NationStates Jolt Archive

Inspired by the Texas UFO thread. If you are a believer of Alien visitations what in your opinion are the best evidence of such visits?

I am on the fence about the whole phenomenon. I believe there are other intelligent races out there. Simple odds would dictate that we are not the only ones. As a young man there was a show on called "project blue book" that really got me thinking of UFOs. However I still remain a bit of a skeptic on the fact that they are visiting Earth. So I ask for anyone to present there best evidence on what they think confirms Alien visitation.

Inspired by the Texas UFO thread. If you are a believer of Alien visitations what in your opinion are the best evidence of such visits?

I am on the fence about the whole phenomenon. I believe there are other intelligent races out there. Simple odds would dictate that we are not the only ones. As a young man there was a show on called "project blue book" that really got me thinking of UFOs. However I still remain a bit of a skeptic on the fact that they are visiting Earth. So I ask for anyone to present there best evidence on what they think confirms Alien visitation.

I don't doubt their existence, but I heavily doubt they've visited us. We'd see some type of evidence and the government is habitually a failure at covering shit of this magnitude up.

So I ask for anyone to present there best evidence on what they think confirms Alien visitation.

In the United States of America, George W. Bush was elected. Twice.

In the United States of America, George W. Bush was elected. Twice.

You would think if they could make it here they would be smart enough to make good decisions.

You would think if they could make it here they would be smart enough to make good decisions.

That's what They said about the Pilgrims and settlers that went to America.

i dont have serious doubts about other intelligent beings in the universe but i dont believe that they have visited us.

or ever will.

I have yet to see anything that demonstrates alien visitation.

That's what They said about the Pilgrims and settlers that went to America.

Don't know if they were brave or stupid.

Personally, I even doubt the existence of aliens… don't ask me why. I can't really rationalize it.


This grand old universe we live in and you think we are the only thing it could manage to produce that is semi-intelligent?

I don't doubt their existence, but I heavily doubt they've visited us. We'd see some type of evidence and the government is habitually a failure at covering shit of this magnitude up.

Conspiracy theorists place way too much faith in the system.
Personally, I even doubt the existence of aliens… don't ask me why. I can't really rationalize it.

i dont have serious doubts about other intelligent beings in the universe but i dont believe that they have visited us.

or ever will.

I figure there will be a time when humans get out in deep space. We being humans do something stupid and piss of another race. That is when we will get "visitors". However we probably not be around to talk about it afterwards.

Conspiracy theorists place way too much faith in the system.
Personally, I even doubt the existence of aliens… don't ask me why. I can't really rationalize it.

Seriously, the government is utterly incompetant at managing its own budget, let alone covering up an alien fucking warship visiting the planet. They ascribe an efficiency level to the government that not even Nazi Germany had. And yeah, I know that feeling.

The amount of photographic evidence alone indicates something is happening. If what people are seeing are aliens I do not know but there is something going on.

The amount of photographic evidence alone indicates something is happening.

Yes, photoshop has visited the human race.

The amount of photographic evidence alone indicates something is happening. If what people are seeing are aliens I do not know but there is something going on.

I agree but that could be said for another phenomenon out there we call ghosts. Yet there still isn't tangible proof of either thing. I believe that an Alien craft would have to land on the White house lawn for people to believe. Even then you would still have people saying it was a government conspiracy.

Hey! I said I couldn't rationalize it! :D
Yeah. I know. Space is big. Really, really… big. I just can't see aliens being in it, though.

Well, just to say, they already discovered alien life in the form of bacteria on Mars. It goes to show it really isn't that difficult.

Yes, photoshop has visited the human race.

lol, I think the best footage really is from the ISS and Shuttle missions. However out in space it would probably be much easier to explain things away.

This grand old universe we live in and you think we are the only thing it could manage to produce that is semi-intelligent?

Hey! I said I couldn't rationalize it! :D
Yeah. I know. Space is big. Really, really… big. I just can't see aliens being in it, though.

