Ummmm I'm A Slacker?

[Illuminati]

Well, considering that I played a significant part in it, I think this deserves The Card

[thewizeard]

Oh no, Illuminati, not again, not hijacked!

[Illuminati]

Originally posted by nigel123@21 July 2003 - 17:29
Oh no, Illuminati, not again, not hijacked!

Can't be disputed (Topic hasn't got grounds to anyway )

[j2k4]

Originally posted by lynx@21 July 2003 - 11:18
You all miss the point. If the tree was being watched, (either by human or electromechanical means), it would not fall. But as soon as you ceased to watch it (or the batteries in your camcorder failed) down it would come.

HAH!

Lynx, you are wrong; you have failed to improperly mix your exemplar metaphor:

"A Watched tree never boils."

This would require a lightning strike, which would assume rain, which would, in turn, assume no onlookers-unless attired for wet weather, of course.


Edit: Clarity

[lynx]

Damn you, j2k4, trust you to suss me out.

[lynx]

Will we find aliens (or aliens us)?

Planetary systems like our own require an iron core.
Iron, and other heavy elements was produced from third generation (or maybe fourth, I can't remember) supernovae. Ie the first generation produces carbon, the collapse of (second generation) carbon stars produces heavier elements and so on until the iron phase occurs.

But the universe (at least according to the big bang theory) is only just old enough to have had that many supernovae generations, so although there are almost countless stars out there, comparatively few can have iron cores.

Then consider how many of those would have a planet with the right planetary conditions (orbitally), and in turn how many of those have the right mix of chemicals. If you then consider the chances of life actually developing (and bear in mind that we are talking about recognisable life), it is possible that only a small number of planets in the universe will have created life.

And of those few, how many of those will have created sentient life?

We may indeed be alone.