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  1. #41
    I assume there is life out there and probably even intelligent life. And I also assume it is functionally isolated (or we are depending on your perspective) and we will never know.

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Chesapeake, VA.
    Quote Originally Posted by whereinthehellami View Post


    What did it look like? How long was the sighting?
    It looked like a large floating disc of some sort. I saw it off in the distance and a friend and I watched it until it flew away. Total time felt like about five minutes but in reality was probably only about two minutes, maybe.

    It was a long time ago, so details have faded.

  3. #43

    Interesting thread.

    I hope to contribute a few thoughts, first to the questions and a few thoughts outside the questions.

    My qualifications are 3 Science degrees, BS Physics/Math (University At Albany). Master/PhD Physics (Duke)(same Physics group as Bob Richardson, Duke PhD Nobel Prize winner). PostDoc at Duke. , NASA Grant.

    I’m very curious about where most people stand on UFO/ET. So, my questions would be:
    1. Do you believe UFOs have visited earth? Why? Sure, why not. Not Convinced though.
    2. Do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth? Why? See 1)
    3. If you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, do you actively search for information? Used to read a lot about it. Nothing convinced me.
    4. If you don’t believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, are you open to believing it? Yes

    I eat a steady diet of SciFi shows/books/comics/etc.., so I am open to what works, and I point out media that are not consistent with the laws of physics.
    I attended James Doohan in Card Auditorium when he was there, with other Physics Grad Students and he pish toshed any serious science questions. But was entertaining nonetheless. Hey, he was Scottie, not Doohan.

    I think it was alluded to that there is a distinction between UFOs (things not recognized as terrestial objects) and aliens (sentient beings from within or without our planet or dimension). I'll confine my comments to aliens because they would arrive in UFOs, and UFOs without aliens is just poor perception.

    Why would aliens come here? Surely not for our dear earth. If anything our probes have shown us is that water and minerals are available in abundance in the moons and planets, everywhere. Unless they need BRAINS. What they need is probably available locally to them, and without a fight. If they had such great technology, they could probably build a planet that has the same mass (to keep an atmosphere) and place it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law (so it doesn't break up due to gravitational effects relative to other planets. In our infancy, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, in just a few short years, have discovered 4000 exoplanets. Imagine the choices available for mining to an advanced civilization with a myriad of tools. We are not needed for mining or colonization!! Maybe Bagels or Deli.

    What about traveling to get here? There has been some great speculation about traveling near the speed of light. What about a couple of other options. The relativistic equations of Einstein allow some other possibilities.

    The special theory of relativity suggest that there can be Faster than light travel. You Star Trek lovers have heard of Tachyons right. These are particles that travel faster than the speed of light (that's right). Einstein's equations suggest that particles can't travel at the speed of light, but when properly viewed, the speed of light is the barrier. Traveling slower or faster is allowed; just not AT the speed of light, nor crossing the speed. Yes, there is a little problem of going from slower to faster that "C" (the speed of light), but what is one problem among friends (aliens)? Still physics laws/techniques/processes to be discovered. Tachyon research suggests (for those of you who are nimble with math) that Tachyons are imaginary, as is their Mass, but more recent papers suggests NOT SO FAST (sorry, my interpretation). There are papers who say that Tachyon Mass and Speed can be real.

    I haven't seen Wormholes mentioned. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity allows for the formation of Wormholes in the universe. What is a Wormhole? It is a tunnel from one place in the Space/Time Universe to another place in the Space/Time Universe. Think a super-duper Chutes and Ladders over vast distances in space. The real equations of physics allow for these things. I would note that no one has every seen evidence for a Wormhole. But then, until they theorized a Black Hole, they didn't know to look for one. Such objects were theorized in the 1700s, named Black Holes in the 1960s, identified Cygnus X-1 in the 1970s as an X-Ray source as a probable Black Hole, but only in 2019 was a picture of a Black Hole first made. There are often big gaps between theories in Physics and the proofs; sometimes the proof never comes (still looking for the magnetic monopole Mr. Dirac). There has BTW been recent progress on the Wormhole front. There have been predictions on what to look for in star formations that would be adjacent to Wormholes; this may allow Astronomers to start looking for Wormhole candidates. Very exciting stuff.