I should be more clear. Bacterial life I don't doubt. Little wriggly things I don't doubt. But intelligent life… eehh…

The universe is probably crawling with simple life. Intelligent life is most likely going to be hard to come by. Also to find one that is space faring at the same time we are is going to be another difficult one. Come to think of it we may never make contact or just find remnants of ancient civs. Or we could be in a busy galaxy. Hard to say really.

Well, just to say, they already discovered alien life in the form of bacteria on Mars. It goes to show it really isn't that difficult.

I should be more clear. Bacterial life I don't doubt. Little wriggly things I don't doubt. But intelligent life… eehh…

Timewarps have turned my posts into some kind of anthology.
Well, they had, anyway. Take my word for it.

I think the fact that they haven't made official contact with us is proof that they are a highly intelligent species. *nod*

I should be more clear. Bacterial life I don't doubt. Little wriggly things I don't doubt. But intelligent life… eehh…

Timewarps have turned my posts into some kind of anthology.
Well, they had, anyway. Take my word for it.

It's bound to happen, especially since life turned up on our next door neighbor. It's a question of odds, and when faced with a universe 13 billion light years in all directions, there is more than likely someone else out there. Will we ever meet them?? That's the real question.

I think the fact that they haven't made official contact with us is proof that they are a highly intelligent species. *nod*

You know that is probably the most likely reason. Something worries me with that theory. If they believe we are getting ready to venture out past our solar system they may put us out of our misery. Just like we don't let tigers out of their cages at zoo's they would probably want to keep us in our own solar system.




We all know what happens when tigers get loose.

I think the fact that they haven't made official contact with us is proof that they are a highly intelligent species. *nod*

Calvin and Hobbes?

Still not convinced. Maybe it's just my "cold, unfeeling universe" worldview. :D

H.P. Lovecraft?

Still not convinced. Maybe it's just my "cold, unfeeling universe" worldview. :D

Maybe the aliens are cold and unfeeling?

Or made of some compound we didn't know existed.

Anything is a possibility.

Still not convinced. Maybe it's just my "cold, unfeeling universe" worldview. :D

You weren't traumatized as a kid with an Alien probe were you?

It's bound to happen, especially since life turned up on our next door neighbor. It's a question of odds, and when faced with a universe 13 billion light years in all directions, there is more than likely someone else out there. Will we ever meet them?? That's the real question.

Still not convinced. Maybe it's just my "cold, unfeeling universe" worldview. :D

H.P. Lovecraft?

Nah, he's big on tentacled things ripping each other (and us, if possible) apart. They don't give a damn, of course. ;)

Edit: Also big on institutionalized racism. But that's a story for another day.

You weren't traumatized as a kid with an Alien probe were you?

My horrible secret!

Calvin and Hobbes?

It might not be word for word, but pretty much. Yeah. :)

It might not be word for word, but pretty much. Yeah. :)

http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/calvin-on-intelligent-life.jpg

http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/calvin-on-intelligent-life.jpg

Everything I need to know I learned from Calvin and Hobbes. :)

http://www.boomspeed.com/looonatic/howcomeweplaywar.png

Yes, photoshop has visited the human race.

Yes, but even NASA can't photoshop worth shit. Especially when you can take JASC paint pro and undo what has altered the original photo.

They probably is other life forms else where in the universe and you know what? There is probably a few of them right now on some internet forum discussing if there are any other life forms in the universe

UFO pics from Texas. News report:

http://www.myfoxkc.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=5513111&version=1&locale=EN-US

Just poking around on this subject I found this pic from 1870 apparently.

http://www.artilife.no/ufo/index.php?yf=1700&yt=1899

There really isn't any side anyone should be taking, Aliens (by law of probability) have to exist.

It's just a matter of if/when they have visited us. Personally I don't care if they have/haven't.

There really isn't any side anyone should be taking, Aliens (by law of probability) have to exist.

It's just a matter of if/when they have visited us. Personally I don't care if they have/haven't.

So you wouldn't care if they probed you eh?

On a bit of a tangent...does anyone know a UFO nut, someone who buys into the whole idea, and presents every piece of new evidence they find to you in the hopes that somehow THIS example will swing you over to their line of thinking?

I've got a friend who, after seeing some History Channel program, is convinced that the Soviets not only encountered UFOs, but attempted to engage them with fighters, and supposedly shot some down.

