fotokuts (September 6, 2008 at 6:37 pm)

Carl...we miss you.

ronimacarroni (August 31, 2008 at 5:20 pm)

Well its more than that. Heck its not like you're looking at the fourth dimension when you look at a watch. But you can look at everything on a sheet a paper, that's because everything on the sheet of paper is represented two dimensionally. It would be the same if we could look at the third dimension from the fourth one.

flacokiddabi (August 28, 2008 at 1:38 am)

Well think about it species always will fill in a niche so obviouly another species would fill in ours if we werent here so i would happen on other planets

ryansuperbee (August 24, 2008 at 7:09 pm)

I have my masters in astronomy, so I feel that it's safe for me to presume that I have better understandings of the universe than most people on you tube. I agree 100% on the anthropocentric comment. When I say "We can't be the only ones" I mean that in reguards to intelligent life. I also agree that the drake equation can difer wildly. But what's interesting is that you can input very unpretentious data (considering the numbers)and still get promising results.

plevyman (August 24, 2008 at 11:51 am)

The fourth dimension? You mean time?

plevyman (August 24, 2008 at 11:50 am)

Incidentally, don't presume that you have more understanding of the size of the universe than me. The argument that "we can't be the only ones" is actually a very anthropocentric one, seeing humans as the ultimate purpose of evolution (rather than, presumably, an accident) and imagining images of ourselves dotted around the universe. I suppose the Drake equation does provide some means of guessing at an estimate, but the values you might put in differ so wildly that it's not very reliable.

plevyman (August 24, 2008 at 11:41 am)

But we have no reasonable way of estimating values for most of those parts. All it's suitable for is speculation. What proportion of planets with life eventually attain intelligent life (and what does this mean)? Well, we only know that one has. Even here, we can't be sure that if the whole evolutionary process re-ran, then intelligent life would arise. Then there is the question of conditions on other habitable planets and so on.

ryansuperbee (August 24, 2008 at 3:01 am)

It's the best educated and mathematical equation that we have. If you had ANY idea how big the universe is you would not think it is silly at all. Maybe you should try coming up with your own equation? When there are more stars than grains of sand on all the beachs of the world, not to mention the planets around those stars. Do you honestly think our little grain of sand is the only one with life on it??? It's hard to imagine were the only ones.

ryansuperbee (August 24, 2008 at 2:51 am)

Maybe Carl Sagan is god! He at least makes more sense of this universe than any religion or god did.

dreamdimensions (August 23, 2008 at 4:23 am)

consider that only one race would have to survive long enough to spread through the galaxy...