Hyperspace; Is it Possible? - Page 3 - Political Forum

Change · #21 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diligent_d

Pretty much. The astronauts would finish a journey that takes thousands of years without aging much, but time would go on normally on Earth. Meaning we would have a big send-off for the guys, but would never know if they actually made it to their destination thousands of light years away.

Well that sucks.

Change · #22 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dahermit

"...Even if we were capable of space travel I think people are getting their hopes up regarding sentient life in the galaxy. They wouldn't be like the Vulcans or the greys or anything like that. They would be truly inhuman creatures who we might never be able to communicate with directly. It's not that we couldn't share ideas, but you wouldn't be able to have a real time conversation with them and an advanced civilization like ours would probably be rare..."
Given the diversity and really odd life forms found on our own planet, that which has evolved on planets with atmospheres and an environment dissimilar to ours, the possibilities are mind boggling.

For instance, there is a moon orbiting one of the planets in our solar system that scientists believe has a frozen covering over liquid water (liquid because of sub-surface volcanic activity. Given the life that has evolved around our under sea "black smokers", there could be aquatic life on that planet despite its frozen surface.

Given that, it is possible that the life that exists there could be some form of large, intelligent crustacean-like life form. Imagine the possibilities. We could transport representatives of that existence to our planet in aquarium capsules that simulate their environment. Think of the possiblities...boiled and dipped in melted butter!

You do not know that, if there is, perhaps they look just like us.

nemesis · #23 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Change

You do not know that, if there is, perhaps they look just like us.

No they would not. They wouldn't look anything like us. It is difficult for me to explain why, but it has to do with evolution and the environment. Scientists are able to come to this conclusion based in part because how life develops on Earth. If a certain function does not evolve independently between various lifeforms on our own planet chances are it would not evolve on another.

An example would be flight. Birds, insects and bats all developed the ability to fly independently so finding an alien (sentient or not) that is capable of flight isn't that far fetched. On the other hand a more specific evolutionary trait like our humanoid body frames has only evolved among primates who all evolved from a common ancestor in Africa. No species without a connection to primates has ever developed a humanoid body (out of the billions of species of animals on our planet) therefore the chances that such form would develop on another planet would be rare. Not impossible but exceedingly rare.

To find a species that looks just like us is flat out impossible. What are the chances that an alien would develop the same skeletal structure, body mass, sensory organs (eyes, noses, ears and such) located in the exact same places when the planet they hail from has completely different species of animals evolving on them? It's not going to happen.

Change · #24 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis

No they would not. They wouldn't look anything like us. It is difficult for me to explain why, but it has to do with evolution and the environment. Scientists are able to come to this conclusion based in part because how life develops on Earth. If a certain function does not evolve independently between various lifeforms on our own planet chances are it would not evolve on another.

An example would be flight. Birds, insects and bats all developed the ability to fly independently so finding an alien (sentient or not) that is capable of flight isn't that far fetched. On the other hand a more specific evolutionary trait like our humanoid body frames has only evolved among primates who all evolved from a common ancestor in Africa. No species without a connection to primates has ever developed a humanoid body (out of the billions of species of animals on our planet) therefore the chances that such form would develop on another planet would be rare. Not impossible but exceedingly rare.

To find a species that looks just like us is flat out impossible. What are the chances that an alien would develop the same skeletal structure, body mass, sensory organs (eyes, noses, ears and such) located in the exact same places when the planet they hail from has completely different species of animals evolving on them? It's not going to happen.

That is no fact, perhaps there is a word very similar to ours.

nemesis · #25 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Change

That is no fact, perhaps there is a word very similar to ours.

The planet itself could be similar, but not it's inhabitants. We will not encounter "space humans" or "space dogs" and "space birds". It simply cannot happen not unless you discount evolution in it's entirely and believe God just sprinkled the same species of animals on every single habitable planet.

Change · #26 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis

The planet itself could be similar, but not it's inhabitants. We will not encounter "space humans" or "space dogs" and "space birds". It simply cannot happen not unless you discount evolution in it's entirely and believe God just sprinkled the same species of animals on every single habitable planet.

Why can't it happen?

nemesis · #27 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Change

Why can't it happen?

Humanity will not discover anything in space based on superstition or theology. At any rate you are free to believe whatever you won't. I explained it as best I could.

Change · #28 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis

Humanity will not discover anything in space based on superstition or theology. At any rate you are free to believe whatever you won't. I explained it as best I could.

And why not?

Doctor Webley · #29 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 02:19 PM

Faster Than Light Travel (FTL). Is extremley possible, just not in the conventional sense.

A ship traveling FTL does not accerate to the speed of light, but stand still in a cosmic "bubble". The ship than manipulates space around the ship, dewcreaseing the amount of space in front of the ship, while increasing it in front of it.

Thus, the ship has traveled instantaneuosly without breaking the laws of physics, with very little energy expended.

Kerreh · #30 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor Webley

Faster Than Light Travel (FTL). Is extremley possible, just not in the conventional sense.

A ship traveling FTL does not accerate to the speed of light, but stand still in a cosmic "bubble". The ship than manipulates space around the ship, dewcreaseing the amount of space in front of the ship, while increasing it in front of it.

Thus, the ship has traveled instantaneuosly without breaking the laws of physics, with very little energy expended.

FTL is impossible, at least for hundreds of years to come, to travel in FTL speed, you have to practically change solid matter into Atoms and molecules so that they can be discharged at a large speed.