:headbang:

Yes, photoshop has visited the human race.

Yes, every picture ever made has been photshopped. It makes perfect sense....NOT.

Some have, but not all.

I don't know if aliens have visited, but as long as their intentions aren't hostile or harmful to mankind, or the planet, it doesn't matter.

I do believe there are Intelligent life out there, but I also believe that Earth is probably the "Alabama" of our Galaxy so they are avoiding us right now. *nods* They just pass right on through, they stopped visiting after July 7th 1947

Of course we're here.

I'd be delighted to answer any questions you might have about our homeworld, though you earthlings are unable to pronounce its name.

Incidentally, with our females unable to reproduce due to our tragic experiments with radiation manipulation, I hope you don't mind if I take 34 nubile and fertile sixteen year old female earth virgins of various racial and ethnic backgrounds in order to kick-start our new breeding programme.


Those of you in need of further proof of our presence are directed towards the Tom Cruise Scientology video currently doing the rounds of the internet.

Of course we're here.

I'd be delighted to answer any questions you might have about our homeworld, though you earthlings are unable to pronounce its name.

Incidentally, with our females unable to reproduce due to our tragic experiments with radiation manipulation, I hope you don't mind if I take 34 nubile and fertile sixteen year old female earth virgins of various racial and ethnic backgrounds in order to kick-start our new breeding programme.


Those of you in need of further proof of our presence are directed towards the Tom Cruise Scientology video currently doing the rounds of the internet.

Can I have one of your females?

Can I have one of your females?

I regret, Earthling, that if you saw one of our females, she would probably eat you. They find your flesh delectable.

But who knows? Do you find that erotic? You Earthlings are a strange species.

But perhaps you wanted one of my 16 year old virgins? In which case all I can say is, hands off you pervert... they're all mine.

Come to us, alien overlords! I will gladly throw myself at your feet and reveal to you the pathetic shreds of human resistance in exchange for my life!

Come to us, alien overlords! I will gladly throw myself at your feet and reveal to you the pathetic shreds of human resistance in exchange for my life!

Oooooh, yes please. I'll even let you have one of the virgins for that offer.

So, where are they? The resistance, that is. My guess is the Federated States of Micronesia, but I've been wrong about these things before.

You should have seen the conquest of Nebulax-V... never would have guessed that the Nebulons had managed to build a primitive tachyon emitter out of B'uw fur, but then those B'uw-chrs are tricky beasts.

Oooooh, yes please. I'll even let you have one of the virgins for that offer.

So, where are they? The resistance, that is. My guess is the Federated States of Micronesia, but I've been wrong about these things before.

You should have seen the conquest of Nebulax-V... never would have guessed that the Nebulons had managed to build a primitive tachyon emitter out of B'uw fur, but then those B'uw-chrs are tricky beasts.

They've constructed a secret bunker inside of the sun. Quick, send all of your soldiers there!

http://www.rajeev.net.in/images/calvin_hobbs1.jpg
;)

I don't think there has ever been contact with aliens, I mean, if the had the technology to come to us, but don't want to reveal them, which they obviously won't, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't see them, and there wouldn't be the need for them to fly round the earth in funky flying saucers. I mean really, if a civilization was advanced enough to reach us trough space, but didn't want to be detected, would they really be stupid enough to get caught on photo's?

I believe aliens are out there but it's a maybe if they've visited us. If flying saucers are doing the rounds I'm sure they would have made it aware they were about by now. It's just plain rude otherwise. :p

does it matter? there not here to visit US, until we grow up a bit.

of course i wouldn't trust the motives of any that were dealing directly and exclusively with the american government either.

but nothing political is ever that simple.

evidence of their being here? other then what i've seen with my own eyes, which really isn't all that conclusive other then in context, and a few 'memories' or whatever they were i was born with, well those are good enough for myself, but not anything i would expect anyone else to be rationally convinced by my detailing.

=^^=
.../\...

I don't think there has ever been contact with aliens, I mean, if the had the technology to come to us, but don't want to reveal them, which they obviously won't, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't see them, and there wouldn't be the need for them to fly round the earth in funky flying saucers. I mean really, if a civilization was advanced enough to reach us trough space, but didn't want to be detected, would they really be stupid enough to get caught on photo's?

