Neil deGrasse Tyson is our favorite science dude -- on the teevee, at least, because Oliver Sacks mostly sticks to books -- and here is a video of 23 minutes of Tyson Being Tyson, explaining the problem with UFOs: once you've got that "Unidentified" part taken care of, that's where you should just
The other problem with UFO's is of course, that they would have to travel at close to the speed of light in order to reach Earth, from another planet that we have not thoroughly examined with telescopes. At least they would if they wanted to reach here in a reasonable amount of time, and assuming they cannot violate the known laws of physics. (Due to entropy ever increasing, it is reasonable to assume any other physical life form in the universe would have a limited life span.) Time dilation caused by approaching the speed of light, is about the only way life forms could travel between stars at subluminal velocity.
In Einsteinian space-time, yes, but the even Einstein postulated the existence of folds in time and space and even theorized that a Einstein-Rosen bridge could bypass the problems relativity revealed when it came to interstellar distances.
Plus, the now-proven theory of entanglement suggests an alien technology could be sufficiently advanced that the aliens themselves would not have to leave home to travel. They would merely send exact replicas of themselves, possessing their knowledge, on a one way journey. In this event, the ship would travel essentially empty but for masses of atoms that at the destination would then reconstruct the alien based on the information encoded in the atoms themselves.
Sayyyyyy....what if aliens are actually responsible for the Teabagger movement?
Hear me now or believe me later...
Here's the thinking: Alien civilizations started noticing us after the first atomic weapon, and cruised by to say "Nice planet you got there. Be a shame some fin was to happen to it".
We ignored them (weather balloon, my ass!) and went merrily on our way building spaceships and stuff, flying to the moon and planets to "explore". Aliens realized that somewhere down the road, it would be them or us.
So they came up with a plan to make us dumb. I mean, really dumb. Science? Work of the devil. Intelligence? DEMON SEED! War? All good! Math? Borrrrrrrrrrrrrringgggggggg!
So now you have pockets of human civilization rife with morons and idiots, and then the aliens gave us (yes, Algore is a alien) the World Wide Web where these idiots could be louder and more obnoxious than the rest of us and actually convince us of their relevance.
So yes, society dumbs down. Society war mongers. We blow each other up, end of humanity, and the aliens take over.
I actually had not given it any thought, as I avoid both groups. But, it is a similar mindset. That makes them wackier than I had realizied. Interesting. Thanks for the tip.
And the two best arguments against Area 51 and Space Aliens Have Landed are: 1. As a Congressman said, during the investigation of Project Blue Book, 10 years ago or more, "this government leaks like a sieve, and it's going to keep this secret for 50 years?" 2. This argument is incomprehensible to neoConfederates and Christian Satanists (aka the "religious right", because they're not only "not scientists", but too stupid: we know where every single bit of science and engineering in the last century came from. (No, we did not get microwave ovens from space aliens...) We can track *all* the research. There have been *no* sudden, utterly unexpected breakthroughs, or new tech that's come out of nowhere. If you know something can be done, you can find a way to do it, or to do something like it. Even if we'd only observed UFOs, we'd have some ideas on how they fly, and we'd have something that wasn't a rocket or propellor-driven. We don't. (Dammit!)
mark "*Please beam me up, Scotty, there's *no* intelligent life here"
I don't believe that the aliens are extraterrestrial at all, they are just from alternate universes where evolution took a different path. The fact all the supposed aliens are still bipedal humanoids, like the grays, suggests to me that they are still from an earth, just not our universe's earth. Of course the reptoids and dog-men are from universes where a non primate branch of the animal kingdom evolved to sapience instead. Unless they are from some really weird universe where the laws of physicists include magic, in which case the dogmen and reptoids are just werebeasts.
So basically, Scotty the alien freeze dries himself in the transporter pattern buffer trick a la TNG? I like this idea, as it also goes with a more likely scenario of generation ships (and possibly propelled by solar sails; read The Mote in Gods Eye).
The object most often mistaken for a UFO is the planet Venus, which, to the naked eye, has a luminous aura that makes her appear much larger and brighter than any other heavenly body, other than her sister, the Moon. Jimmy Carter is among those who made this mistake.
