Hypothetical UFO/Alien Question

[dogtag]

I rough estimated that only every 300 to 500 years some person of exceptional intelligence (Da Vinci, Einstein, et al) comes along. The rest of us just maintain whatever system we belong to.

Nicola Tesla was far more important than a mere painter.
If I were a Stone Age Man I'd prefer to share a cave with
a hunter rather than a guy who daubs on the cave walls.

[togor]

Nicola Tesla was far more important than a mere painter.
If I were a Stone Age Man I'd prefer to share a cave with
a hunter rather than a guy who daubs on the cave walls.

Not a woman? I'll grant you, they probably didn't shave their legs back then, but still....

[Vern Humphrey]

If we're not the only intelligent (?) life in this Galaxy,
then how the Hell would another bunch of intelligents get here ?
Light speed is the universal speed limit so it would take many
lifetimes to get here and one of those silly looking Alien ships
that look suspiciously like lanpshades would be kinda cramped
for a crew on a several hundred year journey.
They'd need a huge ship with a movie theater, a beer and wine
bar, a brothel, a 5 star restaurant, a library, a sauna, and a nice
swimming pool. And that's just for starters.
Nah, I think we're alone.

It's Schrodinger's Cat.

In debating quantum physics, Schrodinger proposed a question: There is a cat in a perfectly sealed box. There is a device in the box that will kill the cat IF a certain particle is emitted. The odds of the particle being emitted are 50/50. Is the cat alive or dead?

The answer is, there is no cat. There is only a POTENTIAL cat. Not until we open the box will the cat exist.

Similarly there are only POTENTIAL extraterrestrial civilizations. Not until we find one will they exist.

[dogtag]

It's Schrodinger's Cat.

In debating quantum physics, Schrodinger proposed a question: There is a cat in a perfectly sealed box. There is a device in the box that will kill the cat IF a certain particle is emitted. The odds of the particle being emitted are 50/50. Is the cat alive or dead?

The answer is, there is no cat. There is only a POTENTIAL cat. Not until we open the box will the cat exist.

Similarly there are only POTENTIAL extraterrestrial civilizations. Not until we find one will they exist.

So, If I can't see something it doesn't exist ?
What kind of gibberish is that.
I can't see my neighbor from where I sit, so she doesn't exist ?
Good grief.

[togor]

A bit of hair splitting here, but DT is onto something.

There is a difference between knowing whether a something exists or not, and knowing what state it is in. The cat is in the box, but whether it is alive or dead, one cannot know until it is measured. Up until that point, it's existence is defined by a probability density function. Sometimes this plays out in a gruesome real-life way, such as when no one in the retirement complex realizes for months that a certain resident has died--a real problem in Japan apparently.

Related to this is the Uncertainty Principle. To measure the position of something with great precision requires light of a shorter wavelength, which means a quanta of higher energy. The higher the energy, the greater the perturbation of the object as a result of the measurement. Thus the product of the uncertainties of position and momentum are expressed as an inequality, with a minimum limit set by Planck's constant. For scientific determinism, which was the gold standard through the 19th century (that it was possible to describe with complete certainty the course of events of a system, providing the initial conditions are fully known), this came as a huge bombshell, and was the motivation for the famous Einstein quote about "the Gods playing dice".

[leftyo]

So, If I can't see something it doesn't exist ?
What kind of gibberish is that.
I can't see my neighbor from where I sit, so she doesn't exist ?
Good grief.

i actually have to give Vern credit on this one, as schrodigers cat is very valid, whether your capable of grasping the concept or not.

[dryheat]

If a tree falls in the woods...and all that.

[dogtag]

i actually have to give Vern credit on this one, as schrodigers cat is very valid, whether your capable of grasping the concept or not.

Well, if you're dumb enough to believe that because you
can't see something, it doesn't exist., enjoy your bliss.
Can you see me ? No ? Then I guess I don't exist either.

- - - Updated - - -

If a tree falls in the woods...and all that.

So, if no human can hear it does that imply the animals can't either ?

[leftyo]

Well, if you're dumb enough to believe that because you
can't see something, it doesn't exist., enjoy your bliss.
Can you see me ? No ? Then I guess I don't exist either.

- - - Updated - - -



So, if no human can hear it does that imply the animals can't either ?

sorry the thing is over your head. you mentioned your neighbor the first time, you know her, you know she exists, so it does not fit the criteria of shrodingers cat. i know you, or someone pretending to be "dogtag" exists because you wrote that, so you dont fit the criteria.