on other planets. Vague stories of light in the sky aren't proof, in my opinion.

 

[BasicHumanUnit]

The only way we could be alone in the cosmos (AND for "God" to exist) is if all that we think we see is actually a grand illusion. Keep in mind the farthest any man or man made object has ever traveled is only to the edges of our solar system. Basically we have never physically ventured outside of a single molecule of water, in a drop of water ......in the largest ocean.

Our best telescopes can only "see" the light that enters their lenses. (even the JWST)
I suspect we are seeing something that my not actually exist. ala...The Truman Show kind of thing

Could Earth be the very first place in the Cosmos where life developed? Seems astronomically unlikely.

 

[Ralph Norton]

Can you prove extra-terrestrial intelligent beings exist?

I've never seen any proof, just a bunch of wishful thinking.

But if you have proof, let's see it.

I cannot but that is irrelevant.
I was simply stating that your comment: "If they haven't come here yet, they never will. We are alone in the universe" is not logically valid.

 

[Ralph Norton]

The atheists demand proof of God. I tell them there's plenty of proof, but whenever I show it to them they always have reasons why my proof doesn't count.

I'm not going to be as unreasonable as an atheist. However, I will say that I have never seen one bit of proof to convince me that intelligent life exists on other planets. Vague stories of light in the sky aren't proof, in my opinion.

And what form do you suppose that "proof" would take?

 

[Blackrook]

I cannot but that is irrelevant.
I was simply stating that your comment: "If they haven't come here yet, they never will. We are alone in the universe" is not logically valid.

Simply repeating yourself does not advance your argument. If what I say is not logically valid, explain why it isn't.

 

[Concerned American]

Simply repeating yourself does not advance your argument. If what I say is not logically valid, explain why it isn't.

Do you have a logical reason for why you believe they don't exist. All you have presented is your very limited view of the universe.

 

[Ralph Norton]

Simply repeating yourself does not advance your argument. If what I say is not logically valid, explain why it isn't.

I only posted this once so I don't know what you are referring to by saying that I am repeating myself.
And it saddens me that I have to explain this to you:
"If they haven't come here yet, they never will' is not logically valid.
They could come tomorrow. Or 500,000 years from now. Or never. But you don't know thus "they never will" is not a valid conclusion.
Hope that clears it up for you.

 

[Blackrook]

About as much as you can that they don't. IOW, zip either way.

The burden of proof isn't on me to prove a negative.

 

[marvin martian]

If they haven't come here yet, they never will. We are alone in the universe.

What if they only now achieved the technology to do that? If you believe Roswell in 1947 was the first contact, that may have been their very first attempt to reach an intelligent planet.

 

[Concerned American]

The burden of proof isn't on me to prove a negative.

Cop out. Thread closed.

 

[Blackrook]

Do you have a logical reason for why you believe they don't exist. All you have presented is your very limited view of the universe.

I already gave me reason -- there is no proof extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists, therefore, it is very unlikely it exists.

My position is entirely logical. Repeatedly saying it isn't logical isn't advancing your point. Why do you believe I'm not being logical?

 

[Blackrook]

Cop out. Thread closed.

Not a cop out. The legal system requires a defendant to prove nothing. He can sit in the court and say nothing. The plaintiff or prosecutor must prove his case. He has the burden of proof.

 

[Ralph Norton]

I already gave me reason -- there is no proof extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists, therefore, it is very unlikely it exists.

My position is entirely logical. Repeatedly saying it isn't logical isn't advancing your point. Why do you believe I'm not being logical?

"there is no proof extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists, therefore, it is very unlikely it exists."
Also not logically valid.
Keep up the good work.

 

[Concerned American]

I already gave me reason -- there is no proof extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists, therefore, it is very unlikely it exists.

Unless you have a logical reason against the existence, you have no proof that they don't exist. Thank you for leaving your mind open to that possibility by stating you believe it is "unlikely" in your mind.

 

[Concerned American]

Not a cop out. The legal system requires a defendant to prove nothing. He can sit in the court and say nothing. The plaintiff or prosecutor must prove his case. He has the burden of proof.

You're reaching. This is not a criminal case and the burden of proof shifts depending on whether a case is criminal or civil. All irrelevant to the question. By your logic, I have no personal proof that the Great Wall of China exists, therefore it must not.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

The universe has been in existence for billions of years. That's long enough to say someone should have visited us by now, if anyone was out there.

Maybe they have. Humans have only been here for 400,000 years, and we have only been able to write for about 6000.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

"there is no proof extra-terrestrial intelligent life exists, therefore, it is very unlikely it exists."
Also not logically valid.
Keep up the good work.

Which might be sound logic, if we had explored nearly all of the universe.

As opposed to the nearly 0% we have explored.