The other problem with UFO's is of course, that they would have to travel at close to the speed of light in order to reach Earth, from another planet that we have not thoroughly examined with telescopes. At least they would if they wanted to reach here in a reasonable amount of time, and assuming they cannot violate the known laws of physics. (Due to entropy ever increasing, it is reasonable to assume any other physical life form in the universe would have a limited life span.) Time dilation caused by approaching the speed of light, is about the only way life forms could travel between stars at subluminal velocity.
Keep that periodic table away! It's dangerous!! The bench is worse...
In Einsteinian space-time, yes, but the even Einstein postulated the existence of folds in time and space and even theorized that a Einstein-Rosen bridge could bypass the problems relativity revealed when it came to interstellar distances.
Plus, the now-proven theory of entanglement suggests an alien technology could be sufficiently advanced that the aliens themselves would not have to leave home to travel. They would merely send exact replicas of themselves, possessing their knowledge, on a one way journey. In this event, the ship would travel essentially empty but for masses of atoms that at the destination would then reconstruct the alien based on the information encoded in the atoms themselves.
ETA: Me no MENSA member. Me dum librul.
Sayyyyyy....what if aliens are actually responsible for the Teabagger movement?
Hear me now or believe me later...
Here's the thinking: Alien civilizations started noticing us after the first atomic weapon, and cruised by to say "Nice planet you got there. Be a shame some fin was to happen to it".
We ignored them (weather balloon, my ass!) and went merrily on our way building spaceships and stuff, flying to the moon and planets to "explore". Aliens realized that somewhere down the road, it would be them or us.
So they came up with a plan to make us dumb. I mean, really dumb. Science? Work of the devil. Intelligence? DEMON SEED! War? All good! Math? Borrrrrrrrrrrrrringgggggggg!
So now you have pockets of human civilization rife with morons and idiots, and then the aliens gave us (yes, Algore is a alien) the World Wide Web where these idiots could be louder and more obnoxious than the rest of us and actually convince us of their relevance.
So yes, society dumbs down. Society war mongers. We blow each other up, end of humanity, and the aliens take over.
Easy peasy, hands not greasy.
I actually had not given it any thought, as I avoid both groups. But, it is a similar mindset. That makes them wackier than I had realizied. Interesting. Thanks for the tip.
And the two best arguments against Area 51 and Space Aliens Have Landed are: 1. As a Congressman said, during the investigation of Project Blue Book, 10 years ago or more, "this government leaks like a sieve, and it's going to keep this secret for 50 years?" 2. This argument is incomprehensible to neoConfederates and Christian Satanists (aka the "religious right", because they're not only "not scientists", but too stupid: we know where every single bit of science and engineering in the last century came from. (No, we did not get microwave ovens from space aliens...) We can track *all* the research. There have been *no* sudden, utterly unexpected breakthroughs, or new tech that's come out of nowhere. If you know something can be done, you can find a way to do it, or to do something like it. Even if we'd only observed UFOs, we'd have some ideas on how they fly, and we'd have something that wasn't a rocket or propellor-driven. We don't. (Dammit!)
mark "*Please beam me up, Scotty, there's *no* intelligent life here"
Or D
Oh yea and btw Neil:
It's a Cookbook! Run!
I don't believe that the aliens are extraterrestrial at all, they are just from alternate universes where evolution took a different path. The fact all the supposed aliens are still bipedal humanoids, like the grays, suggests to me that they are still from an earth, just not our universe's earth. Of course the reptoids and dog-men are from universes where a non primate branch of the animal kingdom evolved to sapience instead. Unless they are from some really weird universe where the laws of physicists include magic, in which case the dogmen and reptoids are just werebeasts.
So basically, Scotty the alien freeze dries himself in the transporter pattern buffer trick a la TNG? I like this idea, as it also goes with a more likely scenario of generation ships (and possibly propelled by solar sails; read The Mote in Gods Eye).
The object most often mistaken for a UFO is the planet Venus, which, to the naked eye, has a luminous aura that makes her appear much larger and brighter than any other heavenly body, other than her sister, the Moon. Jimmy Carter is among those who made this mistake.
Hm. It's as if you think your screen name can provide you with anonymity. ::initiates search sequence::
Show us on the ALF doll where they probed you, dear...
Why not? Join the Indiana weed church, pop in the "Cosmos" DVD, and you're all set.
Can I do that without the weed?
Sure, but I'm pretty sure Indiana would let us look askance at you.