    So, although there are issues, there are mechanisms available, that were unknown 100 years ago to us, for advanced civilizations to employ to get to our side of the Galaxy or inter Galactic travel.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  4. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Interesting thread.

    I hope to contribute a few thoughts, first to the questions and a few thoughts outside the questions.

    My qualifications are 3 Science degrees, BS Physics/Math (University At Albany). Master/PhD Physics (Duke)(same Physics group as Bob Richardson, Duke PhD Nobel Prize winner). PostDoc at Duke. , NASA Grant.

    I’m very curious about where most people stand on UFO/ET. So, my questions would be:
    1. Do you believe UFOs have visited earth? Why? Sure, why not. Not Convinced though.
    2. Do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth? Why? See 1)
    3. If you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, do you actively search for information? Used to read a lot about it. Nothing convinced me.
    4. If you don’t believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, are you open to believing it? Yes

    I eat a steady diet of SciFi shows/books/comics/etc.., so I am open to what works, and I point out media that are not consistent with the laws of physics.
    I attended James Doohan in Card Auditorium when he was there, with other Physics Grad Students and he pish toshed any serious science questions. But was entertaining nonetheless. Hey, he was Scottie, not Doohan.

    I think it was alluded to that there is a distinction between UFOs (things not recognized as terrestial objects) and aliens (sentient beings from within or without our planet or dimension). I'll confine my comments to aliens because they would arrive in UFOs, and UFOs without aliens is just poor perception.

    Why would aliens come here? Surely not for our dear earth. If anything our probes have shown us is that water and minerals are available in abundance in the moons and planets, everywhere. Unless they need BRAINS. What they need is probably available locally to them, and without a fight. If they had such great technology, they could probably build a planet that has the same mass (to keep an atmosphere) and place it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law (so it doesn't break up due to gravitational effects relative to other planets. In our infancy, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, in just a few short years, have discovered 4000 exoplanets. Imagine the choices available for mining to an advanced civilization with a myriad of tools. We are not needed for mining or colonization!! Maybe Bagels or Deli.

    What about traveling to get here? There has been some great speculation about traveling near the speed of light. What about a couple of other options. The relativistic equations of Einstein allow some other possibilities.

    The special theory of relativity suggest that there can be Faster than light travel. You Star Trek lovers have heard of Tachyons right. These are particles that travel faster than the speed of light (that's right). Einstein's equations suggest that particles can't travel at the speed of light, but when properly viewed, the speed of light is the barrier. Traveling slower or faster is allowed; just not AT the speed of light, nor crossing the speed. Yes, there is a little problem of going from slower to faster that "C" (the speed of light), but what is one problem among friends (aliens)? Still physics laws/techniques/processes to be discovered. Tachyon research suggests (for those of you who are nimble with math) that Tachyons are imaginary, as is their Mass, but more recent papers suggests NOT SO FAST (sorry, my interpretation). There are papers who say that Tachyon Mass and Speed can be real.

    I haven't seen Wormholes mentioned. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity allows for the formation of Wormholes in the universe. What is a Wormhole? It is a tunnel from one place in the Space/Time Universe to another place in the Space/Time Universe. Think a super-duper Chutes and Ladders over vast distances in space. The real equations of physics allow for these things. I would note that no one has every seen evidence for a Wormhole. But then, until they theorized a Black Hole, they didn't know to look for one. Such objects were theorized in the 1700s, named Black Holes in the 1960s, identified Cygnus X-1 in the 1970s as an X-Ray source as a probable Black Hole, but only in 2019 was a picture of a Black Hole first made. There are often big gaps between theories in Physics and the proofs; sometimes the proof never comes (still looking for the magnetic monopole Mr. Dirac). There has BTW been recent progress on the Wormhole front. There have been predictions on what to look for in star formations that would be adjacent to Wormholes; this may allow Astronomers to start looking for Wormhole candidates. Very exciting stuff.

