Universe, intelligent life and technology

[Noku]

I was interested if any of you could provide me some information about the early phases of universe and galaxies.

I would especially be interested about the first galaxies and the estimation about first planets in existance.



I was thinking about the probability of extraterrestrials reaching us. How much older civilizations there could be in existance? Also some discussion about estimations how young solar systems might have planets capable for sustaining life, probable time that evolution "needs" for intelligent life and time that is needed for techonological progress.

[tumples]

[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life[/url]

and research SETI

[Atomic Rain]

Life elsewhere in universe - quite possible

Intelligent life in our sense of intelligence - perhaps quite a way less likely.

Also, space is HUGE!!!!!
So impossibly big that if you ever really comprehended how big it was, I expect you'd die of inadequacy. It really is that enormous.

Even intelligent life in our own leg of our own galaxy might not be able to find us with fantastic space technology. I mean, alpha centurai- 5 light years! that is SO FAR! So impossibly far!

[Noku]

I believe that at some point of mankinds history travelling to alpha centaury would take less than 50 years. Unmanned flights would be able to travel even faster and without crew. Still the voyage through the galaxy would take at least 4 million years and voyage to another galaxy would take 5 billion years... also, creating self maintaining technology that would remain functional that long, would be incredibly hard task.

[Atomic Rain]

Originally Posted by Noku

I believe that at some point of mankinds history travelling to alpha centaury would take less than 50 years. Unmanned flights would be able to travel even faster and without crew. Still the voyage through the galaxy would take at least 4 million years and voyage to another galaxy would take 5 billion years... also, creating self maintaining technology that would remain functional that long, would be incredibly hard task.

The idea of self replicating spaceships that seek out a planet with metals, create some kind of station and then create another one (or more) of themselves is a cool thing

[ringworm]

Here are 2 links at PBS. They always have interesting articles on the matter.
If I could go back several years, I would have taken this up as a career.
Truly amazing.

http://www.pbs.org/exploringspace/
http://www.pbs.org/exploringspace/aliens/index.html

[Marx Rove]

Originally Posted by Atomic Rain

Life elsewhere in universe - quite possible

Intelligent life in our sense of intelligence - perhaps quite a way less likely.

Also, space is HUGE!!!!!
So impossibly big that if you ever really comprehended how big it was, I expect you'd die of inadequacy. It really is that enormous.

Even intelligent life in our own leg of our own galaxy might not be able to find us with fantastic space technology. I mean, alpha centurai- 5 light years! that is SO FAR! So impossibly far!

event horizon dude... event horizon

[Riva]

Although I heartily agree that intelligent life must be somewhere else in the Universe, it's unlikely that they're visiting here right now, if we hold true to Einstein's theories (which seems less likely as we go on).

I mean, space is infinite. You might think it's a long way from home to the chemists, but that's nothing compared to space.

[RNR]

Considering that the earth is something like 6.5 billion years old and that sort of technology is probably a few thousand years away, it's entirely possible that life somewhere else in the universe has existed for 10 billion years and already has it and has perfected it.

However I don't know what the heck they would want with us.

[Riva]

Perhaps the Earth is some sort of intergalactic zoo?

[A Spoonful Supreme]

hey ya.... and the "aliens" visiting us ..... really are visiting us and looking at us but we just can't see them, and those little "borrower" people..... definitely looking at us the exhibits

[ZaaR]

i just did astronomy in science class and we learned a couple of basic things.

the universe is roughly between 14 billion and 18 billion years old.

the universe is getting bigger, and it is speeding up.

according to a movie we watched the oldest galaxies and stars we see are roughly 12 billion years old.

the probability of aliens is extremely high and we have found another planet that is almost identicle to earth in many ways. it is about the same size, has water, and is the right distance from it's sun. astronomers believe that if there is life out there, it would most likely be on this planet.

we will never be able to reach other places in the universe as humans. we have limited capacities... we only live a certain amount of years, and it would takes much more than 40 or 50 years to get to another galaxy, or even other solar systems in our galaxy

[RNR]

Oh yeah? Why not send about 30 people on the voyage and have them mate and raise their kids to continue the journey? It's feisable.

[bucket]

Originally Posted by poisontheflag

the probability of aliens is extremely high and we have found another planet that is almost identicle to earth in many ways. it is about the same size, has water, and is the right distance from it's sun. astronomers believe that if there is life out there, it would most likely be on this planet.

Source?

As fas as Earthlike characteristics go, I've only heard of extrasolar rocky planets which are several times more massive than Earth. And I have no idea how anyone could know whether or not a planet outside our galaxy has water or not, with our current telescopes anyways.

[RNR]

The possibility of life and water is very high. Keep in mind that the earth began without life, water or oxygen.

[Riva]

Originally Posted by bucket

Source?

As fas as Earthlike characteristics go, I've only heard of extrasolar rocky planets which are several times more massive than Earth. And I have no idea how anyone could know whether or not a planet outside our galaxy has water or not, with our current telescopes anyways.

Yeah, last I checked the Earth is the only planet thought to be capable of supporting life as we know it.

There are some planets which are within the "belt of habitability", but they are either gas giants that are larger than Jupiter, or flawed in some other way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_habitability
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasolar_planets

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Originally Posted by poisontheflag

i just did astronomy in science class and we learned a couple of basic things.

the universe is roughly between 14 billion and 18 billion years old.

the universe is getting bigger, and it is speeding up.

according to a movie we watched the oldest galaxies and stars we see are roughly 12 billion years old.

the probability of aliens is extremely high and we have found another planet that is almost identicle to earth in many ways. it is about the same size, has water, and is the right distance from it's sun. astronomers believe that if there is life out there, it would most likely be on this planet.

we will never be able to reach other places in the universe as humans. we have limited capacities... we only live a certain amount of years, and it would takes much more than 40 or 50 years to get to another galaxy, or even other solar systems in our galaxy

I thought the Universe was slowing down, which introduced the question of whether or not it will reverse and crunch.

[Smokey D]

Red shifts seem to indicate it's speeding up, which throws into question Big Crunch - Big Bang theories.

[Riva]

Do you live in NZ, Smokey?

And yeah, Red Shift shows that the Universe is around 14 billion, and gives us an impression of the Universe only 376 000 years or so after the Big Bang. Hence we can extrapolate the increasing rate of expansion.

[Smokey D]

Yes, I do.