If it were announced that we discovered multicellular life..

[Genevieve]

..on a different planet. How would you respond?

Excitement and would you be blown away? Or would you be leaning more towards indifference?

At this point, most people I would categorize as being within DSF's main target audience (more liberal minded young adults with an interest in alternative culture and curiosity about scientific research) probably expect life to be out there. I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, it's pretty much a commonly held assumption that we are not alone. I personally view discovering life much like losing your virginity when you're a young teenager; you know it's gonna happen sooner or later so it might as well happen sooner if it were up to you, but you KNOW it'll happen anyway and in the grand scheme of things, it's not turning your world around.

I am fully aware of how revolutionary the discovery would be. I am not trying to diminish its importance. But with the discovery being on everyone's radar and with the never ending cascade of scientific breakthroughs on a weekly basis, wouldn't we be rather desensitized to the effects of discovering complex life on a different planet?

This does not include sentient life. I think this would blow pretty much anyone away. More importantly because it also faces people with the question of what it means to be a human and a person, which may be a lot for people to swallow.

Please keep UFO/alien visitation talk in the other thread.

[hubb]

Agreed on a psychological level and that it's fascinating, but aren't you forgetting capitalism?

I mean if the 'plant' could be tried and used in a hand creme or something then usually that would be enough incentive for humans to blow up stuff close to each other.

[nowaysj]

I grew up before exoplanets where known. My daughter is in a different world. It is like of course there are planets around most stars, she thinks of them as everywhere. I'm still blown away by these planets.

The only thing that would blow me away is if we went from planet to planet NOT discovering life.

But if they announced life today, it would be a big thing. We'd have a toast at the dinner table, or take a moment to pause. Kind of like Fukushima. Like a major moment in world history.

If they announced sentient life... that would be another thing. Two ways, we're looking at a distant planet and there are obvious signs of industrialization, that is one thing, an alien coming out on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show would be another. Flesh and blood aliens making themselves known here on earth would be beyond huge, the entire world order would change. All of life would be completely different.

[rickyarbino]

I'm not sure the world order would change. Most countries write laws for people, whatever shape or form they come in.

[nowaysj]

The world order is based on energy, aliens being here would very likely imply a new human relationship to energy. I will say nothing further to you on the subject.

[titchbit]

Honestly I probably would think it's cool but then shrug it off after a few minutes and go on with my life. If we discovered like, really complex life like, that had language and movement and shit like that, that would be pretty crazy but discovering bacteria or like algae-like shit on mars would not be a huge deal to me.

[OGLemon]

tbh I wouldn't be surprised. It's only a matter of time before we find something. Not sure about multicellular though because life on other planets may be different from life on Earth when it comes to the chemistry.

[nowaysj]

I really hope they're like this:

[OGLemon]

[mks]

I would be excited because the mathematical probability shows that there has to be other life out there. It just because the universe is so vast and space and time is a huge hindrance to discovering any other life forms.

What do you guys think about this discovery that was announced this week? An Earth-like planet discovered in the habitable zone of its sun 500 light years away.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27054366

[Molzie]

I really hope they're like this:

yeah and not like this:

[+] Spoiler

[Genevieve]

I would be excited because the mathematical probability shows that there has to be other life out there. It just because the universe is so vast and space and time is a huge hindrance to discovering any other life forms.

What do you guys think about this discovery that was announced this week? An Earth-like planet discovered in the habitable zone of its sun 500 light years away.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27054366

The jews can have it.

Or if the Palestinians want it, they can have it too (though I hope for their sake there's no oil over there).

..am I trolling my own thread?

[OGLemon]

..am I trolling my own thread?

big ups

[mks]

..am I trolling my own thread?

Yes

[kay]

It'd probably be a bit like proving the Higgs boson exists. Bit of "Yay! At last!", a bit of back-slapping, something involving God in some way, and then a slightly maudlin descent as it only confirmed what we figured but didn't tell us anything new.

[Genevieve]

Like a major moment in world history.

No, definitely. I'm certainly not denying that and I believe that everyone would be aware of the cultural significance of the discovery. But would people lose their shit over it? A few people definitely would. But I think many people would just go 'awesome' without being fully blown away by it on a gut level and would await the next scientific breakthrough.

In a way, we're kind of spoiled with scientific breakthroughs in that we don't completely appreciate their significance anymore.

[nowaysj]

I really hope they're like this:

yeah and not like this:

[+] Spoiler

Because you take this:







And add a little of this:








And you get a little of this:

[kidshuffle]

If the aliens want to bang, I'd be one of those people who flip shit.

Otherwise, meh.

[hubb]

this can be a poo promise if you like

[rickyarbino]

In a way, we're kind of spoiled with scientific breakthroughs in that we don't completely appreciate their significance anymore.

I think we're in a better position to appreciate their significance than we ever have been lol
109 years ago Einstein published 4 papers that revolutionized the way we look at the universe. Back then, I'm about to guess this, no more than 30% of man-kind could understand it, today however, kids as young as 16 sit in classrooms across the developed world debating it. I actually watched my Physics professor last year weeping because of it actually.

It's a minor detail I guess.