    So, although there are issues, there are mechanisms available, that were unknown 100 years ago to us, for advanced civilizations to employ to get to our side of the Galaxy or inter Galactic travel.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Holy crap. Wish I had kept my big trap shut after reading this.

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Assuming they could find us in this infinite universe and then visit us in the relatively short time of man’s existence, why wouldn’t they come by and say hello?

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Interesting thread.

    I hope to contribute a few thoughts, first to the questions and a few thoughts outside the questions.

    My qualifications are 3 Science degrees, BS Physics/Math (University At Albany). Master/PhD Physics (Duke)(same Physics group as Bob Richardson, Duke PhD Nobel Prize winner). PostDoc at Duke. , NASA Grant.

    I’m very curious about where most people stand on UFO/ET. So, my questions would be:
    1. Do you believe UFOs have visited earth? Why? Sure, why not. Not Convinced though.
    2. Do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth? Why? See 1)
    3. If you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, do you actively search for information? Used to read a lot about it. Nothing convinced me.
    4. If you don’t believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, are you open to believing it? Yes

    I eat a steady diet of SciFi shows/books/comics/etc.., so I am open to what works, and I point out media that are not consistent with the laws of physics.
    I attended James Doohan in Card Auditorium when he was there, with other Physics Grad Students and he pish toshed any serious science questions. But was entertaining nonetheless. Hey, he was Scottie, not Doohan.

    I think it was alluded to that there is a distinction between UFOs (things not recognized as terrestial objects) and aliens (sentient beings from within or without our planet or dimension). I'll confine my comments to aliens because they would arrive in UFOs, and UFOs without aliens is just poor perception.

    Why would aliens come here? Surely not for our dear earth. If anything our probes have shown us is that water and minerals are available in abundance in the moons and planets, everywhere. Unless they need BRAINS. What they need is probably available locally to them, and without a fight. If they had such great technology, they could probably build a planet that has the same mass (to keep an atmosphere) and place it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law (so it doesn't break up due to gravitational effects relative to other planets. In our infancy, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, in just a few short years, have discovered 4000 exoplanets. Imagine the choices available for mining to an advanced civilization with a myriad of tools. We are not needed for mining or colonization!! Maybe Bagels or Deli.

    What about traveling to get here? There has been some great speculation about traveling near the speed of light. What about a couple of other options. The relativistic equations of Einstein allow some other possibilities.

    The special theory of relativity suggest that there can be Faster than light travel. You Star Trek lovers have heard of Tachyons right. These are particles that travel faster than the speed of light (that's right). Einstein's equations suggest that particles can't travel at the speed of light, but when properly viewed, the speed of light is the barrier. Traveling slower or faster is allowed; just not AT the speed of light, nor crossing the speed. Yes, there is a little problem of going from slower to faster that "C" (the speed of light), but what is one problem among friends (aliens)? Still physics laws/techniques/processes to be discovered. Tachyon research suggests (for those of you who are nimble with math) that Tachyons are imaginary, as is their Mass, but more recent papers suggests NOT SO FAST (sorry, my interpretation). There are papers who say that Tachyon Mass and Speed can be real.

    I haven't seen Wormholes mentioned. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity allows for the formation of Wormholes in the universe. What is a Wormhole? It is a tunnel from one place in the Space/Time Universe to another place in the Space/Time Universe. Think a super-duper Chutes and Ladders over vast distances in space. The real equations of physics allow for these things. I would note that no one has every seen evidence for a Wormhole. But then, until they theorized a Black Hole, they didn't know to look for one. Such objects were theorized in the 1700s, named Black Holes in the 1960s, identified Cygnus X-1 in the 1970s as an X-Ray source as a probable Black Hole, but only in 2019 was a picture of a Black Hole first made. There are often big gaps between theories in Physics and the proofs; sometimes the proof never comes (still looking for the magnetic monopole Mr. Dirac). There has BTW been recent progress on the Wormhole front. There have been predictions on what to look for in star formations that would be adjacent to Wormholes; this may allow Astronomers to start looking for Wormhole candidates. Very exciting stuff.