I don't disagree with anything you are saying here. However one thing that people assume or fail to take into consideration. Aliens may not think anything like us Humans. They may not care if they have their pictures taken.

As for them landing and saying hello let me bring up one point here. We as Humans rarely send manned missions to other worlds. What we do is send out unmanned and robotic machines. Wouldn't it make sense that the if Aliens were coming here they would be just probes rather then actually Alien occupied craft? If they are coming here they are probably just monitoring our world for either scientific or for military purposes. I would assume we will do the same things with other worlds with semi-intelligent societies on them. If and when they see fit they will contact us.

evidence of their being here? other then what i've seen with my own eyes, which really isn't all that conclusive other then in context, and a few 'memories' or whatever they were i was born with, well those are good enough for myself, but not anything i would expect anyone else to be rationally convinced by my detailing.

=^^=
.../\...


Well I know I am not the only one that read this and thought what the hell is he/she talking about. Care to elaborate on what you are discussing here?

what in your opinion are the best evidence of such visits?

The dish that came out of Cartman's arse.

http://www.rajeev.net.in/images/calvin_hobbs1.jpg
;)

True, sadly.
Personally i think there's a good probability of aliens existing, but until proof reaches me i'll stick with them being non-existant. Might as well prove a God made the universe.

The dish that came out of Cartman's arse.

Was waiting for a South Park reference. :p

As for them landing and saying hello let me bring up one point here. We as Humans rarely send manned missions to other worlds. What we do is send out unmanned and robotic machines. Wouldn't it make sense that the if Aliens were coming here they would be just probes rather then actually Alien occupied craft? If they are coming here they are probably just monitoring our world for either scientific or for military purposes. I would assume we will do the same things with other worlds with semi-intelligent societies on them. If and when they see fit they will contact us.

If they are so advanced they can reach us from far away their probes probably won't look like street lamps or weather balloons and they would have better things to do than inspecting our colon.

I know I am not presenting evidence. These are just my personal reasons for believing we are being visited by someone/thing. Maybe our future selves.

I've seen video a friend took of otherworldly flying objects. Not long after sending it to 'Sightings' his house was burned down with the VHS copies of these sightings inside.

I've seen an airplane approach me silently, stop directly above me, change shape from a regular looking plane with your regular everyday normal lights into something else more teardrop shaped with erratic multi colored lights, which then SHOT into a vortex in the sky that opened up for it and closed behind it.

With a friend I saw three silent purple triangles do some formations in the sky and then all fly off in different directions.

There are plenty of sighting all the time and several have been photographed, video taped or witnessed by more than one person (could be many people across a wide area who don't know each other all with the same story). They are all dismissed and then people ask "Why doesn't anyone get photographic or video evidence?" Um, they do, also dismissed. Most of the time we are just so stunned with what we are seeing though we don't think about that kinda stuff.

The Disclosure project has had hundreds of govt. officials testify to congress about the Gov'ts involvement with UFO's and alien technology.

The Roswell PR guy, when he was too old to be intimidated, said that he saw alien bodies.

If they are so advanced they can reach us from far away their probes probably won't look like street lamps or weather balloons and they would have better things to do than inspecting our colon.

I don't buy into the Alien abduction bit. Why would they need to be cloaked to visit other worlds? Maybe they don't realize we are here and just have a group of probes sent out to our solar system to collect data and be later retrieved? There may be no reason to send out cloaked probes. Again they probably don't think anything like us so they may not see a need to be ultra secret.

I know I am not presenting evidence. These are just my personal reasons for believing we are being visited by someone/thing. Maybe our future selves.

I've seen video a friend took of otherworldly flying objects. Not long after sending it to 'Sightings' his house was burned down with the VHS copies of these sightings inside.

I've seen an airplane approach me silently, stop directly above me, change shape from a regular looking plane with your regular everyday normal lights into something else more teardrop shaped with erratic multi colored lights, which then SHOT into a vortex in the sky that opened up for it and closed behind it.

