Origins of the Universe. (Creation versus science. Do they contradict?)

[Cavebear]

If we survive another million years, we won't be this current species of human anymore anyway, without taking deliberate steps to slow or halt evolution.

Once we start inhabiting other planets, that's the end of humanity as a single species.  Humans living on other worlds are going to change to fit their environments better, no matter how close to Earth-like we're able to terraform them into.

Well, yeah, I was being very general saying "human".  We might become "Belters" at first, then Solists.  But, you know, it is somewhat like when we spread Out Of Africa.  We still managed to interbreed back and forth.  I doubt we will ever lose complete touvh genetically.

Some sci-fi writers make us different as soon as we leave Earth.  I'm not too sure about that.  We are more likely to adapt other worlds to suit us as we are than evolve into new species.  Maybe.

Wish I could be there in the future to find out which way we change or don't.

[Unbeliever]

Yeah, that's one of the few things I don't like about having to die - I won't be around to see how our story continues.

[Cavebear]

Yeah, that's one of the few things I don't like about having to die - I won't be around to see how our story continues.

I look at the future as a book I can only ever read halfway.  I resent/regret the part of the book I will never get to read.

[Unbeliever]

I think of it that way, too. We've become able to skim a bit through the previous pages, and we can make guesses as to where the next few pages will go, but the present is only about a paragraph of the whole book.

[Cavebear]

I think of it that way, too. We've become able to skim a bit through the previous pages, and we can make guesses as to where the next few pages will go, but the present is only about a paragraph of the whole book.

It is possible to guess at our future by studying the past.  But when we finally leave the planet Earth successfully, it will be the grandest journey into the unknown we have ever faced.  Personally, I hope we are the only species to reach technological intelligence so that we face no real enemies.  I don't want us to meet more advanced species.  It didn't work too well for the Native Americans.  Even just a century of difference would be fatal.

I love Star Trek, but I remember Cortez too.  And I've read Guns, Germs, and Steel.

[Unbeliever]

I'm pretty sure we don't have to worry about running into anything out there that can mess with us. I think we're alone, at least in this galaxy. I know this is not a popular sentiment, but it's the only one I can offer.

[Cavebear]

I'm pretty sure we don't have to worry about running into anything out there that can mess with us. I think we're alone, at least in this galaxy. I know this is not a popular sentiment, but it's the only one I can offer.

The Drake Equation gets really "iffy" at the end.  There might be intelligent aggressive life on every 3rd star system.  Or we might explore the universe and find nothing more complex than pond scum. 

What I worry about is the 50/50 chance.  That, if there is intelligent life elsewhere, it's 50/50 that they are ahead or behind us.  And all it takes is 1.

[SGOS]

If we survive another million years, we won't be this current species of human anymore anyway, without taking deliberate steps to slow or halt evolution.

Slow or halt evolution?  This is an interesting idea.  Maybe it could be done, but I'm skeptical.  However, humans have indeed halted the evolution of many species, including our once living closest relatives.  We may halt our own evolution in the same way, and I think that's the better bet.

[Unbeliever]

The Drake equation is nothing but a series of uneducated guesses, at best. The first few terms have been firmed up a bit, but the later terms are completely unknown.

[Cavebear]

The Drake equation is nothing but a series of uneducated guesses, at best. The first few terms have been firmed up a bit, but the later terms are completely unknown.

Oh I think they are surely "educated" guesses.  It's not like Trump or Palin are tossing the percentages around on a blackboard randomly.   Guesses to be sure, but the best guesses education can provide.  At least notice that some of the numbers have observations to support them.

[Unbeliever]

Well, the first few terms have some observations to support them, but the later terms have nothing but guesses, and not very good ones.

[Cavebear]

Well, the first few terms have some observations to support them, but the later terms have nothing but guesses, and not very good ones.

I agree in general about the first ones.  And that the latter ones are less sure (possibly by orders of magnitude).  But the first ones inform the latter ones with clues.  I don't want to drift off into philosophical babble here, but the better we pin down the early parts, the more clues we have to the latter.

And, IIRC, as Sagan showed in 'Cosmos', the latter parts don't change things as much as the first parts.  Let's say the intelligence factor is of by 2 orders of magnitude, making the number of intelligent species 10 times higher or a 10th.  How much difference does that make?  They are still out there...

[Unbeliever]

I don't think there are any other intelligences in the whole galaxy, but if they are out there, I seriously doubt they're anywhere close to us, probably not within many thousands of light years. If that's the case we don't need to worry a bit about them, they can't get to us.

[SGOS]

I don't think there are any other intelligences in the whole galaxy, but if they are out there, I seriously doubt they're anywhere close to us, probably not within many thousands of light years. If that's the case we don't need to worry a bit about them, they can't get to us.

That's just because we haven't invented worm hole travel yet.  Hell, a bunch of aliens could show up any day now and we'd be in a real pickle.  Actually, a bigger problem than vast distances might be the almost infinite number of worlds that have to be explored before they find us.  So I'm still going to keep up my lawn and carry on until then.

[Cavebear]

I don't think there are any other intelligences in the whole galaxy, but if they are out there, I seriously doubt they're anywhere close to us, probably not within many thousands of light years. If that's the case we don't need to worry a bit about them, they can't get to us.

Safety in distance is viable for a long time.  But not forever.  You want to bet we don't find a way to travel lightyears someday?  And if "us" why not "them".