The U.F.O. / Extraterrestrial Debate: Are They Out There? If So, Where ?

[sear]

Two separate issues:
a) Does extraterrestrial life equal to or more advanced than on Earth, exist elsewhere in the cosmos?

b) If so, where are they? Why isn't one of their flying saucers illegally parked in your back yard right now?

Have you ever seen a U.F.O.? Ever encountered an E.T.?

If there are no other compulsively innovative sentients elsewhere in the cosmos, and the nearest thing to life as we think of it is natural inanimate crystal growth, or perhaps an E.T. approximation of terrestrial pond scum
should that inform our casual attitude toward life on Earth? Like that demonstrated today in Ukraine, or Gaza? Human life is expendable?

“The entire universe is a form of life.” astronomer / author / professor Bob Berman 19/04/04

Drake equation, equation that purports to yield the number N of technically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy as a function of other astronomical, biological, and psychological factors. (Read Carl Sagan’s Britannica entry on extraterrestrial life.)
Formulated in large part by the U.S. astrophysicist Frank Drake, it was first discussed in 1961 at a conference on the “search for extraterrestrial intelligence” (SETI), held at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va. The equation states N = R*f<em>p</em>n<em>e</em>f<em>l</em>f<em>i</em>f<em>c</em>L.

Drake equation | Searching for ET, SETI, Habitable Planets | Britannica

Drake equation, equation that purports to yield the number N of technically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy as a function of other astronomical, biological, and psychological factors. (Read Carl Sagan’s Britannica entry on extraterrestrial life.) Formulated in large part by the U.S.

www.britannica.com

note:
UFO Unidentified Flying Object, called also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

 

[Shiftless2]

Glad to see you referenced the Drake Equation. Unfortunately all the variables used there are largely blind guesses (stabs in the dark).

And don't forget that if SETI does detect radio signals they were likely sent millions of years ago since it would take that long for them to reach us. And, since one of the variables in the Drake Equation is time, it's probable that whoever sent them is no longer with us.

And that leads us to the Fermi Paradox:

The Fermi Paradox is the discrepancy between the high probability that extraterrestrial civilizations exist and the lack of evidence for them. The paradox questions why, given the vastness of the universe and the potential for life, we haven't encountered any advanced alien species or their technology. Its core is Enrico Fermi's simple question: "Where is everybody?". The paradox suggests that either our assumptions about the prevalence of life or the ability to detect it are incorrect.

Fermi Paradox: Where Are the Aliens?

Discover the Fermi Paradox — why, in a vast universe full of stars and planets, haven't we found extraterrestrial life? Explore the theories behind this great mystery.

www.space.com

And from Wiki

Fermi paradox - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[sear]

"... the Drake Equation. Unfortunately all the variables used there are largely blind guesses (stabs in the dark)." S2 #2

Indeed.

(stabs in the dark)

Oh! An outer space joke!

"And don't forget that if SETI does detect radio signals they were likely sent millions of years ago since it would take that long for them to reach us." S2

Indisputable proof E.T.'s are more patient on the telephone than humans.

"And that leads us to the Fermi Paradox:" S2 #2

Thank you S2.
Seems to me a little Drake equationish, dividing a suspicion arrived at by speculation into components.

If I may squeeze a third in here:
From early age humans are taught space and time separately, perhaps falsely imparting the impression they are more separate than astrophysicists understand: space/time, 3 familiar spacial dimensions, plus the 4th dimension, time.

The following may not rise above cocktail party chit-chat, but here goes: if there are time travelers, why haven't we encountered any from our own future, dialing back to say hello?

One rather obvious detail,
Earth's orbital speed around the sun: 66,615.96 mph. source: More from Wikipedia
If Bruce built a time machine in his basement, and turned the knob on it back 3 days, and hit the "GO!" button, 3 days ago Earth was over 4 million miles elsewhere.
Without all the right equipment, that's a lethal scenario for Bruce.

note:
Based on our current knowledge, the speed of light (SOL) is a brick-wall limit to speed. BUT !
a) SOL is a limit imposed by space on matter, & quantum particles like photons. It does not apparently limit the rate of the expansion of space itself.
b) Quantum phenomena are not confined to SOL as light & gravity are. That's why entwined or “entangled” particles such as those from beta borate can mirror one another, regardless of the distance between them. [source: unknown]
Whether in our distant future humans will harness this for instantaneous space travel over millions of light-years of space, is currently little more than sci-fi speculation.

"... a clock that is moving [accelerating] closer & closer to the speed of light (SOL) will tick at a slower & slower rate. If that clock were moving literally at the speed of light, it would never tick at all. No time would pass for that object that moves at exactly the speed of light." physicist / historian David Kaiser MIT -PBS Nova: Particles Unknown

 

[Shiftless2]

If Bruce built a time machine in his basement, and turned the knob on it back 3 days, and hit the "GO!" button, 3 days ago Earth was over 4 million miles elsewhere.
Without all the right equipment, that's a lethal scenario for Bruce.

That's why any functioning time machine would have to be able to travel thru space as well as time.

So when inputting coordinates for your target you'd need to tell the machine where you wanted to land as well as when.

But, for those who still want to go ....

 

[sear]

"So when inputting coordinates for your target you'd need to tell the machine where you wanted to land as well as when.
But, for those who still want to go ...." S2 #4

It seems plausible that such additional space / time consideration must be included when calculating time-travel, but
I'm not sure we yet have enough information to know if we know all we need to know.

"Interested in time travel? ..." #4 View attachment 2395

- hoorah -

note:
For those not clear on why time is the 4th dimension, consider the dentist appointment example.
Bruce lives in XYZT city.
To get to dentist's office Bruce must travel to A Street, then turn onto B Avenue for the correct address. BUT
the Bruce must climb the stairs to floor #C (representing the familiar 3 axis spacial coordinates). BUT
to be punctual Bruce must arrive at 2:30 (tooth hurty, get it?

), thus to keep his appointment Bruce
must traverse the 3 axes of his city, plus be on time, the 4th dimension. "Space / time".