With a friend I saw three silent purple triangles do some formations in the sky and then all fly off in different directions.

There are plenty of sighting all the time and several have been photographed, video taped or witnessed by more than one person (could be many people across a wide area who don't know each other all with the same story). They are all dismissed and then people ask "Why doesn't anyone get photographic or video evidence?" Um, they do, also dismissed. Most of the time we are just so stunned with what we are seeing though we don't think about that kinda stuff.

The Disclosure project has had hundreds of govt. officials testify to congress about the Gov'ts involvement with UFO's and alien technology.

The Roswell PR guy, when he was too old to be intimidated, said that he saw alien bodies.


Interesting story but it sounds absolutely insane. However we have no way to prove it either way.

Why is it that UFOs are always sighted in Backwater, USA?

Interesting story but it sounds absolutely insane. However we have no way to prove it either way.

yeah, if I could prove extraterrestrials exist then we'd not be having this discussion because I'd be rolling around in a pile of money.

Why is it that UFOs are always sighted in Backwater, USA?

Well I saw three in one night in the Los Angeles night sky. They were really hard to see though because of their purple/black light color as well as the haze that always permeates that place.

Also I imagine there is a lot more sky traffic in metropolitan areas and people are less likely to focus on something moving around up there than they are where air traffic is less common.

Well I saw three in one night in the Los Angeles night sky. They were really hard to see though because of their purple/black light color as well as the haze that always permeates that place.

Also I imagine there is a lot more sky traffic in metropolitan areas and people are less likely to focus on something moving around up there than they are where air traffic is less common.


Some of the best sightings are over large urban areas. Mexico City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York and Washington DC come to mind quick.

Some of the best sightings are over large urban areas. Mexico City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York and Washington DC come to mind quick.

I'm from the Netherlands, second most densily populated country in the world. UFO sightings are very rare. Why's that? Are we not interesting enough? Is our mobile network better than USA's, so ET has no problem phoning home?

I like your idea about them not thinking like us, that seems very plausible to explain certain things I was skeptic about, although I still don't believe in extraterrestrial visits.

Some of the best sightings are over large urban areas. Mexico City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York and Washington DC come to mind quick.

Ok, but why are they almost only in America? I've never heard about sightings in Europe. I doubt there aren't any, but why does there at least seem to be such an unequal distribution?

I like your idea about them not thinking like us, that seems very plausible to explain certain things I was skeptic about, although I still don't believe in extraterrestrial visits.



Ok, but why are they almost only in America? I've never heard about sightings in Europe. I doubt there aren't any, but why does there at least seem to be such an unequal distribution?

It's just that you haven't heard about them. However, we didn't hear about the Texas sighting either.

Her's a link to the Scottish UFO "capital", Bonnybridge, info.

http://heritage.scotsman.com/ufos/Its-official--Bonnybridge-is.2518431.jp

If they are so advanced they can reach us from far away their probes probably won't look like street lamps or weather balloons and they would have better things to do than inspecting our colon.

not unless they were teasers...

after all, who knows what kind of kinky things rich alien kids are into these days.

Of course aliens have visited Earth. I'm one of them. Except in everyday life, we disguise ourselves as ordinary humans, by taking over the bodies of your people and disposing of the minds. But we are secretly plotting to overthrow your governments, destroy every last shred of individuality, and subjugate the planet under our mighty yoke!

Actually we're not. That would be an awful waste of time. We're just here for the cheeseburgers and flapjacks.

I'm from the Netherlands, second most densily populated country in the world. UFO sightings are very rare. Why's that? Are we not interesting enough? Is our mobile network better than USA's, so ET has no problem phoning home?

Hmm maybe the Aliens landed and are doing drugs and prostitutes. That may be the reason you don't see them in the skies. Just look around the streets.;)

As for Europe they have plenty of interesting reports. One of the best came from the Belgian Air force when a pair of F-16's tried to lock something and it ran from them at some crazy speeds. Incidentally it was the same type of large triangle that was seen over Phoenix years later. Video of that incident was widely broadcasted. Some of the oldest reports of Ufos also have come out of Europe.