    So, although there are issues, there are mechanisms available, that were unknown 100 years ago to us, for advanced civilizations to employ to get to our side of the Galaxy or inter Galactic travel.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    There's that physicist I was asking for upthread.

    What is the distinction between a wormhole and a black hole? Theoretically, is there any way to get through a wormhole without being destroyed?

    Asking for a friend.

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by OldPhiKap View Post
    Assuming they could find us in this infinite universe and then visit us in the relatively short time of man’s existence, why wouldn’t they come by and say hello?
    The Fermi paradox.

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by jimsumner View Post
    The Fermi paradox.
    Yeah, that’s what gets me in part (although the logistics of the whole thing seems highly unlikely to me too).

    It’s like the proof that there is no time travel: we would have seen someone come back by now.

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    We need to keep in mind that we are located in the galactic boondocks [cue Billy Joe Royal, here]. I can imagine a technologically advanced civilization inhabiting multiple systems in a more crowded section of the galaxy, where star systems are much closer together.

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by jimsumner View Post
    We need to keep in mind that we are located in the galactic boondocks [cue Billy Joe Royal, here]. I can imagine a technologically advanced civilization inhabiting multiple systems in a more crowded section of the galaxy, where star systems are much closer together.


    (not linking the movie video due to — um — inappropriate images for DBR)

  11. #51
    Speaking of alien abduction, I just have to add this, as I think it was Throatybeard who first posted it on this board, oh, I dunno...10 or more years ago?

    http://www.stopabductions.com/


    For the longest time, the website never changed and I thought it was dead. But someone must be helping out poor ol' Michael Menken, as the page has been (somewhat) updated recently. The content is still as kooky as ever (thankfully...I use it in my class when I teach about pseudoscience.)

    And for a very dark view of contact from alien life, I'd recommend Liu's "The Three Body Problem" trilogy. Probably the most mind blowing (and pessimistic) sci-fi series I've read in a while.

  12. #52
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington DC
    Generally I’m a believer in the existence of other intelligent life in the universe, but not that it has come to earth. My answer to the Fermi paradox is that the entire timeline of recorded human history is such a tiny blip in the timeline of the universe.

    But all the abduction talk makes me think of one of my all time favorite SNL skits. “I wasn’t dealing with the top brass”

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PfPdYYsEfAE

  13. #53
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Interesting thread.

    I hope to contribute a few thoughts, first to the questions and a few thoughts outside the questions.

    My qualifications are 3 Science degrees, BS Physics/Math (University At Albany). Master/PhD Physics (Duke)(same Physics group as Bob Richardson, Duke PhD Nobel Prize winner). PostDoc at Duke. , NASA Grant.

    I’m very curious about where most people stand on UFO/ET. So, my questions would be:
    1. Do you believe UFOs have visited earth? Why? Sure, why not. Not Convinced though.
    2. Do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth? Why? See 1)
    3. If you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, do you actively search for information? Used to read a lot about it. Nothing convinced me.
    4. If you don’t believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, are you open to believing it? Yes

    I eat a steady diet of SciFi shows/books/comics/etc.., so I am open to what works, and I point out media that are not consistent with the laws of physics.
    I attended James Doohan in Card Auditorium when he was there, with other Physics Grad Students and he pish toshed any serious science questions. But was entertaining nonetheless. Hey, he was Scottie, not Doohan.

    I think it was alluded to that there is a distinction between UFOs (things not recognized as terrestial objects) and aliens (sentient beings from within or without our planet or dimension). I'll confine my comments to aliens because they would arrive in UFOs, and UFOs without aliens is just poor perception.

