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Re: FineYoungSinger -space dwelling jellyfish like creatures is from Star Trek
HEY! I remember that episode! Not my favorite, but definitely in my top 20. The one I liked was when those pink phlem wads got stuck to Spock...incredible realism.
Yeah, though the reports are a bit on the unreliable side, I still like to imagine that there just might be creatures living in the vastness space...it's great food for the imagination, plus it tickles me.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on March 5, 2008 at 8:07 AM
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FineYoungSinger -space dwelling jellyfish like creatures is from Star Trek
There have been several sightings of unexplained phenomena in space by NASA astronauts but nothing as definitive as a life form. Despite claims of a grand conspiracy, all this is public record. Ultimately what some astronauts have seen is a little dissapointing. It has been mostly numerous unexplained lights or odd looking space debri. Mind you, there are a handful of sightings that were very strange but by the time these stories make the internet rounds, they become nothing more than creative gobbly gook.
posted by
gomedome
on February 27, 2008 at 2:09 PM
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Re: FineYoungSinger - I've always wondered why this universe is so big?
Did you ever hear about reports by astronauts that claim to have seen lifeforms in space---animals of some kind whose natural habitat seems to be "outer space"? I found this crazy website talking about giant jellyfish-like creatures ... all the links to NASA reports were, of course, useless, but I was certainly amused.
Hey, if there is life on land, and in water--both very different atmospheres--then why not in space? Evolution of life is a powerful force.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 27, 2008 at 10:36 AM
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Re: MyrddinWyllt - I'm trying to determine what you mean by: " . . . the exact
Just an idea that popped in and out. I react to whatever comes my way and am not trying to be scientific, rational or logical. I LOVE playing with ideas of whatever nature. Once the ideas that arise in our minds no longer control us we can ride them without getting attached to them.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 25, 2008 at 1:36 PM
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FineYoungSinger - I've always wondered why this universe is so big?
At least if it was created for little ol us?
Like, isn't that the same as raising a guppy in the Pacific Ocean?
posted by
gomedome
on February 25, 2008 at 1:34 PM
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MyrddinWyllt - I'm trying to determine what you mean by: " . . . the exact
opposite of the Sun" ???
For a planet to be obscured from Earth's view by the Sun it would have to be in the exact same trajectory and orbit around the Sun as Earth. Then if that were possible (it would also have to be the exact same mass to maintain this orbit), it would have long ago been discovered by associative phenomena, or much the same way that a number of other outlying planets, moons and asteroids have been discovered. But if you are saying it is possible that a planet capable of sustaining life may be much closer than we know of, that could very well be true. Especially once we discard the limiting factors needed to sustain life as we know it.
As for your vision of the alien, you would be surprised at how many people have had that same vision/nightmare/manifestation, or whatever you prefer to call it. The widespread appearance of this vision is the basis for many a person believing that we have not only been visited, but that this particular type of extra-terrestrial is amongst us. Known as "The Greys" because of the pallor of their skin and characteristic large head with large black eyes, they have been witnessed by countless people. .....but this reality aside, I remain a skeptic for a number of reasons. The Greys appeared in collective human consciousness in conjunction with the dawning of the UFO era. They were first depicted in movies of the 50's and 60's.
This era was also the period in history when photography came into widespread use in our societies. Not one credible picture of any type exists of this manifestation, taken by someone witnessing it, despite so many people having had this experience. Having said this, I do not have an explanation other than to say that we all know how human senses can be deceived, manipulated or stimulated by a host of factors. When we witness something like this, we are forced to revert to our existing knowledge to define what happened and describe what we saw.
posted by
gomedome
on February 25, 2008 at 1:28 PM
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so ready for this one , gomedome?
I most certainly believe that we are not alone in the universe. I believe that God, angels, demons and satan exists. (hahahahahaha)
Whether or not beings live on other planets, that remains to be seen. I'm certainly open to it, and if we encounter one, then hey, great.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 25, 2008 at 1:12 PM
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Dinosaurs
I have often wondered what descendant of dinosaurs would look like if they managed to escape the cataclysm that wiped many species out. If they found a way of survival in deep sea or in caves and hollows they may well have become very intelligent by now. Look how far we got in a very short time.
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 25, 2008 at 12:19 PM
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Re: Xeno-x - if life existed within say 20 light years from Earth, people still
If there are any "aliens" visiting us, they may actually come here from much closer. If there was a planet at almost the exact opposite side of the sun for instance we would probably not even know about it. Do you know if anybody has given this theory serious scientific attention?
