Having just seen the report that Prof Stephen Hawking has given his backing to the biggest search for extra terrestrial intelligent life yet which will take place over the next 10 years by Breakthrough Initiatives Group at the Royal Society I got to thinking again...

'Do you think there is Intelligent Alien Life out there?"

I think many know my views on this and the answer I believe is a resounding 'YES' and I would be incredibly surprised were this not the case.

They will use Radio over the next 10 years to listen to 1 Million Star Systems...they still say there's little chance...but it's a chance!
It brings back memories of my dear departed friend in Negaunee, Canada (Greg) who supported and helped use his computer within a network of computers to help the SETI programme...to my knowledge nothing was ever found? but I know he'd have been thrilled if they ever did, as like me, he felt it more unlikely that there wasn't something out there...he'd have also loved this LM-1 mission.

Will we find out this way? perhaps not (I'd like to discover something on an actual Planet or Moon) but it's worth trying as you just never know, but it may well be they have developed a totally different type of communication...some say Radio waves are Universal (speaking of which I'm not so sure our Universe is all there is, I have a feeling it's bigger & stranger than most think)

I would like to know if you folks think YES or NO? as to if you think there is Intelligent Life out there somewhere in the COSMOS.

Reading this thread immediately brought SETI to my mind, which has been around for a while now. I thought at first this was an alternative project, but it seems that it may compliment ongoing work.

www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/science/yuri-...l?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Yes, I firmly believe there is intelligent life out there. How could we be the only planet to be blessed with it. .

If and when we find and make contact with other life, or they with us. I just hope they'll be sociable and not have nasty intentions or the likes, and we likewise!

Thanks for that Doug, intresting to read that we might be able to detect radar signals or lasers with only 100 watts of power! maybe there is a chance here after all?
Also, Seti were only getting 1 day or night (as the case might be) per year!!! WOW! well I hope we get another signal in which this is again written in the margins soon (only this time let's hope the follow-up is fruitful)
The new generation of NASA Telescopes that could determine the composition of a remote planet’s atmosphere is very interesting.

The day contact is made (and I know many don't like the conspiracy theories...and I have serious doubts myself...I prefer prove myself, but who's to say we haven't already made contact) is the day our world changes or perhaps did change.

Yes Doug we can only hope that they don't have bad/evil intentions, if as I suspect they are considerably more advanced than us then I see no reason why they should mean us any harm, perhaps we 're so low down in the pecking order they may know about us but simply aren't (as of yet) interested in us, if however they ever do make contact and are more advanced and were willing to share their knowledge well can you imagine the possibilities?

Perhaps they know the answers to such things as...is there really life after death? (wow that would change the world!) can they cure cancer? and other things? would they provide us with the information to travel the stars? can they help us create endless amount of energy? and could they alter our dna to stop ageing? possibly enabling us all to live forever or longer anyway? and would we want that? I know I would

Would they allow us to have this kind of information? and would we/could we use it correctly?

My father has often stated that we (as a race...humankind) came about from virtually nowhere (in terms of time) evolving from apes in no time, whilst Dinosaurs were on this Earth for many many millions of years without truly evolving? how so?
This kind of information given would again jump us forward many many thousands of years (tech and info wise)...good in many respects but perhaps not in others (could we cope with it)

I don't know how this first contact will go down but I'd sure like to be around when it happens...it will be EARTH SHATTERING!!!

Yeah there has to be. To think we are the only "intelligent" life in the universe would pretty naive and self centred of us. First we used to think the world was flat then we thought we were the centre of the universe. How silly we will look just like our ancients when people look back to the time of thinking we are the only intelligence.

Personally though I don't think we should be shouting out "here I am look at me listen to me tell you everything there is to know about me before I even know your intentions or capabilities." the whole idea of broadcasting our selves across the galaxy reminds me of Jurassic Park... Shouting into the jungle filled with extremely dangerous life "ERIC!" Perhaps it would make more sense to develop the technology like this to listen for other signals at a long distance rather than painting a target on our selves. That said I do agree we should be broadcasting as well as listening. It's Human to explore and take illogical risks.

I also don't think we are ready for such a first contact, it would probably cause mass panic especially if public information about them is limited. What would be more ideal is smaller steps. The discovery of plant life to start with. Maybe the first plant life from another planet to be brought back followed by an alien insect or something. Even then imagine the paranoia? people will panic wondering if its dangerous, infectious, diseased. Though it would be exciting to find something in our lifetime I think we should be cautious with the SETI.

Hi Lee, I enjoyed reading your reply here.

Yes I'm with you, our Universe (I think it's stranger than we know and there could well be many not just the one we operate in, it might just be that we are not advanced enough to discover them yet, maybe?) in parts is far older than our place in the Universe, it would be very strange to think it's just us!!! Intelligent Life is out there I'm convinced of it ? and it makes sense that some (for i'm sure we're talking more than just one other here) could well be well in advance of us.

You do know that our Tv & Radio signals have been wandering through Space for decades so the chances are if they wanted to learn about us they easily could...I understand that these signals have only got so far out and so waving lights & sounding the bells to signal we're here may be a mistake? as you say learning more about them would be a wise move....but if they're fine and dandy as in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" types then i'd sure like to meet one and talk with them.

Are we now ready for first contact? and/or are we ready for that day in which we will be told that such creatures exist?
It is an interesting question Lee (sadly one that will put in the hands of just a chosen few of select people) like I've said previously I'm not mad on conspiracy theories but if we already know about the existence of such things...how long before they finally let the rest of us know?

Most people according to recent polls (it's well above 50%) now believe there is intelligent alien life out there, so I don't think it would be the big shock it would have been 50 years or so ago...But are we truly ready for what will come with knowing we are no longer alone with an Alien race with all their own believes, scientific discoveries and possible strange ways?

BTW I think the timeline you indicated is possibly how it may well pan out...1) discovery of bacterial life or plant life on a Planet or Moon, 2) followed by some form of strange newly discovered creature (perhaps something akin to what we find in our Oceans perhaps on Europa?) and then maybe we'll get that signal from SETI with true prove of Intelligent Life out there...I would love to still be here like you when that happens!

IF...there are folks out there that already know we're not alone (for real and I'm talking Scientists. Professors or Politicans NOT the conspiracy theorists) then please contact me and let me know
Explain why it's been kept a secret (this reason may well be sound and justified) perhaps they created us or helped advance us from apes?
I'm open to all possibilities and such a fact may well be a good reason for keeping quiet about them or maybe the so called UFO's (and I've encountered a few strange incidents that I can't explain...wish I could) we see are not in fact other aliens but us from the future, perhaps time travelling and they know about our future...this could be another reason for keeping things under wraps.

I guess what I really want to know is that there really are FRIENDLY ALIENS out there that don't have an agenda, that we can chat with and learn from without any threat to us! but who knows...we'll find out eventually one way or another...and it could be the awakening of the Human Race as a whole.

YES!

Apart from the reasoning from the Drake equation, it would be too unfair for us not to have some neighbours to talk to ...