    Why would aliens come here? Surely not for our dear earth. If anything our probes have shown us is that water and minerals are available in abundance in the moons and planets, everywhere. Unless they need BRAINS. What they need is probably available locally to them, and without a fight. If they had such great technology, they could probably build a planet that has the same mass (to keep an atmosphere) and place it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law (so it doesn't break up due to gravitational effects relative to other planets. In our infancy, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, in just a few short years, have discovered 4000 exoplanets. Imagine the choices available for mining to an advanced civilization with a myriad of tools. We are not needed for mining or colonization!! Maybe Bagels or Deli.

    What about traveling to get here? There has been some great speculation about traveling near the speed of light. What about a couple of other options. The relativistic equations of Einstein allow some other possibilities.

    The special theory of relativity suggest that there can be Faster than light travel. You Star Trek lovers have heard of Tachyons right. These are particles that travel faster than the speed of light (that's right). Einstein's equations suggest that particles can't travel at the speed of light, but when properly viewed, the speed of light is the barrier. Traveling slower or faster is allowed; just not AT the speed of light, nor crossing the speed. Yes, there is a little problem of going from slower to faster that "C" (the speed of light), but what is one problem among friends (aliens)? Still physics laws/techniques/processes to be discovered. Tachyon research suggests (for those of you who are nimble with math) that Tachyons are imaginary, as is their Mass, but more recent papers suggests NOT SO FAST (sorry, my interpretation). There are papers who say that Tachyon Mass and Speed can be real.

    I haven't seen Wormholes mentioned. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity allows for the formation of Wormholes in the universe. What is a Wormhole? It is a tunnel from one place in the Space/Time Universe to another place in the Space/Time Universe. Think a super-duper Chutes and Ladders over vast distances in space. The real equations of physics allow for these things. I would note that no one has every seen evidence for a Wormhole. But then, until they theorized a Black Hole, they didn't know to look for one. Such objects were theorized in the 1700s, named Black Holes in the 1960s, identified Cygnus X-1 in the 1970s as an X-Ray source as a probable Black Hole, but only in 2019 was a picture of a Black Hole first made. There are often big gaps between theories in Physics and the proofs; sometimes the proof never comes (still looking for the magnetic monopole Mr. Dirac). There has BTW been recent progress on the Wormhole front. There have been predictions on what to look for in star formations that would be adjacent to Wormholes; this may allow Astronomers to start looking for Wormhole candidates. Very exciting stuff.

    So, although there are issues, there are mechanisms available, that were unknown 100 years ago to us, for advanced civilizations to employ to get to our side of the Galaxy or inter Galactic travel.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    While I stand by my Men in Black scenario allegiance, this is wonderful stuff. Thanks for the insights!

  14. #54
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC
    https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/vi...ns-or-military

    Video of a mysterious group of lights in the sky captured off North Carolina’s Outer Banks by a man visiting the area has gone viral on Youtube, sparking the classic debate: Was it aliens, or the military?

    The video entitled “real UFO sighting,” was originally posted to the Youtube account of Williams Guy on Sept. 28 and shows what appears to be 14 glowing lights hovering motionless above the water.
    Last edited by -jk; 09-22-2020 at 08:18 AM. Reason: added quote

  15. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by jimsumner View Post
    There's that physicist I was asking for upthread.

    What is the distinction between a wormhole and a black hole? Theoretically, is there any way to get through a wormhole without being destroyed?

    Asking for a friend.
    Black Holes and Worm Holes are related and are very different conceptually in what they are intended to accomplish. One is categorically a dead end and the other is pass-through to connect locations in space-time (does anyone need an explanation of space-time?).
    Straight up, I'm not a relativist, but I have read about this stuff with a scientists eye and interest.

