Current Events > Aliens thought experiment.

Topic List
Page List: 1
DevsBro
05/24/17 6:14:53 PM
#1:


So there have to be aliens because there are infinite planets, which actually hasn't been proven but whatever we'll just assume. So for every planet there's a tony chance there are aliens, you sample enough you gotta find aliens. Doesn't even matter how small the chance is.

Thought experiment time.

1. Even though the already small chance of there being aliens on a given planet becomes much smaller still if you generalize it to any given point in the universe, it's still nonzero, right? I mean maybe they're flying by in a space ship or boring through a planet's mantle in a high-tech machine.

2. Even though the already extremely small chance of the above becomes even smaller if you generalize it to a 4-dimenstional point in spacetime, it's still non-zero, right?

3. There's no fundamental difference if these aliens are actually living things or any other thing you could come up with, right? Suppose a piece of gold. The more specific you get, the smaller the chance but still nonzero. You could even look for specific properties, like a piece of gold of a particular size. As long as it's physically possible.

4. One of those properties could be velocity, right?

5. Given #2, you could choose up to 3 dimensions to specify and find a point along the fourth that matches all the given criteria, right? So for example, you could look for a piece of gold 2 miles across at the point where the Earth's exact center is now, and at some point in the past or future you'll find one.

6. Therefore, at some point in the past, at some point in space, there must have been a piece of gold 2 miles across traveling with exactly the right velocity to impact the Earth exactly as you finish reading this sentence...

Right?
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
PikachuMaxwell
05/24/17 6:17:41 PM
#2:


I'll think about it later. I can't give the topic any thought right now, but I'll post for future reference.
---
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U mains: http://i.imgur.com/vLFcGb2.png
Nintendo Network Name: JohnJohn
... Copied to Clipboard!
SicSlayer
05/24/17 6:17:49 PM
#3:


tl;dr
---
lick 'em
... Copied to Clipboard!
I Like Toast
05/24/17 6:19:07 PM
#4:


SicSlayer posted...
tl;dr

There is a tony chance
---
If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all
... Copied to Clipboard!
chill02
05/24/17 6:19:12 PM
#5:


um, yes
---
Ave, true to Caesar.
... Copied to Clipboard!
DevsBro
05/24/17 6:20:47 PM
#6:


There is a tony chance


The chance is grrrrrrrrrrrreat!
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
ThyCorndog
05/24/17 6:23:38 PM
#7:


there is a tony chance what you're saying is true
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
KILBOTz
05/24/17 6:25:28 PM
#8:


sure, based on your premise I can believe that. if you have infinite planets and each planet has a chance of developing life, you have an infinite amount of life.

but I think the thought experiment falls apart at the premise, since there aren't an infinite number of planets in this universe.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
IllegalAlien
05/24/17 6:32:33 PM
#9:


There is a tony chance wrt belief or inductive probability, not empirical (statistical) probability.
---
"Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience."
... Copied to Clipboard!
DevsBro
05/24/17 6:46:37 PM
#10:


... Copied to Clipboard!
DevsBro
05/25/17 10:09:12 AM
#11:


... Copied to Clipboard!
Topic List
Page List: 1