Like you yourself said: They may not need the same factors for sustaining life. Doesn't this increase the possibility that they may well be living under Jupiters' clouds, or inside Mars, or on Venus or even inside Earth?
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 25, 2008 at 12:15 PM
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Sensible discussion
You guys are making more sense on this subject than many books and articles I have read. Great Stuff!!!
Why did I read so much about it. In my late teens I was sleeping in an outside room. This was about 1985. I had a little dog that was very alert, as small dogs are. I heard a ruffling of leaves outside my door and talked to Vlekkie (meaning "spots" pronounced -flacky) to ease him. He would then usually stop moving or at least come to the door and seek more attention. This did not happen. The leaves just kept ruffling and the source moved away. Somewhat scared I opened the curtains and looked outside. Right in front of me I saw a head with enormous black eyes. It just looked at me. Now I fully realize that this could have been me still halfway in dreamland adding some imagination to what was actually there, which may even have been someone playing a prank on me. However it gave me such a fright that I wanted to scream, but I couldn't make a sound. These eyes didn't have any emotion but it seemed to me more like it was just looking at me in a very confrontational way (which was probably a projection of my own attitude). It was as if I was looking deep into myself and I just could not handle what I saw there. An openness so empty yet profound that "terror" was my first reaction. I could not think about anything except to cover myself under the blanket. I woke up the next morning with my brother knocking on the window and I tried to get up but just could not. I was paralyzed for what felt to me like probably five minutes on a clock before I could move. Although this experience may be written off and rationalized in many ways - fact is it is something I experienced that changed my life and prompted a search for meaning and understanding. I think this is similar to what Nagarjuna called Naga's (meaning sea serpent or dragon) and Tibetans call dakini (sky goers). It certainly had the same effect it had on many people in various legends...
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on February 25, 2008 at 11:53 AM
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Xeno-x - if life existed within say 20 light years from Earth, people still
do not fully comprehend how far that is.
A light year is exactly as it implies; the length of time (one year) traveled by X (whatever) at the speed of light. That would be: 1,079,252,848.8 km/h . . . or in American: 669,136,766.38 MPH . . . so if they were capable of traveling at nearly 700,000,000 miles per hour through space, they would reach us in 20 years . . . then they have to get home.
Joking about the worthiness of humans deserving to be visited aside, we can assume that there would be some reason for any species to make such a voyage. Even if against all odds, all factors are in place; such as there being an intelligent life form that close to us, that are capable of something we can only dream about in traveling at light speed, there remains two other factors. Outside of everything I mentioned in this post, an intelligent life form would be viewing space the same way we view it, from a 360 degree perspective. If simply making contact with another life form were the reason for such a voyage, Earth may not be the closest or best destination to them. There is also the factor of technological advancement in of itself. We have only been capable of understanding the concept of extra terrestrial life forms for just the past several decades, prior to that there would not have been what could have been considered as species to species contact. It would have been viewed much differently by humans (they would have been gods).
This is important in that development between the two species must be somewhat similar. As a variable factor however, it increases the odds of our being contacted to outlandish improbabilities. Observed? Maybe . . . but visited? . . . highly unlikely.
posted by
gomedome
on February 25, 2008 at 11:48 AM
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the possibilities are endless
the many forms of life.
however, the Universe, as I heard or read somewhere some time ago, is filled with clouds of pre-life compounds, amino acids and such, so that this precursor to life is ubiquitous.
that these could produce life is highly likely, and that the life would gravitate to planets is also highly likely. or so I would surmise.
our own sun came from a supernovaed red giant some billions of years ago, and astronomers tell us that we have several sun-like stars (color, chemical composition, etc.) within some 20 - 50 light years of us, having also arisen from the same parent star, thus being of roughly the same age as our sun.
this, to me, tells me that the chances of sentient beings within 50 light years of us are quite high.
to say that any have visited earth . . . ??? some say yes, and some say that they have seen evidence.
I have seen what I have supposed is evidence -- when I was about 10 or so -- in the high grass across from the airport where fighter jets are manufactured and tested -- an impression -- an oval, egg like, with three impressions around it, tripod like, resembling, as I remember, that of tires. I don't think even a helicopter of the time would have made such an impression.
But it seems evidence anywhere is sketchy at best -- could be any aliens (if such are visiting us) are close to smart enough to avoid a definite contact.
I know I wouldn't contact us if I were visiting here from somewhere else.
posted by
Xeno-x
on February 25, 2008 at 11:12 AM
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