    Black Holes are where huge concentrations of mass have consolidated to the point where even light cannot escape. (yes, gravity of Black Hole is so large it bends Space-Time so that massless light particles cannot escape the influence of the Black Hole). Usually this is where larger stars have burned all of their Hydrogen, Helium, (I think up through Iron), and have collapsed from their weight. Our sun is too small to become a black hole. These are really massive celestial stars on the H-R diagram (need to discuss this anyone??). I think we all get that picture. Any finite shaped objects that we are familiar with in movies, such as a space ship, or person, would be torn to shreds before even getting near the center of a Black Hole. (These things are doomed, long before the Event Horizon [assuming we are all up on this terminology]). So the hope of getting to or "through" intact is nill.

    There are different concepts of Worm Holes. The mathematics associated with the General Theory of Relativity (GTR) suggests to some that if a particle goes into a black hole, there might be a mechanism for a particle to go out of a Black Hole. This touches on a number of other areas of the theory (i.e., there are no edges/ends of space-time, etc..). But it also assumes that a particle as we know it can't be broken down any smaller too (do you believe the Quark* Theory?).

    There are other concepts of Worm Holes (Schwarzchild Wormholes) that are not quite as corrosive to the contents that they transport, that could theoretically transport an intact "thing" across space-time. The size (width) of what they could transport, and how long Worm Holes last before collapsing, is very much open to debate, but they are out there for calculation, potential observation, and discussion.

    Assuming that the Worm Hole is wide enough, and lasts long enough, sure you can get through and not be destroyed. (just hope nobody is coming the other way towards you ;^). The presumption of the Schwarzchild Wormhole is that you do not have the gravitational influence of a Black Hole nearby to warp your molecular integrity as you warp to other parts of space-time.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

    (*) - on Quark Theory - in the early 1980s, Murray Gell-Mann, whose 1964 paper on the Quark Theory laid the foundation for the Standard Model of Particle physics, gave a colloquium at Duke in the Engineering Building (needed extra seats). He did not believe in the String Theory as I recall. He labeled it a religion because it was all prediction with no proof (it still has no proof). Contrast that with the Quark Theory which produce many predicted and discovered particles, culminating with the Higgs-Boson in 2012.
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 09-22-2020 at 08:24 AM.

  16. #56
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    I can only imagine that a civilization that is a million years ahead of us may have come up with some travel technologies which haven't occurred to us...two hundred years ago we could only move as fast as horses carried us. (except maybe on windy days)

  17. #57
    Quote Originally Posted by construe View Post
    Speaking of alien abduction, I just have to add this, as I think it was Throatybeard who first posted it on this board, oh, I dunno...10 or more years ago?

    http://www.stopabductions.com/


    For the longest time, the website never changed and I thought it was dead. But someone must be helping out poor ol' Michael Menken, as the page has been (somewhat) updated recently. The content is still as kooky as ever (thankfully...I use it in my class when I teach about pseudoscience.)

    And for a very dark view of contact from alien life, I'd recommend Liu's "The Three Body Problem" trilogy. Probably the most mind blowing (and pessimistic) sci-fi series I've read in a while.
    What do you mean pseudoscience?!?! Teach the controversy!

  18. #58
    Quote Originally Posted by OldPhiKap View Post
    Yeah, that’s what gets me in part (although the logistics of the whole thing seems highly unlikely to me too).

    It’s like the proof that there is no time travel: we would have seen someone come back by now.
    One of my favorite scenes from the TV show, "The Big Bang Theory" is when Sheldon and Leonard reminisce about their first room mate contract, and they stipulate that:

    Section 9: If one of the roommates ever invents Time Travel, the first stop has to aim exactly five seconds after this clause of
    the Roommate Agreement was signed.


    Then they wait and get disappointed that they don't re-appear 5 minutes after signing the contact.

    So many TV shows have demonstrated how paradoxes would be created if Time Travel "Backwards" would be able to occur. It is fantasy.

    Of course, Time Travel "Forwards" happens all the time whenever some travels at speeds relative to each other, according to Einstein's Special Relativity.