You would think if they could make it here they would be smart enough to make good decisions.


if they were smart enough to make good decisions they wouldn't come here - no matter what the state of their technology. that's probably why they aren't here. only people as developmentally backwards as earth's inhabitants would want to meet the people of earth unless they wanted to make pets of us or they took pity on us and wanted to make us intelligent or something.

having said that, i once met somebody - in nationstates - that i thought was a spoof at first, or some nutjob. but the more of his - their? - stuff i read, the more i wondered if it really could be written by a human. i started to think he - they? - really was/were from somewhere else. he/they didn't write or think like humans. the perspective was so out there. even when he said things i've heard before, sometimes the reasons were different, and not like us. then he - or they - stopped posting. the person writing insisted that he wrote for a collective mind, so i keep thinking it must've been 'they' but i don't know. and they said something about us being quarrantined by et-life because they considered us mentally diseased or something. now i wish i'd kept copies of that stuff.

looking back, i doubt it was a real alien, but it's easy for me to think that if i ever meet one, it could be like that person. if we're lucky.

Well, just to say, they already discovered alien life in the form of bacteria on Mars. It goes to show it really isn't that difficult.

yep. and it's already been shipped off to Guantanamo Bay for 'interrogation'. as soon as they figure out what constitutes bacteria-sex, some bunch of good old boys will be detailed to gang-rape it.

Some of the best sightings are over large urban areas. Mexico City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York and Washington DC come to mind quick.Lubbock, Texas. The White House too! :)
Seen 'em twice, myself.
'97 (like Lubbock Lights)
'98 (something else entirely)
both were witnessed by at least three other people, one of which was a police dispatcher.

if they were smart enough to make good decisions they wouldn't come here - no matter what the state of their technology. that's probably why they aren't here. only people as developmentally backwards as earth's inhabitants would want to meet the people of earth unless they wanted to make pets of us or they took pity on us and wanted to make us intelligent or something.



Mankind isn't exactly stupid, and how the hell can we be backwards if no aliens are proven to exist?

I find this view to be insulting.

Mankind isn't exactly stupidOhnoyoudin't. *shakes head*
<.<
>.>

I find this view to be insulting.Please don't. It can only end in tears.

Why on earth would they want to visit us?

Why on earth would they want to visit us?

Anal probe parties.
http://www.geekcoefficient.com/blog/images/cartman_probe.jpg

Seriously, why not? Resource allocation, strategic advantage perhaps, cultural studies of nuclear-capable societies (and their threat value) and the apparent contradictions between observed behaviour and communicative overtures?
Any/all?

There's a theory that UFO Sightings really increased after the U.S.A. set off the two Nuclear bombs. If they really were Aliens, maybe they're trying to make sure we're not a threat to them?

There's a theory that UFO Sightings really increased after the U.S.A. set off the two Nuclear bombs. If they really were Aliens, maybe they're trying to make sure we're not a threat to them?

Perhaps ... perhaps they also consider our mobility a threat, which would be reasonable if they were within a reasonable range (arguable of course), and are actually monitoring what uses we've accomplished with atomic yield, specificially, as in propulsion and energy propagation, in proportion to its use as a weapon.

I believe there is life out there somewhere. There may even be intelligence. However, I doubt that they've visited us. After all, the distances are vast... Way too big.

Inspired by the Texas UFO thread. If you are a believer of Alien visitations what in your opinion are the best evidence of such visits?

I am on the fence about the whole phenomenon. I believe there are other intelligent races out there. Simple odds would dictate that we are not the only ones. As a young man there was a show on called "project blue book" that really got me thinking of UFOs. However I still remain a bit of a skeptic on the fact that they are visiting Earth. So I ask for anyone to present there best evidence on what they think confirms Alien visitation.

Intelligent races? You expect homo sapiens in other planets? :rolleyes:

As for your question, unlikely that they are visiting Earth. Likely that they exist tho.

Intelligent races? You expect homo sapiens in other planets?You consider homo sapiens an intelligent race? :rolleyes:

You consider homo sapiens an intelligent race? :rolleyes:

An intelligent species. So, for intelligent extraterrestrial races to exist, they should be homo sapiens X, homo sapiens Y, etc...