    As an exaggerated example, identical twin Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, with Scott being on the International Space Station traveling at 17.5KMPH for about 520 days. At the end of this, Scott was about 6 minutes younger (or 6 minutes into the future) relative to his identical twin Mark.
    Granted this was a bit more gradual than you may have been thinking (step into a box and being propelled into another time) but you don't have to totally leave town and communication. You can jump on a faster conveyor belt to the future, but you can't go back.

    The movie Intersteller had an interesting take. Matthew McConaughey, and a couple of Astronauts, went to a planet with a large gravitational field, and were propelled into the future (without their aging) by a large number of years. The only problem with the script was that they should have also "felt" the gravity of the planet that affected them if they were to age that much. But, it was all in good fun.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  19. #59
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Why would aliens come here? Surely not for our dear earth. If anything our probes have shown us is that water and minerals are available in abundance in the moons and planets, everywhere. Unless they need BRAINS. What they need is probably available locally to them, and without a fight. If they had such great technology, they could probably build a planet that has the same mass (to keep an atmosphere) and place it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law (so it doesn't break up due to gravitational effects relative to other planets. In our infancy, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, in just a few short years, have discovered 4000 exoplanets. Imagine the choices available for mining to an advanced civilization with a myriad of tools. We are not needed for mining or colonization!! Maybe Bagels or Deli.
    "Building a planet and placing it at the right distance to satisfy Bode's law" (Bode's law is illogical reasoning and isn't real in any meaningful sense, by the way) sounds much, much, much more difficult to me than sending probes or spaceships to another star system. And while water and exoplanets are common in the universe, we still don't know if life or environments habitable to Earth-life are. So while I agree with you that invading other planets for "mining" of raw materials doesn't make sense, habitable worlds might be rare and it's easy to see the appeal of seeking them out.
    Last edited by Wander; 09-22-2020 at 09:01 AM.

  20. #60
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Wherever the wind blows and the leaves dance.
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    ...
    My qualifications are 3 Science degrees, BS Physics/Math (University At Albany). Master/PhD Physics (Duke)(same Physics group as Bob Richardson, Duke PhD Nobel Prize winner). PostDoc at Duke. , NASA Grant.

    I’m very curious about where most people stand on UFO/ET. So, my questions would be:
    1. Do you believe UFOs have visited earth? Why? Sure, why not. Not Convinced though.
    2. Do you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth? Why? See 1)
    3. If you believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, do you actively search for information? Used to read a lot about it. Nothing convinced me.
    4. If you don’t believe extraterrestrials have visited earth, are you open to believing it? Yes...
    DevilHorse
    Impressive credentials, particularly for this discussion. Thanks for the interesting thoughts.

    I'm assuming you were already familiar with the "Tic Tac", "Go Fast", and "Gimbal" sightings. I would think that your answers to questions 1-4 would be different after those sightings.

    Just with the "Tic Tac" incident alone you have:
    • multiple trained observers (eyewitnesses) to an object not obeying our understanding of physics.
    • a UFO with the ability to cloak, enter the water, and jam our radar.
    • Multiple UFOs flying in groups of ten, over 100 seen in a week on radar.

    Quote Originally Posted by construe View Post
    Speaking of alien abduction, I just have to add this, as I think it was Throatybeard who first posted it on this board, oh, I dunno...10 or more years ago?

    http://www.stopabductions.com/


    For the longest time, the website never changed and I thought it was dead. But someone must be helping out poor ol' Michael Menken, as the page has been (somewhat) updated recently. The content is still as kooky as ever (thankfully...I use it in my class when I teach about pseudoscience.)

    And for a very dark view of contact from alien life, I'd recommend Liu's "The Three Body Problem" trilogy. Probably the most mind blowing (and pessimistic) sci-fi series I've read in a while.
    Haha. Love the 'Thought Screen Helmet'. Abductions are no laughing matter...right!?!

    I read the wiki summary on "The Three Body Problem" trilogy. Yikes. Where is the 'running around in a circle with your hands over your head' icon?

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