Even if intelligent life existed elsewhere, it would take them thousands if not millions of years to reach us. Travelling here quickly from any other star system is a sheer impossibility, assuming the theory of relativity is correct. And we don't have any reason to doubt that.

Its been broken already.

Even if intelligent life existed elsewhere, it would take them thousands if not millions of years to reach us. Travelling here quickly from any other star system is a sheer impossibility, assuming the theory of relativity is correct. And we don't have any reason to doubt that.

An intelligent species. So, for intelligent extraterrestrial races to exist, they should be homo sapiens X, homo sapiens Y, etc...WTF?? why would they have to be of the homo species?

Even if intelligent life existed elsewhere, it would take them thousands if not millions of years to reach us. Travelling here quickly from any other star system is a sheer impossibility, assuming the theory of relativity is correct. And we don't have any reason to doubt that.Why? at, say, 1/4 of the speed of light the next star could be reached in less than 20 years.

Why? at, say, 1/4 of the speed of light the next star could be reached in less than 20 years.

That is assuming they dont have a drive that allows them to warp space. Alpha Centauri A & B are roughly 4.35 light years away from us. Proxima Centauri is slightly closer at 4.22 light years.

http://www.astrobio.net/news/article2311.html

Mankind isn't exactly stupid, and how the hell can we be backwards if no aliens are proven to exist?

this is really too easy - except that i really don't have time (or the adequate word-limit) write out a synopsis of the whole of human history. okay, so let's just confine ourselves to the inability of humanity over the last 50 years to focus single-mindedly on saving the environment even though we've had plenty of warning.

one of the persistent lessons of history would seem to be that there is no world-widecrisis so desperate that geo-political sub-groups of the species can't figure out a way to carry on pursuing selfish ends while also screwing other geo-political sub-groups.

you don't think that's stupid? however clever the human species may be regarding the petty edges of science and so on, in terms of wisdom - or even real intelligence - well, the word "stupid" actually seems pretty charitable.

I find this view to be insulting.

insulting? to who? - sorry, "to whom?" if you're one of the exceptions by all means join in trying to do something to hijack humanity's current death-ride down the cosmic toilet. zippy knows it's going to take the help of everyone who's willing to make a difference if there's any hope of keeping this whole planet and everyone on it from turning into toxic waste.

and don't even get me started on the propensity of all too many humans for using warfare and other forms of violence as a means of solving problems, settling disagreements and wasting huge amounts of money.

I believe there is life out there somewhere. There may even be intelligence. However, I doubt that they've visited us. After all, the distances are vast... Way too big.

Well, yeah. Not only do they have to be in the near region for us to discover them, they'd have to be in the near time. 200,000 years before or after the human race, and we almost certainly won't discover them.

Well, yeah. Not only do they have to be in the near region for us to discover them, they'd have to be in the near time. 200,000 years before or after the human race, and we almost certainly won't discover them.

That is another aspect of the equation people tend to leave out. Considering the time scales and distances the odds are against direct contact. However I think the most likely scenario when Humans get out to the nearest solar systems within the next 10k years or so we will probably find remnants of others.

I doubt that the government is capable of a WORLDWIDE coverup. So we then ask the question, why are the aliens acting the way they seem to be - trying to hide, but not doing it well?

If the aliens have no intention of hiding, why not come out publicly? Why not land in broad daylight outside a major city? And even if they aren't trying to contact us, why restrict their activities to places where there are only a few witnesses?

If they are trying to hide from us, then they are doing a very bad job. Yes, the majority of humans do not believe that we have been visited, but there are a lot of people who do. I doubt they have such low standards.

Let us imagine that they are studying us, but trying to hide. If I were running the program, I would order a shutdown on all activities within Earth's atmosphere until a thorough review can be done to determine how we failed to avoid detection, how it can be avoided, and which people we DON'T fire for incompetence.These phenomena have been occuring for the past sixty years. That is systematic incompetence.

If they are trying to hide from us, then they are doing a very bad job. Yes, the majority of humans do not believe that we have been visited, but there are a lot of people who do. I doubt they have such low standards.It's probably an (alien)government-run project, with the corresponding levels of incompetence.